Emergency Power Backup

May 5, 2009 at 7:32 am · Filed under Inverters ·Tagged

Most residences use 120 volt electricity from the local grid to provide power for their homes. When that flow of electricity is interrupted because of a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tornado or an earthquake, it can be a major inconvenience to say the least. The flow of electricity can also be interrupted because the local grid is over burdened. Come 2010 there are several models of automobiles getting ready to hit the market that will be plug in hybrids. Hybrid cars are a good thing but will they over burden the grid? There are some towns and some states where that may be possible. So if you want backup power just in case the grid goes off line or there happens to be a black out, what are the options?

First you could purchase a generator. The majority of generators today run off gasoline or diesel fuel. They are not particularly clean, they are noisy but they are effective. Generators range from small gas versions with outlets on the front, to larger diesel versions that are wired into the electrical panel of the house.

The components needed for a backup power system are 12 volt batteries, a battery charger, an inverter, outlets and a power transfer switch. The least expensive way to address the problem is with a product similar to the Power source 400. I am not advocating this product merely using it as an example. It has a 400 watt inverter, a 40 Amp hour battery, five 115 volt outlets and a power transfer switch.  It is designed for smaller appliances that do not draw more than 400 watts like computers, digital TVs and other small appliances. Electric stoves, microwaves or refrigerators will not work with this small of a system but it only costs about $190.00 or so.

So how do they work? First you plug the small appliance into one of the five outlets and then plug the Power source 400 into the wall. When power is shut off at the wall outlet, there would be short delay of a few seconds and then the power transfer switch will kick in. The switch will allow the appliance to draw power from the inverter and ultimately from the unit’s internal battery power. When the power is restored at the wall outlet the transfer switch allows normal power to flow through the unit to the appliance while charging up the 400’s internal battery.  Almost all backup power systems work in the same manner but the difference is in the size of the inverter and the size of the battery bank.

The Power Hub 1800 for example incorporates an 1800 watt inverter with up to four 100 amp hour batteries. This system is prewired and can also be hard wired into the home’s electrical panel.  It can accommodate solar panels with up to a 42 amp input and a wind generator with up to an 80 amp input. It can also be integrated with a generator for times of extended power outages.

There is a backup power system for almost any budget and they can be custom designed if desired. When attempting to connect anything to the house main electrical panel always uses a certified electrician. You will be glad you did.

Leave a Comment

How Does Work Power Inverters?

May 5, 2009 at 6:03 am · Filed under Inverters ·Tagged ,

People always ask us “exactly how does a power inverter work?” The answer to this question often surprises our customers. Car power inverters work much more simply than mysteriously, and the learning curve required to understand them requires no more than a very basic knowledge of electricity. Essentially, there are two forms of electrical power in the Universe: Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC). Direct current flows continuously from the positive electrical pole to the negative electrical pole. Alternating current flows back and forth between the two poles. DC current occurs in Nature and batteries, while AC current is man-made and supplies power through the public utility grid that supports human industry and infrastructure. Car batteries presented a problem in the past when people realized they needed to operate traditionally AC-powered devices in their cars but could not do so because of incompatible current requirements. Manufacturers like Vector stepped up to solve this dilemma by working to design car power inverters that would safely and efficiently convert DC to AC. Their successful engineering has resulted in a wide range of compact, rectangular devices that connect to batteries and output the resulting alternating current safely through one or more standard electrical plugs.

Two factors determine how a power inverter works: wave output and wattage output. Wave output describes the physical appearance of electrical signals as they move across an oscilloscope. Square waves appear exactly as their name specifies: like squares on a grid. Pure sine waves, also called true sine waves, appear as visible waves on the screen. Sine wave car power inverters work better than square wave power inverters when uninterrupted power flow is a critical issue. In fact, true sine output is sometimes slightly superior to that of public utility power grids! Because of this, they are also the most expensive devices of their kind on the market. Recent advances in technology have accommodated users on a budget with a hybrid design generally referred to as either a modified square or modified sine wave power inverter. The technical differences that determine how a true sine car power inverter works and how a modified sine power inverter works are too minor to produce any noticeable effects with standard electronics. Only the most high-end equipment requires true sine output, and the cost of these devices may justify the additional investment in pure sine technology to deliver maximum quality and reliable performance.

Another new development that allows car power inverters to work with even more reliability than ever before is the sophisticated Soft Start Technology, branded “SST” by manufacturers such as Vector. SST is the next step in the evolution of how power inverters work. The very first power inverters for cars would only work intermittently during cold engine starts. Because they could not pull enough power from the battery, they would shut down from current underload and require a manual restart. SST resolves this issue by gradually increasing voltage ramp up during engine startup. If the output dips for any reason, SST makes instant adjustments to compensate and will prevent most shutdowns. If in the rare event a shutdown does occur, the newer car power inverters work automatically to restart themselves without distracting the driver from the road.

Red Hill Supply delivers only the best and most reliable power inverters that will work in virtually any situation requiring DC-AC conversion. Learn more about how power inverters work in our Resources section, and browse our online catalogue to obtain the most high end and specialized devices through our simple, convenient online order process.

Leave a Comment

Industrial Power Inverters

May 5, 2009 at 5:13 am · Filed under Inverters ·Tagged ,

Most of the time, when the electrical power gets interrupted due to a heavy downpour or a severe storm or any other reason, the reliable source of power when you require it the most is the power inverter. Power inverter is designed to answer these power outages and pose as a reliable and economic alternate source of electricity. That is why, the power inverters have enjoyed great popularity since their introduction in the market.

