What Appliances Are Compatible With The Tesla Powerwall?

The newest version of Tesla Powerwall could now deliver power backup for an entire home during outages or emergencies. The original Powerwall offers partial home backup with enough juice to run low-amp circuits like your home's lights, refrigerator, or Wi-Fi router. Meanwhile, Powerwall 2 can power a two-bedroom house (whole home backup) with its 13.5 kWh battery capacity. At the same time, Powerwall+ is easier to install with its built-in solar inverter and system controller to deliver 5.8 kW of continuous power and a peak output of 10 kW.

With the Tesla Powerwall system, you can use the lights and run small appliances while still having enough juice to power 240V heavy-load appliances like water heaters, pool pumps, air conditioners, electric cookers, large electric ovens, and EV chargers. However, if you have extra-large or power-hungry equipment, there are a few things to keep in mind to determine if those are compatible with Powerwall.

It only takes one Tesla Powerwall to power any suitable wall connectors, Tesla mobile connectors, or Level 1 EV chargers. But for faster Level 2 recharging using a 240V outlet, Tesla recommends two Powerwalls. Meanwhile, a one-horsepower or 20A well pump is compatible with a single Tesla Powerwall, but a two-horsepower or 30A pump could require two or more Powerwalls.

For compressor-based equipment like electric heaters or cooling gear, Tesla recommends comparing the Locked Rotor Amp (LRA) and the Running Load Amp (RLA) on the equipment nameplate. If the LRA is less than the RLA, you have a variable-speed compressor that can be used with a single Tesla Powerwall. The same rule applies if the LRA is blank or has a N/A label.

Moreover, resistive-based equipment like electric tankless water heaters with a maximum 5.5 kW capacity should be compatible with a single Tesla Powerwall. But if your tank water heater exceeds 11 kW, Tesla recommends two Powerwalls.