6 things you should know about car power inverters

There is so much innovation that has taken place in the automotive industry that one can hardly name them all. You may not know or even care about this fact, but the car features and tools that you’re taking for granted now actually took hours, days, and years before it was introduced to the public. It may have taken longer for these products before they piqued your interest.

One of these innovations that vehicle owners take for granted is the car power inverter

One of these innovations that vehicle owners take for granted is the car power inverter. If you have one, you may already know how much of a convenience it can bring you. But what exactly are car power inverters? Do they cost a lot? Can you get a random car power inverter and use it right away? Are all car power inverters the same? Find out in this article from Philkotse.com:

1. What is a car power inverter?

To thoroughly understand what a car power inverter is and what it does, we learn other things. For example, before we understand the purpose of this car tool, we first have to know the difference between DC and AC power. Here are their differences in layman’s terms:

• AC power refers to the same electric power that you would typically get from the sockets in your house, office, etc.,
• DC power, on the other hand, refers to the electric charge present in batteries. This can be your common AA, AAA, and yes, even car batteries.

Now that we know that, you can safely assume that powering up household appliances and electronics using a car battery would be impossible. That is where the innovative car power inverters come in and save you from this dilemma.

There is so much innovation that has taken place in the automotive industry and one of them is a car power inverter

2. What you need to know about car power inverters

Before you jump into making a car inverter purchase, consider getting this info first. Always check your car battery’s capacity, your inverter’s output wattage, and the alternator’s rated output. Another factor that you should keep in mind is the fact that your car’s electrical system can only release so much power. The same case goes for your car battery.

Always check your car battery’s capacity, your inverter’s output wattage, and the alternator’s rated output

All these factors play a major role when it comes to choosing the right inverter for your car. So if you’re ever faced with the challenge of choosing a car power inverter, make sure to keep these factors in mind.

>>> Read more: 7 factors that affect your car's battery life expectancy.

3. How do these car inverters work?

Most inverters work by utilizing a DC power source. This mimics the alternating current power source, which is also known as the AC. Electronic inverters work like oscillators that can quickly switch the polarity of whatever DC power source you have. The end result is an effective square wave.

Usual home electronics and gadgets utilize a variety that’s closer to a true sine wave. You can also find inverters that have additional features to help you this. You can either look for one with a pure sine wave or a modified wave.

>>> Check out: 5 essential car gadgets to beat the summer heat.

4. Who do you think needs a car?

Anyone who has ever needed a home appliance while in a car is the best guess anyone can make. However, people who travel a lot and like to work while inside the car will find this gadget to be a very useful one. Those who drive with young kids that need to be entertained may also appreciate this. In fact, you can also benefit from this if you have elderly passengers that need to be kept comfortable while inside the car.

Anyone who has ever needed a home appliance while in a car is the best guess anyone can make

There are already 12v attachments that are capable of charging both phones and laptops. These are those little devices that you can easily plug into your cigarette or accessory socket. But if you know, you’ll need to run devices that require an AC input. A car power inverter is what you’ll need to have.

To give you an idea just how much a car power inverter is useful, here are some devices you can run using this nifty device:

• Power tools like drills, electric screw turners, handsaws, etc.,
• Cooking equipment like rice cookers, induction cookers, water heater
• Entertainment systems like a small television, a gaming system, BluRay and DVD players

There are already 12v attachments that are capable of charging both phones and laptops

>>> Also check: 8 essential tips when buying car accessories online.

5. How many types of car power inverters are there?

Not all car inverters are made the same way. In fact, there are tons of different car power inverter models on the market today. Some inverters are equipped with additional features. But these are the two main types:

Pure Sine Wave

These types of car power inverters are usually more expensive. But they are also more capable of producing power that your AC-powered equipment needs. The sine wave that these inverters releases are very close to the ones you can find in the sockets in your home. There are devices that may not work optimally without a steady and pure supply of sine waves.

However, most electronic devices will work fine without it. Examples of these devices are those that require uninterruptible power supplies.

Pure sine wave power inverters are usually more expensive

Modified Sine Wave

These types of inverters are more affordable. They can produce modified sine waves that are usually enough for most electronics. Unless you have complicated gadgets and appliances, these will be just fine.

A modified sine wave can produce modified sine waves that are usually enough for most electronics

6. How can I hook up my car power inverter into my vehicle?

Once you have the car power inverter of your dreams, it’s time to hook it up. Since the inverter will get the electric power from the battery, you will have to connect it there.  Here are some of the easiest configurations you can do:

• Cigarette lighter
• Direct to the car battery
• 12v accessory socket
• Fuse panel