You Can Have the Power You Need Most Anywhere

Recently I’ve noticed several advertisements for inexpensive DC to AC Inverters.  An inverter takes power from some direct current source, usually a battery, and converts it to alternating current.  Most connect to your car battery using the dashboard “Power Port” (nee, cigarette lighter) and output 110 volt, 60 cycle, AC power.  This is what we call house current, as most all lighting and small appliances used around the house are designed to work with this current.

Inverters are not new.  They have been available for many years. Earlier models have been bulky, expensive and somewhat inefficient.  The new solid state inverters are small, very efficient and very reasonably priced.  Having one at home or in your car can come in very handy.

When traveling you can power a laptop or small TV for the back seat passengers.  Many of the new small inverters also have one or more USB ports that can be used to operate or charge a tablet or smartphone.  Many new cars have USB ports factory installed, but for those of us with older cars, this is a way to add a very handy feature.

At home, combining a small inverter with a few LED lamps can provide illumination when a storm leaves you in the dark.  Because LED lamps draw so little current, a single inverter can power several lights for hours without draining your car battery.  On camping trips a few small extension cords and a few LED lamps connected to an inverter can provide all the illumination you need even in the middle of the forest. 

You can get an inverter on line and at many big box stores and auto centers.  I got mine at Costco and paid about $20 for a 150 watt model.   You can purchase inverters with much higher capacity.  Models rated at 1500 watts or more can supply enough electricity to power electric tools when on a job site without electric service.  A word of caution: the higher the wattage output the more power it requires from the battery and, as such, the battery will drain more rapidly.

Determining what unit to buy is done with simple arithmetic.  Total up the wattage required for all the devices that will be plugged in at the same time.  Light bulbs, computer power supplies and small appliances will have the wattage required printed on a label.  For devices that have an electric motor, the starting wattage, which is greater than the operating wattage, is the number to use.

Having one of these small inverters can be a real convenience the next time the power goes out.