DETERMINING THE POWER RATING OF YOUR INVERTER

If you need to power small appliances such as a mobile phone charger or energy efficient light bulbs, you don't really need to buy a 2000W power inverter because it will consume significantly more power (even in standby mode) and work very inefficiently with small appliances. On the other hand, if you connect a coffee machine to a 150W inverter you will quickly blow a fuse (if not the inverter itself).

Therefore the power rating of the inverter should be chosen based on the power consumption of your load. The following table contains the typical power consumption of some standard household appliances and the recommended inverter rating.

*Appliances marked with a star are likely to have a starting power consumption several times greater than their normal working power (typically this is caused by electric motors). This should be taken into account when choosing the correct size of inverter. For example, even though electric lawn mowers have a normal working power of 1000W, their starting power is over 4000W. This means that an inverter with a continuous power of 2000W is not suitable, because its peak power is limited to only 4000W. Always take into account the starting power requirements of your equipment - especially devices with electric motors - when choosing the right inverter.

**These appliances do not have an electric motor inside, but still have a variable power consumption with power spikes. Therefore they require a larger inverter than would be needed for other appliances with a similar nominal power rating.

Please also note: this table is provided for general guidance only. The actual power consumption of your appliances, as well as starting power requirements, may vary considerably. In all cases you will need to check the specifications of your equipment to find their continuous and starting power requirements.

If more than one device is connected to the inverter, the total power consumption should be the sum of all appliances used. This will determine the total inverter power required.