Inverter Question - Leaving it Connected

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Originally Posted by Darron

Thanks to everyone for the replies and advice. Very helpful.

To be honest, it's not going to be used too much apart from charging laptops and the occasional device my wife packs which doesn't run on 12v (she's mentioned the Thermomix on a few occasions for strawberry daiquiris;). I completely agree that I may never need a 1500W inverter, and I made my buying decision pretty much on price alone as I couldn't justify spending anything more. The reviews also seemed really good which helped things.

Cheers, D.

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Seriously, you would be far better off just telling your wife you can't power her Thermomix, and just buy a 300w inverter.

A 300w inverter will easily meet all the basic needs, like charging phone and camera batteries, charging an iPad or running a laptop.

You will not need anything special, other than ( recommendation ) using 50 amp Anderson plugs to connect the 300w inverter to what ever 12v power source you are going to use.

With something like a 1500w Inverter, you are going to need massive cabling, to connect between the power source and the inverter, particularly if you want to use it in any tow vehicle.

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I wondered if anyone could help me understand what the definition of 'not in use' is (a day, a week, a month) and what would happen if I left it permanently connected? I've been searching Google for answers but not really found what I'm looking for.

Thanks, Darron

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The answer is more semantics than anything else! As posted already, if it is not producing AC, then it is "not in use". But if it is drawing current when connected to a battery, then it is "switched on". The unit on-off switch SHOULD be double pole and disconnect the battery source when in the "off" position, but unless you have a circuit diagram and know how to read it, the only way to be sure is to measure the current of the input cable(s) in both positions.

ALL invertors will draw current when switched "on" regardless of any load, albeit most of them less than 1 amp or so. They are also most inefficient at low load conditions, which is why some of the answers here are asking what you are going to use it for? This can mean that the current draw from your battery if just using it to charge a phone, may be twice what is actually needed, ie; only 50% efficient. At their full rated load they may well be around 90% efficient.

Really, a 1,500 watt invertor should be used on 24 volts to be of more use and halve the input cable size.

Whatever it is, make sure to mount it in the coolest place that you have and that the cooling fans are not obstructed.

Wouldn't recommend using an inverter for a Thermomix - we have several in our extended family and they draw a lot of power.