Quote:
Originally Posted by live4fun
I have seen a few 1000w inverters that plug into a cigarette lighter plug and Ill look more into that or decide to run an extension cord. Either way, I’m very grateful for your opinions and it sheds a lot of light into how I handle my future loads and inverter. Thanks again, Kurt
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I will try to help you understand the ability to run an inverter off of your 12V lighter socket.
Most lighter sockets are controlled by a 15A fuse. Some have a 20A fuse and a few may have a customized 30A fuse but I would never trust it.
If you have a 700W microwave (for example), the 1000W inverter will be maxed out because a cheap inverter is about 80% efficient, which means that it will really only run an 800W device but it will draw 1000W from your battery. 1000W =
83.3A @ 12V. While the microwave is running, the battery voltage will quickly drop to 11.5V which means that it will draw nearly 90A. Your 15-20A fuse will blow long before that.
Even if you buy a top quality, "Pure Sine Wave" inverter, the 700W draw would require about 60+A.
A cigarette socket type inverter will only be able to run a device that draws about a 200W device and then only if it has a 20A fuse. 200W won't drive much, absolutely no microwave, coffee pot or any other heating devise.