Power Inverters Under Review

The whole purpose of the Power inverter is to convert DC power stored in a battery into a usable 230 V electric to power standard household appliances. However is very hard to evaluate the quality of the inverter from the description given in many magazines, papers and on many websites.

Cheap inverters can be good value for money but tend to have a short life expectancy, so be prepared to purchase another one soon after the original.  The only other major drawback with the cheap power inverters is the quality of electric been produced. Whilst this may be okay to power a light you would be extremely ill-advised to use the inverter to power any sensitive equipment. Cheap inverters tend to use the square wave signal which can be unreliable.

It is always advisable, when purchasing an inverter to look for a true or pure sine wave inverter as these provide the same quality of electric as you would expect to receive from the National Grid, in some cases even better quality electric. The main drawback to the true sine wave or pure sine wave inverter is the cost.

Most modern inverters generally provide protection against over-voltage and under voltage, this is designed to protect sensitive equipment from power surges. Inverters are available for use with 12 V or 24 V batteries and range in size from very small 80 W systems to systems that exceed 3000 W of power. Most lower wattage inverters may be connected directly to a cigarette lighter output, however the larger inverters will require a direct connection to the battery using a substantial cable.

As a general rule of thumb the cost of the inverter depends upon the wattage required and the type of inverter chosen. Inverters are produced three types, square sine wave, quasi-sine wave and true sine wave sometimes referred to as pure sine wave.

It is highly recommended that you have at least two 110 amp batteries installed into your vehicle if you intend to use a Power inverter. A Power inverter will reduce the operational life of your battery quite substantially. If you intend to install one of the larger inverters it is recommended a minimum of three 110 amp hour arteries are used.

To conclude.

Whilst power inverters are extremely useful for powering equipment that you would not normally find in a motor home caravan boat etc, you must expect a very large drain on your batteries.  It is also advisable to purchase a Power inverter of the pure sine wave type if you intend to run any sensitive equipment such as laptops, televisions, microwaves or gaming equipment.

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