Many small inverters (450 watts and under) come with a cigarette lighter adapter, and may be plugged into your vehicle's lighter socket (although you will not be able to draw more than 150 to 200 watts from the cigarette lighter socket). The small units also come with cables that can be clamped directly to a battery. If you want an inverter that will plug into your cigarette lighter, you must choose one that is 450 watts or less.
Larger inverters (500 watts and over) must be hard-wired directly to a battery. The cable size depends on the distance between battery and power inverter for home which you use, and will be specified in the Owner's Manual.
When connecting the inverter to the battery always use an overcurrent protection device, such as a fuse or circuit breaker, and use the thickest wire available, in the shortest length practical.
What is an overcurrent protection device? Why do I need one?
Batteries are capable of supplying large amounts of current, and thousands of amperes could be present if a short circuit were to occur. A short circuit can damage your system, cause a fire and be hazardous to your health. Incorporating an overcurrent device is an effective line of defense against a short circuit occurrence. An overcurrent protection device is typically a fuse or circuit breaker that goes inline on the positive cable, between the inverter and battery, to protect your system. A fast acting fuse or circuit breaker will blow within milliseconds under short circuit conditions, preventing any damage or hazards.
It is important to appropriately size your fuse or circuit breaker for both your inverter and cables. An oversized fuse could result in cables exceeding their ampere capability, resulting in the cables becoming red-hot and dangerous. Consult your owners manual for the recommended sized fuse or circuit breaker and cable gauge for a safe installation.
How long can I run the inverter on my battery?
To estimate how long a battery/appliance combination will operate together, use this handy calculator. (Tip: If the calculator output equals 0 hours, the total Amp/Hrs of the battery bank are insufficient to run the load. Try adding additional Amp/Hrs to the battery bank field in order to run the desired wattage.)
