A great selection of our featured power inverters, solar panels, solar kits, and fixed cellular terminals.
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Definitive Guide to Power Inverters
| Over the years we have created so many articles and FAQ's about power inverters that it is unreal. So I decided to try and make a comprehensive guide that will cover many aspects of Power Inverters. I will break this guide into several sections based on features, implementation, installation and variations I feel important. I will also include articles and information on related topics and calculators. We also send out plenty of tips and tricks about power inverters in our newsletter series. Sign up for more information on the right. Also call with questions on power inverters, we are glad to help.
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Let's start with a simple discussion on what a power inverter is and does:
Power Inverters are electronic devices designed to convert DC electricity (Battery Power) into AC electricity (Household Power). There are many different types of power inverters on the market, so it important to trust that your dealer carries the proper type inverter for your application. So start by determining what your application is, your required inverter watts, and what your input voltage is when begin choosing a power inverter. Then you can make a good decision on which inverter to buy.
Often confused with: Power Converter - A power converter will convert your 120 Vac power to 12 volt DC power. This is often found in 12 volt vehicle and marine applications and is not the same as a power inverter.
Inverter / Chargers - These are power inverters with the converter or battery charger built in. We carry a few different inverter / charger setups, but be aware that there are plusses and minuses over having an all in one device. Many companies feel there are reliability issues with all in one units and would rather break these features across multiple components. Find what fits your application and budget best.
Here are a few pointers on purchasing power inverters:
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Unless you have a very specialized application, try to avoid inverters over 3000 watts because the amount of DC power required is unbelievable and usually not realistic.
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Buy True Sine Wave Inverters: Certain applications may require the new standard, true sine wave inverters. Unless you absolutely need to save every penny possible, buy true sine wave, they just run everything better.
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Always buy a power inverter one power (wattage) size higher than needed. This will keep you from buying a new power inverter when you need just a little more power.
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Avoid dealers that offer free shipping on every item, you usually lose in these transactions because the cost of shipping has to be paid by someone.(YOU) So get the quality you want and know what you are buying and exactly what you are paying for it.
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Look for UL listed or other certified power inverters when available, these are often going to be better if they are certified. Although not always the case, it does hold true for the most part.
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If a deal looks to good to be true, it usually is. Remember many "inverter companies" buy there stuff from China without any engineering, quality control or product input. The only thing they add to these mass created inverters is their logo. This creates a large problem when a supposed inverter manufacturer has very little testing od their product for their customer. It increases failure rates, improper ratings, shortens inverter life, and can actually damage your electronics..
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Ask lots of questions about your power inverter and avoid vendors who cannot answer your queries. Many dealers just take thousands of products and add them to their "Website". They know little to nothing of what is required, so in the end will sell you anything.
At Outside Supply we are ready to address any power inverter questions you may have. We carry only inverters we feel are top quality. We have a name you can count on and plan on keeping it that way.
Power Inverter input voltages are important.
Knowing what voltage input on your power inverter is important. This is because your application often decides what voltage inverter you need. For example most US cars, trucks and RV's use a 12 volt DC based system. This would require you to use a 12 volt DC to AC power inverter in these applications. Other applications like military vehicles can require 24 volts DC. Or marine inverters can sometimes be at 32 Volts DC. 48 Volts is often for specialized telcom applications. Many of the inverters we cary are able to rack mounted with optional kits. This feature allows for easy and clean rack installtions.
Power Inverter Physical Size
One thing that you should consider when purchasing and installing a power inverter should be what its physical size and installation requirments. Many inverters can require as much as 4 inches of clearance for a clean install. This addtional space allows clear airflow and cooling.
Inverter Installation Requirments
 A lot of the time people will forget the requirments for properly installing their power inverter. An improperly installed power inverter can cause tons of potential problems ranging from unreliable power from your inverter to fire. Some time should be devoted to make sure you follow your manuals proper installation procedures. This means using proper wire gauge and proper DC fusing on the inverter.
Depending on which inverter you purchase your wire size can go from 8 Gauge to 4/0 cables. Some installs may actually require even larger installation packages. Make sure you use the proper cables for your inverter and determine voltage drop for required DC length.
Another install accesory may be remote switches and remote panels. These allow for easy operation of a stowed inverter. Many remote power inverter panels will offer readouts that include output, voltage and any inverter warnings.
A little more Information on Power Inverter Waveform:
I can't tell you the number times I read people explaining that you don't need a true sine wave power inverter. Heck, I too have written many articles explaining that very opinion, however, that was many years ago and pricing structures have changed. With that, so has my opinion on the matter. Modified sine wave inverters were a great technology for their day, but so were black and white TV's in their day. Sure color Tv's were more expensive, but look at the increased quality you received. With power inverters you have basically the same situation. A black and white TV allowed you to watch a program, but was it all that? Did you miss colors, shades and hues? Of course you did. A modified sine inverter will run many items, but is it good to run those items on this type of inverter? Probably not. in fact many common items like laser printers, oxygen concentrators, certain battery chargers, and variable speed motors don't work properly or at all on older less reliable modified sine inverters. With True sine wave, you know your power is clean and reliable. That's it. Clean and reliable is all you need in power, its what comes from the Grid. In fact a good true sine wave inverter can often produce cleaner power than the Grid.
Another item to consider on power inverters is stated quality and information. I have recently seen inverters in stores that have advised they were selling the highest quality inverters. They had packaged the inverter in a wind setup and assured in their marketing that it would work in a home wiring environment. What they neglected to realize was that the cheap inverter they were selling was modified sine inverter and it also suffered from a fault when wired into a common neutral environment. Many times it is best to get a power inverter from a dealer who can help choose the proper inverter for your application.
Power Inverter Article Section
We have tons of articles based on certain applications for power inverters. I mean we have sold power inverters products for every thing from Axe sharpening to Zoo Maintenance. With all these customers and stories, you can imagine, we have tons of power inverter stories for you. I have added a few articles to this guide, to give you a good jumping off point to find you application. You can always use your Google Mini search to find the right application information for you. Just look for entries in our Power Inverter blog.
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