That USB port inside your car may come in handy, but it surely doesn’t provide sufficient power. We are sure you’ve felt this too. Here’s where power inverters are useful, which lands us to the next point. Are power inverters bad for your car? To know the right answer and other related vital aspects, let’s take a look into the following sections!
Who Needs A Car Power Inverter?
Are you an SUV or car owner and want to watch TV, cook, or charge your devices on the go? Do you love to go camping and want to take your coffee maker with you?
Perhaps you are a photographer or in some other professions where you need to charge your battery anywhere. If all these sound good to you, then definitely, you need a power inverter. Anyone spending a lot of time on the road needs it. It will make your life easier. Now, you certainly won’t be plugging in your microwave oven, but it will help you with all the necessities in life.
Do Power Inverters Drain Your Car Battery?
Power inverters open a whole new world to you, but like everything, it has its drawbacks. An inverter will not drain the battery when you’re driving. However, we recommend not using the inverter when the engine is off. That is when it will drain out the battery.
Your vehicle may halt due to your system entering the discharge state. Try to avoid such situations by unplugging high voltage devices. Luckily, you will not run into such issues if you’re careful! Small devices like phones, audio players, and laptops will not result in this situation. You can plug them in without worry.
Are Power Inverters Bad For Your Car?
The most common use of a power inverter is in a car. There are a lot of benefits of using a power inverter in your car.
List of devices you can plug-in:
- Cell phone
- Laptop
- Small Vacuum Cleaner
- Mini Stereo BoomBox
- Camcorder Charger
- CD/DVD Player
- Small Fan
That being said, a power inverter has its concerns. Especially when the battery power is running low, it can drain the battery unless the engine is running.
The car starts the engine with the aid of a battery, and it starts generating electricity after the engine is turned on. Battery life relies on the number of charges and discharges. The number will increase at most with electrical appliances. So we can conclude that definitely, this has an impact on battery life.
For smaller-power devices, though, the result of turning the radio on the storage battery should be close. Without a doubt, good batteries will be longer-lasting and will endure this load.
On the other hand, some batteries are designed specifically for the frequent use of electronic devices in your car. That’s going to cause less battery and car damage. The good thing is most inverters have an audible alarm to warn you on time if the power is low. Invest in a good one, and you’ll be safe to use it in your car.
Tips for correctly using a car inverter:
- Follow the user manual strictly.
- Cut off its input power supply when not in use.
- Take precautions while running it in over 40-degree weather.
- Do not expose it to sunlight directly.
- Do not expose it to rain.
- Place the inverter in a ventilated and dry place.
- Please keep it away from flammable and explosive material.
- The car battery voltage should be the same as the DC input voltage of the inverters.
- The output power should be higher than the input power.
Are power inverters bad for your car— certainly no.
Keep in mind that nothing in this world is completely free of problems. The tips will be helpful to get the full advantage of using a power inverter in the car. Choose a power inverter in accordance with your battery capacity. Make sure that the power inverter is compatible with your car.
How Does A Power Inverter Work In A Car?
To understand how a power inverter works, you need to know about AC (Alternating Current) and DC (Direct Current) power. AC power is the supply of electricity you get in your household. It is a conventional power. DC is one-directional, and unidirectional DC power comes straight up from a battery.
The electronic gadgets can’t be charged with the DC power that the car battery produces. The DC power must be converted into AC power if you want to enjoy the benefit of recharging your phone or laptop on the go.
A power inverter’s job is to make your life more convenient. It converts the DC power from your car battery to AC power. With this installed in your car, you can plug your device and use it anywhere, anytime.
Frequently Asked Question
How long will a car battery power an inverter?
How long can a car battery run a 400-watt inverter?
Do power inverters kill your battery?
Final Thought
By the time you read this, we hope you got your answer to the question, “are power inverters bad for your car?”. A power inverter is an excellent invention for your car. The convenience brings in your life is too tempting to avoid. Comparing its pros and cons, the option of getting a power inverter is definitely for the win. Now the decision is yours to take!
