What Kind Of Inverter Do I Need?

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The type and size of inverter necessary depends on your application. To determine this you must first calculate the maximum amount of load you will be running on the inverter at one time.

There are basically four size ranges of inverters. The first is 50-300 watts; these are small portable inverters. These inverters are ideal for laptops, small lights and other minimal draw AC loads.

The next size range is 300-800 watts. These are also somewhat portable and still have the outlets on the front of the inverter. This size inverter is good for small microwaves and other small appliances.

The third range is from 800-2000 watts. These units usually have battery chargers built into them. Your can recharge your batteries with utility power or generator power. They are also great for powering medium size AC loads, or running multiple smaller loads at one time. These units are typically permanently installed.

The final inverter grouping is a permanently installed units ranging 2,000-11,000 watts. They function much like small generators, yet are completely silent in operation. They are great for your larger loads, such as refrigerators.

The other question that needs to be answered when selecting an inverter is the type of wave form. If you are running sensitive electronic equipment, like fax machines, laser printers or high tech stereo equipment you need a sine wave inverter. A sine wave inverter has a wave form that is very similar to the form of grid electricity. Other options may include modified sine wave, which is fine for items that are not supersensitive to clean power. You may experience a humming sound when powering clocks, and small radios on a modified sine wave inverter.