Author Topic: Inverter / Converter ...  (Read 853 times)

Chester32141

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Inverter / Converter ...
« on: January 17, 2017, 08:25:12 PM »
If one of these is wired into an auto does it draw power from the battery even when there is nothing plugged in ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2000W-DC-12V-To-AC-110V-Power-Inverter-Modified-Sine-Wave-Converter-Black-/332089919422?hash=item4d521a07be:g:nTwAAOSw6btXTANA

Hope the question isn't as dumb as it sounds ...  :old:
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never_retreat

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Re: Inverter / Converter ...
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2017, 08:59:24 PM »
They will usually have a vampire draw unless you turn them off. Better ones may turn themselves off if they see the battery voltage dropping.
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Chester32141

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Re: Inverter / Converter ...
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2017, 09:27:44 PM »
So  wired in but turned off they don't draw any power ?

I could live with that ...  =D
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bedlamite

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Re: Inverter / Converter ...
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2017, 10:22:16 PM »
I'd put a switch between it and the battery.
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dogmush

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Re: Inverter / Converter ...
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2017, 10:56:25 PM »
I found that mine did have a draw, even turned off.   (it is from Harbor freight, FWIW)

I ended up wiring it through a big relay to a dash switch and haven't had an issue since.

Nick1911

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Re: Inverter / Converter ...
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2017, 01:27:28 AM »
Depends.

All the ones I've seen kill the electronic converter sections cold dead with the power switch.  I haven't had my big one apart, so not sure where exactly the power switch is wired into the inverter circuitry. 

When they are turned on and running, they typically run a cooling fan, so there's a few watts there.

I did have a 2000 watt HF inverter hardwired into my van with no difficulty.  I also had a 1250 watt Vector hardwired to my truck, no drain - it would start fine after sitting for weeks.

Nick1911

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Re: Inverter / Converter ...
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2017, 01:34:06 AM »
For your enlightenment, I went an measured off my 2kw inverter.

No load, turned on - 890ma at 12.2v.

No load, turned off - 9.5ma at 12.2v.

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Re: Inverter / Converter ...
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2017, 11:37:58 AM »
No idea on current small stuff, but the 5-20kW solar inverters we use have a standby draw of a couple watts at most.  Of course, anything they draw from the solar side is nearly irrelevant; you're not going to run out of sunlight because the inverter used a bit.  Standby draw from the AC side (i.e. at night) is on par with a night light.