Appliance and Load Questions:

Do I need a pure sine wave inverter to run a television?

In short, No. By using a modified sine wave inverter you will find that lines will appear across the screen (see above). On the subject of televisions, most small systems need up to 10 times their power rating just to start (e.g. a 35cm TV that needs 55 watts to run, may need up to 550watts just to start). Our XPower units all have auto reset on overload to help start televisions, but they may need 2 or so attempts to get a TV up and running (using the XPower 300).

What do I need to run my C-pap (respirator) machine?
For C-pap machines to function correctly they require a pure sine wave power output. These machines tend to draw around 200watts, which equates to 20amps per hour. For a normal night of sleep (7-8 hours), you would need a battery bank of around 200amphours (and a suitable recharging system). The Alessi 300watt units are perfect for basic C-pap machines, contact us for details if your machine has a heater inbuilt.

What size inverter do I need to run a microwave?
Microwaves are commonly run from inverters in many applications with a standard microwave drawing around 1000 to 1200 watts of power. It is becoming more common that microwaves refuse to work from low cost modified sine wave inverters, and the best units are generally the 1000 watt pure sine wave units (such as Prosine). Microwaves will probably be the largest load your batteries will ever power, but they are the most efficient due to the short run time required from a microwave (we even recommend a microwave be used over a kettle to boil your water).

How can I run my fridge from an inverter?
First of all, if your fridge is 12 volts supply, then you can forget using an inverter; you don't need it (you will draw more power from your batteries than required). If the fridge is 240 volts powered, then it is important to find out the duty cycle, or total time run per day to work out the fridge power usage per day. Fridges are very hard to size up an inverter system, so always look for a larger powered inverter than you think, and be prepared for some testing and trialing to find the best suited inverter for your needs.

Can I run my computer / laptop from an inverter?
The answer to this is very much the same as the Televisions above. Modified sine wave inverters can be used on either a computer or laptop, however if the laptop is to only ever be powered from the inverter then a pure sine wave inverter (such as the Alessi 200) should be used, as the modified sine wave inverters will actually destroy the laptop battery pack. If your laptop / inverter usage is very intermittent, then a modified sine wave unit will be suitable. Modified Sine wave inverters do not affect the workings of the computer in any way, it is just a matter of interference on the screen (not present in LCD screens).
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