Power inverters are designed to convert direct current to alternating current. Most of the power inverters work by converting 12 Volt DC power into 110 volts AC. With the use of power Inverters you can run household appliances from a car or any other DC source in areas where there is no electricity. Power inverters are available in two categories – The True Sine Wave Power Inverters and the Modified Sine Wave
Power inverters.

Of these the True sine wave power inverters provide utility grade power but are expensive and can power almost anything including laser printers and fax machines. The sine wave power inverter is most suitable to operate higher-end electronic equipment which can be damaged by other inverters. On the other hand, the Modified sine waves are the most common types of power inverters available today. Like its counterpart, this inverter can sufficiently power most household appliances and power tools. It is more economical compared to the true sine wave inverter, but may ask for certain compromises with some loads such as microwave ovens, laser printers, clocks and cordless tool chargers.

Power inverters are widely used for large assortment of applications, from small power supplies for a computer to large industrial applications to transport bulk power. One of the most widely used applications of Power Inverters include running television sets, microwaves and other household appliances and charging cell phones, laptops from a car’s cigarette lighter outlet and running power tools from a 12 volt battery on job sites where electricity is not available.

If you are looking forward to buy a power inverter, remember that most of your household electrical devices will run perfectly on both the type of wave form. Most of the users who are using a power inverter to run a laptop, a/c cell phone charger, fan, or camera agree that a modified-sine wave power inverter that operates through the cigarette lighter socket is the easiest to use. While you buy a power inverter it is suggested to choose an inverter that is rated under 300 watts when using the 12-volt cigarette lighter socket found in most vehicles. This is because after reaching 300 watts of draw on the inverter, the fuses in your car might blow off. Such power inverters are a great choice for dash boarders who would like an easy solution to power their devices. It has only one outlet, but since plugging it into a 12 volt socket is all that is required for operation. This little inverter can supply 140 watts of continuous operation and has a built-in surge protector.

Leave a Comment

To Buy Cheap Inverters

May 4, 2009 at 12:59 pm · Filed under Inverters ·Tagged , ,

Many people who are looking in to the world of Inverters have difficulty both in choosing good Inverters and finding the best places to buy them. Where to buy Inverters can lead to us spending, in some cases, days searching online for sites that have a lot of choice but also have Inverter reviews. A Power Inverter review or a home Inverter review is invaluable for increasing our knowledge of the product we are contemplating purchasing. Cheap Inverters can be found and it is advisable to ensure that any Inverter that you purchase has at least one form of recommendation.

I remember when I was looking to buy my 12v Inverter and searching through all the different sites I found led me around in circles. It was difficult to find any good Inverter reviews at all. Thankfully things have moved on quite a bit over the last few years and there is no more information available for those looking to purchase home inverters. Good Inverters are now widespread with many companies selling quality cheap Inverters at prices that were unheard of only a few years previously. A pure Sine Power Inverter can now be purchased for a fraction of what I paid just over four years ago.

The best home Inverter you can afford is always the way to go. Home Inverters are such an important part of any home power system that you are always advised to spend what you can and get the best possible home Inverter that you can afford.

where to buy Inverters So, where to buy Inverters? Well, there are a number of options. If you are absolutely decided on a specific make and model then you may approach the manufacturer but this seldom leads to a good price. Much better to use a large store that has competitive prices because of the buying power large retail sites have. When starting this site I spent a lot of time searching many online sites that stock home Inverters and many of their prices were higher than I expected. I do not mind paying extra for good Inverters but if the best home Inverter is at an inflated price then I will look elsewhere.

After extensive research I have found that where to buy Inverters led me to one place only and that was Amazon. Being such a large retailer they certainly have more than enough home Inverters to satisfy the most discerning of customers. There is a link at the top of the page that takes you directly to their selection of Inverters. Simply type in what type of Inverter you are looking for and you will get plenty of results. From “cheap Inverters” to a “pure sine power Inverter” to a great “power Inverter review” you will find all that you need there. There is nothing like an Inverter review to see what others think of the quality of the item you may purchase. Take some time and choose carefully as cheap Inverters are not always the best. That being said there are many quality Inverters are very reasonable prices available.

Searching for where to buy Inverters can become frustrating and that is why I have set up the link to take you right to the best Inverter selection on the web. I haven’t found anywhere where there is such a good home Inverter selection. There are also a vast number of power Inverters reviewed so it is a very comprehensive resource indeed. The best home Inverter will be one that satisfies all your power requirements so chose carefully. Always be sure to purchase a home Inverter that has the maximum number of watts you feel that you will need at any one time. It is much better to spend a little extra on a good quality Inverter that is slightly over capacity than to wish in the future that you had bought a good Inverter that would let you draw more watts than you can.

Where to buy Inverters really can leave you going around in circles so I really would advise you to take advantage of amazon as the Inverter reviews are invaluable. If you can find a cheaper source for your home Inverter then I would not hesitate to purchase. Just be sure that they offer as good a return or exchange service as Amazon. I know from experience that they are second to none when it comes to replacing faulty items or simply refunding any item that you have changed your mind about. Choose your home Inverter carefully as it is a large spend even if it is a cheap Inverter by the standards of many other online retailers.

Never be afraid to search around for other Inverter reviews although you may find it difficult to find them anywhere else. The best home Inverter should more than meet the requirements that you have and will last for many years to come so if you do find where to buy Inverters cheaply ensure that you choose carefully.

Leave a Comment

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.