power inverters

o2bnh20 · #1 11/23/2004, 08:28 PM

I 'm looking into getting a DC to AC power invertor for when the power in my house goes out.

Any things I ought to know before I get one?

And how do you know what wattage you will need? All ll I really need on would be my heater(200W) and my sump pump(Iwakie 40RLT). The lights can be off for a day if needed, so can mt powerheads. I'm not looking for a long term outage because winters are mild here and where I live the power is underground so we don't get many outages.

Can I get some help...Thanks

Freed · #2 11/23/2004, 08:42 PM

Make sure you add up the total number of watts that each pump, heater, etc. uses. Then buy a power inverter with a continuous power output slightly higher than the total you came up with. You don't want to go off the peak output that the inverter puts out. You also want one with an alarm that tells you when the battery output is getting too low to run the items. A couple of outlets on the inverter is nice to have as well.

o2bnh20 · #3 11/23/2004, 08:46 PM

This is a stupid question I know, but do you run the car engine all the time or not?

And I don't know what wattage my pump uses. I assume the heater uses 200 Watts...dugh

Freed · #4 11/23/2004, 09:19 PM

Your pump should say how many watts it uses right on it. A good battery will run a mag 18 pump for around 6 hours give or take a few minutes. If you have two batteries you can run one for the 6 hours and then charge it while the other is on the inverter.

Freed · #5 11/23/2004, 09:22 PM

Volts X amps should = watts. Or watts/volts=amps I think.

o2bnh20 · #6 11/24/2004, 08:04 AM

I was just wanting to use the inverter while my car was running. What's wrong with that?

Freed · #7 11/24/2004, 12:49 PM

You can do that but it's not necessary. You only have to run the car every few hours for about 15-20 minutes to keep the battery charged if you want to go that route. You don't have to have it running the entire time.

Leviathan · #8 11/24/2004, 04:41 PM

I have 2 batteries and a 400watt inverter.

I am able to keep 5 MJ1200's running on a wave maker aprox 8-9 hours on a battery without problem. ( Keep in mind all 5 are NOT running at the same time, if they were the battery would drain MUCH faster )

I went ahead and got a battery charger instead of using the battery in the car. You can do either however. They are great for SHORT power failures ( during Ivan's 4 day outtage it wasnt as easy though )