I just bought a small freezer and tested the current requirements so I would
know how to use it with my generator, should it come to that.

I unplugged it and let it sit for a while. Then plugged it in. It drew
4.9a for a second and dropped to 1.2a; about what I expected. Just to be
sure, I unplugged it and plugged it back in. It spiked at 19a, then dropped
to 4.9a for a second and rand at 1.2a. The 19a spike alarmed me, especially
after I recalled that air conditioners have a built in delay to prevent them
from being damaged when turned off and then on immediately. I waited a
couple hours and then tested it again, more carefully. It was like the
first time, no spike.

It seems to be running normally. What was the spike about? Why are A/C
damaged by being turned off and on?
Is this anything to be concerned about? We have a few second or two outages
every year; if they are going to damage the freezer I ought to pick up the
extended warranty before it is too late.

Thanks.