Power Inverters

Choosing the Right Power Inverter

A power inverter supplies your mobile devices, such as laptops or GPS units with electricity when you are on the move. There are a lot of things to consider when you buy an adapter for any device. Instead of having to rely on a friend or a co-worker, who is may not know your specific needs and is going off his/her limited knowledge, let's take a few moments to get familiar with the basics of how to choose a power inverter. Although they are often cheaper than the original charger or adapter the device came with, the wrong kind of AC to DC inverter can run hot and potentially damage your battery.

You might want to ask yourself some very important questions before purchasing:

1. Will you be using multiple electrical items?

2. How much electricity will be needed?

3. Is a USB Port vital (lap tops)?

4. Do you want to plug it in your 12V plug or hook it directly to your battery?

5. Will the unit fit in the space where I need to use it?

6. How many different cables or connectors will it require?

The key to selecting a DC to AC power inverter is of course in the wattage. However, many people think that the best thing to do is to match the wattage on their device to the wattage on the AC/DC inverter. The common impression is that you do not want a higher watt continuous rating on your sine wave inverter than the rating on your device for fear of overloading your electrical device. This could not be more wrong. The truth is that if the rating is not high enough, the unit will run hot, emitting high levels of heat that you can feel. This could lead to potential overloading of your sine wave inverter and may cause it to suddenly kick off and reset. Eventually this type of usage could lead to fires or damage to either your device or your DC/AC converter.

The best way to find the wattage rating you need is to take the wattage rating on your device, add the wattage ratings of any additional devices you want to use and then add about 20% to that rating. This means you will always have power to spare, even when you are using multiple devices.

There are also a couple of things that you should be watching out for when selecting the right unit. Some manufacturers put a surge capacity on the front of the box to trick you into thinking the unit has a higher wattage rating. The surge capacity is the maximum running wattage that the DC inverter can supply to a device. If you are using it at surge capacity, it will only operate for a short time before overloading and resetting. If this happens when you are not expecting it, the result could be loss of data. The worst case scenario is the device running so hot that it burns out your device's battery or even causes a fire. Always make sure the number you are basing your purchase on is the wattage rating and not its' surge capacity.

If you often drive rented vehicles it can be difficult to gauge whether or not your power converter is going to easily fit in the slot provided. It is usually a good idea to buy a DC to AC inverter with a cord attached so you know you will be able to maneuver the device a little easier in tight or awkward spaces.