Most of the car owners right now spend a long time on the road and most often than not, they bring their laptops (maybe because they are working while traveling) or other electronic devices to keep up while they drive.
However, since most of them are new drivers, they are new to using an inverter. That is the purpose of this article. To lay out the steps on how to connect inverter to car battery.
It is important to take safety precaution while you attach an inverter to a car battery. Whether you are installing it temporarily or permanently. The following are the steps to follow for connecting a power inverter to a vehicle’s battery:
Temporary installation:
1. Pay attention to where the car is parked.
2. Make sure that the engine is not running.
3. Be sure that the inverter is switched OFF.
4. Don’t forget about safety glasses.
5. Make sure that the battery clips are connected to the positive and negative inverter ends.
6. The inverter needs to be on a flat finish.
7. Make sure that the electronic device cord fits into the inverter.
8. Don’t forget to turn it on.
Permanent installation:
There’s also a choice for you to connect an inverter to a car battery permanently. However, that will require you to buy another battery just for the inverter. There are things that you need to keep in mind for permanent installation:
1. They need to be in a safe and dry location which is also dust-free.
2. The switch must be easy to navigate or easy to access.
3. There should be proper ventilation for the inverter, and it should be on a flat surface.
4. Cables must be proportional to how much energy needed to flow from the battery to the inverter.
5. There should be proper insulation.
6. Secure a battery protection fuse.
Steps To Connect A Inverter To A Car Battery [More Details]
Connecting the inverter to your car battery is quite a tough job I must say, and it will require knowledge in following simple steps, but if these steps are forgotten, you might end up with a busted nose or a busted car inverter or car battery.
So it is essential to take these precautionary measures before you start plugging in your electronic devices. See these following steps which depend if you are temporarily or permanently connecting your car battery to an inverter.
Temporary installation:
1. Pay attention to where the vehicle is parked.
It is essential to know the location where your car is parked. You need to make sure that you will not cause traffic since the installation will take time. If you are in the middle of a long trip, try to park somewhere that won’t be subjected for a long haul of traffic.
If you are just at home, you need to make sure that the car is parked in the garage or somewhere that might not block the driveway.
2. Make sure that the engine is not running.
Since you are temporarily connecting the inverter to the car battery, you need to make sure that the car’s engine is not running or you might experience a jolt down your core and I don’t like that for sure. Better be safe. Turn off the engine and start working with the installation.
3. Be sure that the inverter is switched OFF.
Since you are still installing the inverter and haven’t plug it in on the battery, it is a must to keep the inverter’s switch OFF before proceeding. A sudden wave of electricity might flow if you keep it ON before installation and that can cause a spark or sudden static electricity that can cause serious issues.
4. Don’t forget about safety glasses.
Didn’t I mention to stay safe quite a few times? Yes, you need not to forget your safety glasses because our eyes are precious and you still want to drive. If that little spark comes into your eyes, then it’s the end of your driving career.
5. Make sure that the battery clips are connected to the positive and negative inverter ends.
On this part, you need to connect the battery clip wires to the positive and negative inverter ends. And also make sure that the other end of the clips is connected to the positive and negative ends of the car battery.
6. The inverter needs to be on a flat finish.
It’s a must to have the inverter install sitting in a flat finish. The reason is, there might be instances that the inverter would slide down and damage the device which would make a thousand more for replacement.
7. Make sure that the electronic device cord fits into the inverter.
You have to check if the electronic device cable if it fits into the power inverter. If not, you have to search for a compatible cable for both.
8. Don’t forget to turn it on.
Of course, this one is a no-brainer. You can only use it if you turn it ON.
Permanent Installation:
Some people chose to permanently install the inverter onto their car with its car battery. It is possible; however, we still need to consider a few things before we proceed to installation.
1. They need to be in a safe and dry location which is also dust-free.
Make sure that the location of the inverter and the car battery is dust-free aside from safe and it is dry. This will avoid dirt from entering both devices and will prevent corrosion later on.
2. The switch must be easy to navigate or easy to access.
The OFF/ON switch for the inverter should be easy to access anytime on its position. It should be hassle-free.
3. There should be proper ventilation for the inverter, and it should be on a flat surface.
Proper ventilation is needed for the inverter to avoid overheating and possible spark plugs on the inside.
4. Cables must be proportional to how much energy needed to flow from the battery to the inverter.
Your cables must be able to carry the energy flowing on the from the battery to the inverter. So you need to make sure that the wires are compatible with both devices.
5. There should be proper insulation.
6. Secure a battery protection fuse.
There should be safety fuse installed that is one foot away from the positive terminal of the battery. It is actually included as a requirement for safety and insurance on all manufacturer’s manual.
What Is An Inverter By The Way?
A car power inverter converts the direct current (DC) energy from the car battery into a conventional alternating current (AC) energy that you can use on any electronic devices like your microwave, TV, radio, laptop, and even cellphones!
You only need to connect it to the car battery and have the electronic devices plugged into the inverter. You can use it anytime and anywhere you want.
The power car inverter gets its power from a car battery, usually the 12 V battery (some cells are not 12V). Since the inverter is getting energy from the battery, you need to have a battery charger (if you don’t have an accessible AC outlet around since you are away for a road trip), solar panel or a generator that can supply energy for the car battery.
What Is The Size Of The Inverter That You Should Buy?
There are many brands and sizes when it comes to a car’s power inverter. However, the size that you will pick will be following the amps of what you want to run using the inverter.
Types Of Inverters
1. Quasi-sine wave or the modified wave inverter
This inverter is cheaper than the other types of an inverter. Aside from being more affordable, it is a lot simpler than the pure sine wave.
2. Pure sine wave inverter
Like what is mentioned above, this type of inverter is no doubt more complex than the first one. And a bit pricey than the other. The reason why is because of the following:
⚫︎ It consumes a little amount of power only.
⚫︎ You can customize it according to your power outputs.
⚫︎ The primary production of this type of inverter is almost the same as the AC output the main outlets are giving.
⚫︎ If you have a sensitive device, it is the best choice to pick.
Conclusion
It is essential to know how to connect inverter to car battery if you spend more time on the road unlike anybody else. If you often travel with your laptop and other electronic devices, you can permanently install it on your car and connect it into a different battery.
