What Size Power Inverter Do I Need To Run An Air Conditioner
For practical purposes it takes 11 amps of dc power to successfully run a 1 amp ac powered device.
What size power inverter do i need to run an air conditioner. Peak output is the wattage that an inverter can supply for short periods of time when the demand spikes while continuous output is the limit for normal operation. This enables you can power all the appliances in your rv as you go down the road when choosing an inverter you need. I cannot be sure as to the starting and running power requirements of your air conditioner but the atwood air command rooftop rv air conditioner part at15028 22 which has a 15 000 btu rating requires at least 4 830 watts. Also keep in mind that batteries become less effective at maintaining a charge over time.
The surge draw is probably about 4500 watts i am guessing. Most rvs do not come equipped with an inverter of that size. It is possible to run your air conditioner for extended periods of time while you free camp purely from your 12v battery. The inverter size must be at least 1 5 or 2 times in terms of wattage to manage the surge requirements when ac is turned on off.
This means you will need at least a 4 000 watt dc to ac power inverter to convert your battery power to usable ac electricity. The smallest size acs usually have a range of 5000 btu and they make use of a power of about 4 to 5 amps for operating. I dont have the exact specs but i believe the thing probably uses 1200 watt 10 amp vac. Most rvs do not even come equipped with an inverter of any kind.
Those that do usually come with an inverter ranging from 1 000 watts to 2 000 watts. It helps you convert your battery s 12v dc into 120v ac the standard house electricity output. Depending on the size an average air conditioner will need between 1 5 3 kw of power to work. Motor trend model mt2400 2400 watt 4800 watt power inverter 2400 watts continuous power 4800 watts peak power provides 20 86 amps ac air conditioner specs.
This enerdrive 12v lithium battery setup will allow you to run your air conditioner and other heavy amp drawing 240v appliances without the need for a generator or mains power making caravanning a lot more comfortable. The other factor to keep in mind when determining the necessary size of a power inverter is the difference between continuous and peak power output. If you have a 5 amp window air conditioner you will need 55 amps of dc power to run the unit. The etrailer 3 200 watt portable inverter generator part 333 0003 has a starting surge power output of 3 200 watts and a running rated power output of 2 900 watts.