Inverters

Marlec 12/24 Volt Inverters Explained

What is an Inverter and why would I want one?

An Inverter is a device that takes the power from your 12 Volt or 24 Volt DC battery and converts it to 230 Volt AC power to run your normal household appliances on. For instance you may want to run a T.V.and D.V.D. Player whilst at sea on your yacht.

How does an Inverter work?

An Inverter boosts your 12 Volt or 24 Volt DC power by “switching” it to create pulses of AC electricity. The "switching" is done by various electronic components such as mosfets. The frequency at which these operate the “switching” process determines how closely the electical current resembles mains AC.

What is the difference between a Pure Sinewave Inverter and a Modified Sinewave Inverter?

The end of the last answer is the key to this. A Pure Sinewave Inverter uses a greater frequency of “switching” along with filtering to achieve a very close approximation to mains AC electricity. The diagram shows what a pure sinewave should look like. Inverters achieve a similar shape in a series of small steps of on /off switches. Pure Sinewave Inverters achieve a greater match to this form than Modified Sinewave Inverters. Not surprisingly they are more expensive than Modified Sinewave Inverters.

What appliances need a Pure Sinewave Inverter?

Most appliances will run perfectly well on Modified Sinewave output. These include low energy incandescent lights, PC,s, Laptops, power tools, mobile phone charger, small music systems and some small televisions.

Appliances that use starter motors such as fluorescent lights need Pure Sinewave output. Hi-tech appliances such as large television sets, hi-fi’s, etc. need Pure Sinewave output. Generally most appliances will run better and cooler on Pure Sinewave output.

What size Inverter do I need?

When choosing an Inverter you must determine the size of job that it has to perform. For instance a 150 Watts rated output Inverter will not be sufficient for a 600 Watts rated Electric Drill. Similarly a 1000 Watts rated output Inverter is less efficient at running a 100 Watts lighting system than a 150 Watts rated output Inverter. The most important factors are the Wattage outputs of the appliances and how long they will be running. Also many devices use more power in starting up than normal running and this must be considered when looking at the surge output Wattage of the Inverter. The battery choice must accomodate for these aspects too.

How is my battery protected?

Marlec Inverters protect your battery from deep discharge, hence extending the life of the battery. A low battery alarm sounds followed, some time after, by shutdown ensuring that sufficient battery power is retained for essential functions such as starting an engine.

Where should I site my Inverter?

As close to the battery as possible to avoid unnecessary voltage drop.

More questions? For answers call us at Marlec where we would be pleased to help you.

To speak to a sales engineer to help you select the right model call +44 (0) 1536 201588 now