Buying A Power Inverter

In developing countries, power is a luxury that blesses the urbanites. In rural areas, there is a game of hide and seek, with power hiding most of the time and people seeking to find it. In cities that do enjoy power, there is always the ever-hanging dagger of low power days, when without any warning, you are left in darkness and without any backup, you scurry all over the place for a candle. The increasing consumption of energy and the difficulty and expensiveness of producing it makes the demand infinitely greater than the supply. In frequent power cuts, not only is the work hampered, but the day to day life is also thrown into turmoil. The best way to beat this shortage is to invest in a power inverter. This power backup not only leaves us with a peace of mind, but also we are better prepared for any eventuality arising out of power cuts. Most important of all, a power inverter does not make us depend on the whims and fancies of the local grid. However, to zero in one one is a task by itself. So, if power cuts are your constant headache and you need some tips on buying the right power inverter, the following lines will surely come to your rescue.

 

While buying an inverter, safety should be of utmost concern. Don’t go for cheap versions, as they are fraught with risk. Check if the inverter has been certified by any testing organization like ISI, UL, ETL etc. If the safety certification stamp is there, then you can rest assured that it will be safe and also meet the manufacturer’s specifications.

 

The power capacity of the inverter described the amount of load that it can handle. The power rating of an inverter is done in 3 levels- continuous rating, limited time rating and the surge rating. These ratings signify the amount of power that the inverter can handle for a definite period of time. Make sure to gauge your power needs against the capacity of the inverter and then buy it.

 

To convert power, some power is lost as heat and this is unavoidable. The efficiency of your inverter will depend on the ratio of the amount of power generated to the amount of power that is lost. So, it is better to buy an inverter that conforms to your power needs. If your power requirement is minimal and you buy a large inverter, then the efficiency will be low, as the inverter requires some power to run itself as well. Every inverter manufacturer stamps an efficiency graph (efficiency vs load) that you must consult carefully. Make sure that the curve is from zero.

 

Internal Protection   

Check the inverter to see if its sensitive portions are well protected against overloads and excessive heating. Also it must be safe from lighting surges. In case the inverter cannot bear the load when it is too high or too low, it must have the necessary mechanism to shut itself completely.

 

Idle Power

The inverter consumes some power when it is on even, if it is not running any load. So if you want to keep the inverter running for long hours, make sure that the idle power is low. You can find the inverters idle power described in the spec sheet.