Easy steps to determine the best inverter size you need

Nowadays, most brand new cars have a factory-built USB port inside it. You and your passengers can use this to charge mobile devices.

It is very accessible for daily use but it doesn’t offer too much power to accommodate other accessories. Maybe you are wondering what other devices you need inside your car.

 In today’s digital world, there are many devices that need more power than a USB port can give. This is where an inverter will be needed. In this article, we will tackle the easy steps to determine the best inverter size you need.

>>> Just in case: This is what you need to do when your car’s USB port isn’t working

Power inverters are responsible for changing your car’s DC power into AC power

Power inverters are responsible for changing your car’s DC power into AC power. This AC power can be used to charge or power different kinds of appliances or accessories in your car.

Shopping for the best inverter may seem like an easy task to do. There are also different things you need to consider before buying an inverter. Philkotse.com prepared some easy steps you can follow to choose the best inverter size for your car.

Step 1. Know the number of devices you plan to connect to your inverter

Before buying an inverter, it is important to know what devices you plan to plug into it. The size of the inverter will depend on the number of devices you will connect in the inverter.

It will be easier if you will only use one device but will be complicated if you add two or more devices. Furthermore, you need to consider also if you’re going to plug the devices together or one at a time only.

Before buying an inverter, it is important to know what devices you plan to plug into it

>>> Check out: 4 things you should know before installing power inverters for cars

Step 2. Figure out the power needed by your devices

The power needed by your devices is the main important thing to consider in choosing the correct inverter size that you need. You can see this information printed somewhere on your device.

The ratings you will see maybe display on amperage and voltage. In cases like this, you can compute the actual power requirements by yourself.

Use this formula to get the power rating of your device. Volts x Amps = Watts. For example, your mobile device has a voltage and amperage rating of 100 and 5, respectively. Then, using the formula given, we will have a power output of 500.

The power needed by your devices is the main important thing to consider in choosing the correct inverter size that you need

If you can't locate the power rating on your device, you can also search it online to have a basis. However, it is still better to look at the power supply of the specific device you have because it sure has different models released by its creator.

>>> For your information: 6 things you should know about car power inverters

Step 3. Take the sum of all the power of your devices

Take the sum of all the wattages of your devices to have a basis for your ideal inverter. This figure is the smallest possible inverter that is suited for your needs. It is better to add for allowance of about 10 to 20 percent on it and then buy this particular inverter or much higher rate. 

Take the sum of all the wattages of your devices to have a basis for your ideal inverter

Continuous vs. peak power output

The additional factor you need to consider when choosing the right inverter size is the difference between peak power and continuous output.

Continuous output is the power that can be supplied by an inverter for a long period of time. It can also refer to the normal operating limit of the inverter. It also offers continuous output for the normal load operation.

Peak output, on the other hand, is the power that can be supplied by an inverter for a short amount of time only. Thus, you need to buy an inverter that has a continuous output equivalent to the sum of the power needed by all of your devices.

It will give the power needed by all of your devices continuously, not like the peak power output that can only sustain a certain output for a short time only.

Continuous output is the power that can be supplied by an inverter for a long period of time

For example, if your device's total power output is 1000 watts, then you need an inverter that has 1000 watts continuous output or more. An inverter having 1000 peak output and 500 continuous output is not enough for you. It can only supply the 1000 watts you need for a less amount of time only.

Now that you read this, I hope you acquire an overview of the steps and things to consider when choosing the best inverter size for your car. Always remember the three easy steps mentioned above.

First, know the number of your devices. Next is to determine the power needed by each device. Finally, add all the power ratings to get the minimum inverter size that you need.

On the other hand, it is better to add about 20 percent for safety allowance for some error that may happen along the way. Also, don’t forget to check the continuous output and peak power output of the inverter. The continuous output should be the same or higher with your total wattage plus the allowance of 20 percent.

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Add all the power ratings of your devices to get the minimum inverter size that you need

You can now choose the best inverter size that you need for your car. Buying this inverter is another thing to do. It may depend on the budget you have on hand. In case you can only afford a small inverter, you can reduce the number of devices you want to plug in the inverter.