SAFE
– Do not use the inverter near flammable materials or in any locations that
may accumulate flammable fumes of gases.
OPERATING TIPS
RATED VERSUS ACTUAL CURRENT DRAW OF EQUIPMENT
Most electrical tools, appliances and audio/video equipment have labels that
indicate the power consumption in amps or watts. Be sure that the power
consumption of the item you wish to operate is less than inverter’s power. (If the
power consumption is rated in amps AC, simply multiply by the AC volts (115) to
determine the wattage). The inverter will shut down if it is overloaded. The
overload must be removed before the inverter will restart. Resistive loads are the
easiest for the inverter to run. However, larger resistive loads, such as electric
stoves or heaters, usually require more wattage than the inverter can deliver.
Inductive loads, such as TV’s and stereos, require more current to operate than
do resistive loads of the same wattage rating.
Induction motors
, as well as
some
televisions
, may require 2 to 6 times their wattage rating to start up. The most
demanding in this category are those that start under load, such as compressors
and pumps. To restart the unit after a shutdown due to overloading, remove the
overload if necessary turn the power switch OFF then ON.
DETERMINING BATTERY SIZE
The power inverter will require DEEP CYCLE lead acid batteries of
appropriate capacity.
The automotive SLI (Starting/lighting/Ignition) battery is not designed for
repeated deep discharge. The SLI battery may not supply enough energy
and its service life may be reduced.
To determine the minimum battery size that you will need to operate appliances,
follow these steps:
1. Determine the wattage of each appliance and/or tool you will need to
simultaneously operate from the inverter. To do this, read the labels on the
equipment to be operated. Usually, power consumption is shown in watts. If it
is shown in amps, multiply by 115 to determine the wattage.
2. Estimate the number of hours the equipment will be in use between battery
recharges.
3. Determine the total watt-hours of energy use, the total running time and the
average power consumption.