Which Size12v/120v Inverter is Best?
BilljustBill
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
I have a Lopi “Freedom Bay” wood burning fireplace insert with a 2amp, 120v. blower. If the utility power grid goes down, I’d like to be able to use the full 2,500 sq.foot rating of this insert for heating the house, so running the blower is required.
Getting a high amp deep cycle battery is no problem. To make the battery last as long as possible while powering an inverter to run the insert blower is the challenge.
I have a portable 5K generator to run for brief amounts of time, so the inverter/battery is only for the insert blower. If the max. wattage for the insert motor is 240 watts, would a 500 watt inverter be more efficient operating at 50% than a 1,000 watt inverter operating at 25% of its rating?
Thanks,
Bill
Replies
Generally you'd want an inverter that is roughly 2x the expected total demand, for small loads that don't demand a lot of starting current. The smaller inverter will tend to be more efficient, and will also be more stable voltage-wise.
But this assumes "equivalent technology" in the two inverters, and larger inverters tend to be a bit more technically advanced.