If inverters were 100% efficient, all of the power flowing from the battery would be inverted for use by the load, and the inverter would consume no power at all. In reality, however, inverters consume some of the power that flows from the battery while inverting. This requires an increase in current flow from the battery to run the inverter and support the load, and results in an increase in the total load requirements.
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Let&#;s assume that an inverter has an efficiency rating of 80%. This means that only 80% of the power that is flowing from the battery can be used for the load. If the load is 800 watts, then the flow of current from the battery must be increased to keep the inverter and the load operating:
After adding up the power requirements of each device you want to use, the resulting subtotal is a good baseline to work from. However, you'll still want to add at least 10 to 20 percent for the safety margin that we mentioned in the previous section.
If you don't give yourself a margin of error, and you run your inverter right up against the ragged edge all the time, the results won't be pretty.
490 Watts (subtotal) + 20% (safety margin) = 588 Watts (minimum safe inverter size)
What this number means is that if you want to run those four specific devices all at once, you'll want to buy an inverter that has a continuous output of at least 500 Watts.
The Magic Car Power Inverter Formula
If you aren't sure of the exact power requirements of your devices, you can actually figure that out by looking at the device or doing some pretty basic math.
For devices that have AC/DC adapters, these inputs are listed on the power brick. (However, it&#;s more efficient to look for direct DC plugs for those kinds of devices, since you won&#;t be converting from DC to AC and then back to DC again.) Other devices typically have a similar label located somewhere out of sight.
The key formula is:
Amps x Volts = Watts
That means you&#;ll need to multiply the input amps and volts of each device to determine its watt usage. In some cases, you can just look up the wattage for your device online. In other cases, it&#;s a better idea to actually look at the power supply. For example, let&#;s say you want to use an Xbox 360 in your car. That&#;s a case where you really need to look at the power supply because Microsoft has released a number of models over the years that all have different power requirements.
Looking at the power supply for my Xbox, which dates all the way back to , the input voltage is listed as &#;100 - 127V&#; and the amperage is &#;~5A.&#; If you have a newer version of the console, it may draw 4.7A or even less.
If we plug those numbers into our formula, we get:
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5 x 120 = 600
which means that I would need at least a 600-watt inverter to use my Xbox 360 in my car. In this particular case, the electronic device in question&#;the Xbox 360&#;draws a varying amount of power depending on what it&#;s doing at the time. It will use significantly less than that when you&#;re on the dashboard, but you have to go with the specifications on the power supply to be safe.
Go Big or Go Home: Is A Bigger Inverter Better?
In the previous example, we found out that my old Xbox 360 power supply can draw up to 600 watts during heavy usage. That means you&#;d need at least a 600 watt inverter to use an Xbox 360 in your car. In practice, you might get away with a smaller inverter, especially if you have a newer version of the console that isn&#;t quite so power-hungry.
However, you always want to go with a bigger inverter than the numbers say you need. You also have to figure in all of the devices that you want to run at once, so in the above example you&#;d want tack on 50 to 100 watts for your TV or monitor (unless you have a video head unit or another 12V screen for playing your games. If you go too big, you&#;ll have extra room to work with. If you go too small, you&#;ll have another potentially expensive purchase on your hands.
Continuous vs. Peak Car Power Inverter Outputs
The other factor to keep in mind when determining the necessary size of a power inverter is the difference between continuous and peak power output.
Peak output is the wattage that an inverter can supply for short periods of time when the demand spikes, while continuous output is the limit for normal operation. If your devices draw a combined total of 600 watts, then you need to buy an inverter that has a continuous output rating of 600 watts. An inverter that is rated 600 peak and 300 continuous just won&#;t cut it in that situation.
FAQ
How does a power inverter work?
Power inverters basically take a direct current (DC) power source and simulate an alternating current (AC) power source. AC power is used by most electronic devices that don't run on batteries (which are considered a DC power source).
How quickly will a power inverter drain my battery?
While it is possible for an inverter to drain your car battery, it's only really a concern if your car is turned off and the battery isn't being charged by the alternator. How long it takes can depend on the inverter itself and the size of your battery, but in general it will usually drain about one amp per hour when not in use.
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