How much power does an inverter use?
In our Casita travel trailer, I have one 12V outlet. I have two inexpensive inverters (Walmart) that plug into the 12V outlet: one inverter is 100W, the other 400W. My laptop needs 90W to charge. ...
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What PianoTuna said... they are about 88% efficient (up to 90)
I figure the estimated 12 volt load by dividing the 120 volt load in watts by 10 and it's remarkably close to the panel ammeter reading.
There is some "Idle" load (overhead to operate the inverter's computer parts)
But basically the load the inverter presents to the batteries is dependent on what it is powering
A 100 watt light bulb. about 10-11 amps
a 1000 watt microwave about 100-105 amps. Note that 1000 watts on the microwave is input (about 750 cooking power)
a 1500 watt teakettle (I have one) 150-160 amps
I figure the estimated 12 volt load by dividing the 120 volt load in watts by 10 and it's remarkably close to the panel ammeter reading.
There is some "Idle" load (overhead to operate the inverter's computer parts)
But basically the load the inverter presents to the batteries is dependent on what it is powering
A 100 watt light bulb. about 10-11 amps
a 1000 watt microwave about 100-105 amps. Note that 1000 watts on the microwave is input (about 750 cooking power)
a 1500 watt teakettle (I have one) 150-160 amps
