If you are wondering how to use a power inverter in your car, this article is for you. This article will explain what a power inverter is, how to size it, and how to safely use it with your car’s battery. Regardless of what you use the inverter for, it will be useful in a number of situations. The following are some of the benefits of using one in your car.
What is a power inverter for car
A power inverter for car is a handy tool that can convert the direct current (DC) power of a vehicle into 110 volts of AC power. This AC power can be used for all sorts of gadgets and appliances in your car, from small blenders to drone chargers.
A power inverter can convert 12 volts of power into the more flexible form of AC power that can run electronic devices and small appliances, such as laptops, game consoles, and more. However, it’s important to remember that a car’s battery will only provide a certain amount of current, and some cars only have fuses that are rated for ten or fifteen amps.
Therefore, it’s important to know how much current your car battery can support before you purchase one. Most power-hungry electronic devices are 100-watts or less and can safely be used in a car. Be aware, however, of high-wattage devices that can damage your inverter and even the car’s battery.
How to use a power inverter with a car battery
If you’ve been wondering how to use a power inverter with your car battery, then you’ve come to the right place. There are two important factors to consider: the type of battery and its amp hour rating. Automotive batteries, which are designed for ignition and use relatively high amperes, will not provide the same level of backup or efficiency when recharged by a power inverter. Fortunately, there’s a solution.
Car batteries contain direct current electrons, but the power inverter converts them into Alternating Current, which is usable for charging electronic devices. These gadgets require a conversion to AC power before they can charge.
Most power inverters connect to a car’s auxiliary power outlet, otherwise known as a cigarette lighter socket. A power inverter can help you charge many electronics, including games and computers.
how to size the car power inverter
Before you purchase a car power inverter, you need to consider how much power you will need and the number of items you’ll be plugging into it. The wattage of the inverter is important, as is the number of USB ports. The sizing chart for car power inverters is listed in the owner’s manual. It’s also helpful to know how long the cable should be.
If you’re looking for a smaller power inverter to plug into your car’s cigarette lighter, you should go with a smaller model. These won’t draw more than 200 watts from the lighter socket. Larger models can be hardwired to the car battery or clamped to the battery directly.
The output level is often listed as either peak or continuous. Peak output is the maximum amount of power the inverter can produce for a set period of time, while continuous output refers to average wattage during normal operation.
most car equipped with 300W inverter for small electronic devices, sometime you can buy 1000 watt power inverter for large appliance if you reply on them for a long outdoor journey.
Steps to use the power inverter in car
Switch the inverter OFF, then insert the cigar head into the cigarette lighter socket, ensure it has good contact.
Make sure the power of all appliances is below the nominal power of inverter rated power before use, insert the 115V plug of the appliances directly into the socket on the converter.
Turn on the converter, if the green indicator is on,the inverter is in normal.
if the red indicator is on, it means that the converter is shut down due to over/under voltage/overload/over temperature.
In many cases, as the limited output of the car cigarette lighter socket, the converter may alarmed or shutdown during in normal use, you just restart the vehicle or reduce the power used by the inverter, and everything will go fine.
how to use power inverter in car safely
First, you have to make sure you use the correct wire size to connect your battery to the power inverter. The inverter should come with a wire-sized chart. If it does not, you may end up burning your cables. Make sure the cable is at least four feet long. Make sure to use aluminum wire for battery cables. Copper wire is better for the car battery because it is conductive.
If your car isn’t parked in a garage, you must always start the power inverter every few hours to keep the battery charged. However, do not start your car without shutting it down, as it can be fatal. Moreover, a fully charged battery is the best choice for a power inverter. Weak batteries can easily be depleted, leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Before purchase the car power inverter
Choose the metal casing products: The vehicle inverter has a large power and heat generation, if the internal heat cannot be dissipated in time, it will affect the life of the components, or there is a danger of fire. Metal shell, on the one hand, has good heat dissipation, on the other hand, will not burn. Some cheap car inverters on the market like 150W or even 175W products are use plastic shell, even it has fan heat dissipate, it’s not recommended.
for driving safety, choose a single products, do not choose integrated inverter.
150W + inverter must be distributed by battery clip cable: car cigarette lighter fuse is generally 15A, only suitable for appliance rated power 150W or less. More than 150W must use the battery clip line to take power from the battery, otherwise it will burn the car wiring and fuse.
pick the pure sine wave inverter for the car.
power inverter for car must have over-temperature alarm and over-temperature protection.
undervoltage protection: the inverter must built with undervoltage protection, when the battery voltage is low, it will alarm to remind the user to turn off the electrical appliances, at certain value it will automatically stop working, so as to prevent the battery from over-discharging.
Inverter must have overvoltage protection, output overload protection and the output short circuit protection is also essential.
Safety Use power inverter in car
the inverter must placed in fix position, do not put in on car console, It may fall and hit passengers while the car is moving
do not start the inverter while the car is parking, the high shock voltage may damage to the inverter, start the car before you turn on the power converter.
do not touch the output port of inverter by bare hand while its working, shock may occur.
when power large appliances, the inverter must connect to the car battery instead of the car cigarette lighter.
do not change the FUSE if you have no knowledges in the inverter area.
Charge the car battery regularly by Car alternator or AC chargers.
After continuous use, the inverter surface temperature may reach to 140°F/60°C, it may burn you skin. please put the inverter in good ventilation.
When supplying power to large appliance, the inverter may turn off due to overload protection. At this time, it is necessary to check whether the appliance power is too large. First turn off the electrical appliance, then start the inverter, and then start the electrical switch one by one to test.
the car power inverter will detect the battery voltage at real time, alarm and shut off to stop drain the battery bank.
Requirement for use a car inverter
A power inverter is a device that converts direct current (DC) electrons from a car battery into Alternating Current (AC). The inverter is able to provide power to a number of devices, such as lights, video game systems, computers, and heaters. These devices are also compatible with a car inverter, which is connected to a length of wire.
Before purchasing a power inverter, you should determine if your vehicle can handle the current. Many of these devices can run off of a 12V battery, but most cars can only support a maximum current of 15A or 20A. Some cars have only ten-amp fuses, so be sure to check the inverter’s specifications before purchasing. Also, make sure to unplug the power inverter as soon as you park your car. Leaving the device connected to the car battery while the car is in neutral will cause the car’s battery to run out of power.