Tick the loads that may be running at the same time — not your daily list.
The two get conflated constantly, and the conflation always sizes the inverter too small.
Load Running W Qty Start × Hold
Rooftop air conditioner, no soft start 13,500 BTU class ×5.0 3 s
Rooftop air conditioner, soft start fitted Same unit ×1.5 1 s
Rooftop air conditioner, variable-speed compressor Inverter-driven unit ×1.2 1 s
Domestic fridge or chest freezer Residential compressor ×5.0 3 s
Submersible well pump, ½ hp ×6.0 3 s
Air compressor Pancake or twin-stack ×6.0 3 s
AC water pump Shallow-well jet pump ×4.5 1 s
Washing machine Drum motor ×3.5 1 s
Vacuum or hand tools Universal motor — drill, vacuum ×3.0 0.5 s
Microwave 900W output ≈ 1,300W input ×1.5 0.1 s
Induction hob Single or twin zone ×1.0 —
Coffee maker Resistive ×1.0 —
Kettle, toaster or resistance heater Resistive ×1.0 —
Laptop, TV, chargers Inrush is capacitive — ignore it ×1.0 —
12V DC air conditioner Never touches the inverter — —
The ×5.0 on a rooftop unit is not conservative padding. A 13,500 BTU rooftop air
conditioner running at 11–16 A commonly carries a locked-rotor rating of 45–62 A. A soft
start ramps the compressor rather than slamming it and cuts that inrush by roughly 65–75%,
which is where the ×1.5 comes from — not from the marketing.