How to install a voltage converter(car converter)?

Inverters are handy gadgets that use a 12V DC input and provide a 110v or 220v AC output. In simpler terms, they take the electricity available from the cigarette lighter or accessory socket in your car and turn it into the type of electricity available from the outlets in your home.

This can be extremely useful in a car, truck or RV as it greatly expands the types of electronics you can use on the go. Since almost all of your household gadgets and electronics run on AC power, having an inverter attached to your car can effectively give you an appliance that you could normally only use at home.

A good inverter is especially useful for salespeople, truck drivers and other people who spend a lot of time in their vehicles, but a car inverter can also be a lifesaver on a long trip, camping excursion and in many other circumstances.

How to install a voltage converter(car converter)?

Inverters are handy gadgets that use a 12V DC input and provide a 110v or 220v AC output. In simpler terms, they take the electricity available from the cigarette lighter or accessory socket in your car and turn it into the type of electricity available from the outlets in your home.

This can be extremely useful in a car, truck or RV as it greatly expands the types of electronics you can use on the go. Since almost all of your household gadgets and electronics run on AC power, having an inverter attached to your car can effectively give you an appliance that you could normally only use at home.

A good inverter is especially useful for salespeople, truck drivers and other people who spend a lot of time in their vehicles, but a car inverter can also be a lifesaver on a long trip, camping excursion and in many other circumstances.

Inverters are useful, but they have limitations. The amount of power an inverter can deliver is limited by the design of the inverter itself and the method you use to connect it to your vehicle's electrical system. Some equipment and appliances, such as refrigerators, use an enormous amount of electricity when they are first turned on, turning on immediately or intermittently during use. This can be a problem if the inverter is not large enough to withstand the surge.

How to install a car inverter

If you are considering installing a car inverter, there are three main considerations to consider before finalizing the purchase:

1. Power Requirements for Portable Devices- The inverter must be able to supply enough power for all the devices you want to connect at once.
2. Inverter installation locations- Inverters can be installed just about anywhere, but you need to consider accessibility for connecting devices, how to connect it to power and ground, and whether it can safely dissipate the heat it generates during use.
3. Inverter Wiring Problems- You can plug small inverters directly into a cigarette lighter or accessory jack. Larger inverters must be connected directly to the battery with a large in-line fuse.

The first and most important consideration is how much power your appliance needs, as this determines the size of your inverter, the installation method and the installation location.

We'll go into more detail about this in the following steps, but here are some rough power requirements to get you started:

• Portable heating: 1500 watts
• Standard hair dryer: 1500 watts
• Mini fridge: 100 watts (500 watts at startup)
• 17" laptop: 90 watts (less for smaller models)
• Cast iron plate: 1500 watts (1,100 for models with coiled burners)

Power Requirements for Portable Devices

To Choose the Right Inverter Size  a general rule of thumb is to multiply the amps of your device by the volts, which gives the required power:

V x A = W

Let's say you upgraded your old PS3 to a PS4 or Xbox 360 to an Xbox One and you're not sure what to do with your old console. These consoles may not be portable or the easiest way to game in your car, but you can also choose to have them act as a DIY multimedia system for your car.

The rating on the Xbox 360 power supply indicates that it draws 4A at 110V, so if you want to play with your Xbox 360 in your car, you would put those numbers into the above formula to choose the right converter for it:

110V x 4A = 440W

In this case you need an inverter that supplies at least 440W. However, it is important to note that you should find one that can provide 440W continuous as opposed to 440W peak. In addition, you need a larger converter if you want to connect something while using the Xbox.

Alternator output and converters

On the other hand, it is also important to know exactly how much power your alternator can deliver. This can be found by looking up the numbers on the alternator, but you may need to contact your local dealer to find out. If you're having trouble finding the right numbers, a car garage (or a repair shop with the necessary equipment) can test your car's actual power and consumption.

Most alternators are capable of delivering more watts than standard electronics consume, and they can typically handle additional electronics such as amplifiers , but the exact output power varies from brand to model. If you want to run a lot of energy-intensive equipment on your inverter, you may need to install a powerful alternator.

If you're driving a truck that has room for "an extra battery", it's also a good idea to take advantage of that situation. This is especially true if you want to use your inverter when the engine is off, as adding an extra battery will prevent you from draining the main battery, which could cause the vehicle to refuse to start.

Car Inverter Locations

The first step in installing a car inverter is to decide where you will place it. Some locations to consider are:

• In the trunk
• under a chair
• In the glove compartment
• Mounted on the rear cover shelves
• Posted under the dashboard

When considering possible installation locations, it's important to think about where your power input comes from and how easy it is to connect your devices. If you want to use electronics in the main cabin of your car, a trunk installation may not be convenient. On the other hand, that can be a great location under different circumstances.

It is also important to consider heat dissipation. Inverters usually come with fans built in, and many of them are actually designed as large heat sinks. If your inverter has a fan, find an installation location where the airflow is not blocked.

Temporary car inverter installation

The easiest way to install a car inverter is to simply plug it into a 12 volt outlet . This socket is normally used for lighters.

Since the cigarette lighter or 12V socket is connected to a circuit that usually contains other electronics, there is a limit to how much power you can get out of it. Therefore, many converters for cigarette lighters limit the available wattage.

That's a big drawback if you want to run high-power appliances, but it's a trade off how easy it is to just plug an inverter into an accessory outlet and use it. These plug-in inverters are great for laptops and other small electronic devices. Some of them even have built-in USB connections to power cell phones, GPS devices, and anything else that uses a standard USB connection.

For more energy-intensive equipment and permanent installations, you will unfortunately have to do some wiring.

Permanent car inverter installation: In-line fuse

One way to permanently wire a car inverter is to plug in the power cable or go directly to the battery. If you choose to go straight to the battery, you'll need to find out where the wiring goes through the bodywork and fish your own power wire through it.

Make sure there is an in-line fuse between the inverter and the battery. This ensures that nothing melts or catches fire when you switch on the inverter.

If you grab a pre-existing power wire, you can easily run into the same problems as plugging into a cigarette lighter. That's why it's vital that you understand what's on a particular track before using it.

Adding a significant current load to an existing power wire and circuit can create problems, so it's a good idea to go straight to the fuse box if you don't want to fish a wire through the bodywork.

Permanent installation of car inverters: fuse box

Some fuse boxes are located under the hood, but many of them are conveniently located somewhere under the dash. That makes the fuse box a good place to plug in a car inverter if you don't want to run the wires through the bodywork.

If your fuse box has empty slots, that's usually a good place to plug in the inverter. You can put a new fuse in the empty slot and in the back of the fuse box you can use the connectors to fix the inverter.

When you get power to the empty spot in the fuse box, you should also check that the connection has power all the time, or only power when the ignition is on. If you want to be able to use your inverter at all times, you want a connection that always has steam.

But using one that only has power when the ignition is on will prevent your battery from accidentally draining.