Tell me about inverters, please?

[Cassandra]

(sigh) After just making it through a hurricane and facing the possibility of another one within a week... we are seriously considering a generator or something. Especially being on well water. Everything is just miserable without running water.

I know... pretty much... how generators work. Wait, no I don't. But that's not important.

Can anyone tell me if inverters work just as well? I mean, the kind you plug into your car cigarette lighter. I have seen them rated up to 3300 watts (or whatever the measurement is.) From what I can tell, it looks like it turns your car into a generator. Where a generator has a gas tank, an engine, and an ... err... inverter? The inverter that you plug into your car uses the gas tank and the engine from your car...

Is that right?

Obviously, I'm not looking to power the whole house. Just something to run the well for a little while (to wash dishes, bathe, flush toilets,) to keep the freezer frozen and the frig cold, and probably to run a fan at night.

Would an inverter do this? I realize this may not be as fuel efficient as a generator because you are also running your cars engine. But in a disaster situation, running one for a few hours a day beats being without water.

What I think I am asking is, do they work as well as a generator. And if not, what would I be giving up by getting an inverter instead of a generator.

Aside from the price difference, I worry about getting a generator for safety and storage reasons. And like all the other big ticket items that my husband PROMISES he will take care of, after the first season, it's going to be rusting in the corner of a shed. I figure *I* can carry around a 20 lb. inverter and be sure it's taken care of.

Cassandra

 

[chcknrs]

Inverters are usually rated only enough power to do things like charge a cell phone or run a laptop computer. They definitely don't have enough power to run a major appliance, at least not the ones I have seen. Ya gotta figure your car battery and system only are set up to power small things, so you would drain your system, even with the vehicle running.
You are much better off looking for a generator, altho spendy, worth it, IMO. DH hunts, so we could doubly justify the expense, when we have the cash!
BTW, you can find generators on wheels that you will be able to handle yourself.

 

[Cassandra]

I mean like this one, for example:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05799525000P

I think they are maybe meant to supply power to an RV while out in the woods?

". This unit is ideal for appliances such as microwave ovens (1000 watts or less), coffeemakers, laptops, TV sets, video games, CD players, DVD players, cellular phone chargers and much more!"

Or, this one:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...kw=inverter&origkw=inverter&parentPage=search

"Get up to 5000W peak power, so you can take your appliances, audio/video devices and laptop computers with you anywhere."

Do they REALLY do what they say they will do? hmmm

ETA: I guess an RV has it's own power. I may not be using the term correctly. I probably mean a 5th wheel. I don't have one, so I don't know what you call them trailers you drag behind your truck to camp out in.

Cassandra

 

[FarmerChick]

inverters won't have enough power for a well pump to be run

you can buy an extra battery (don't use the one in the car cause you might need to evacuate or something and need that battery power)

it runs light things like coffeemakers etc.

YOU ARE SO RIGHT----big ticket items don't fair well around here also. Tony is so busy that there is no time for maintenance work on the things we have....and that is the worst that can happen to big items, be ignored for maintenance. I have a nice Honda generator in the garage, nope, we couldn't get it to run last year when needed....so I hear ya on this one.

For water, if an impending storm is coming, I always fill up both bathtubs. That way I can flush. Then I have "backup" emergency paper plates and such and don't create dishes to wash. Grill a hotdog and use paper plates works for me in a storm..LOL...also I do keep about 5 gallons of "good" water in jugs before a storm for "just washing" a pot or 2 and for brushing teeth etc. Hey we make do right? LOL

 

[Cassandra]

Yeah, we get by! If Ike comes this way, though, I'm going to my mom's or my aunt Susan's (she is the one away in FL and said we could use her house.) Cause it's just too annoying being without water for two or three days.

The main thing (other than water) that I would want to power would be the freezer for an hour or so a day (enough to keep it cold) and the fan at night so I can sleep. I really don't miss much else.

Cassandra

 

[FarmerChick]

you are lucky you have her house with city water...it makes a difference.
my Mom and Dad in Shelby have city water and when power goes out, they have water..LOL...when we lost power for 5 days in a big ice storm many years ago, I went and stayed with them.

I forgot about my fish though. Poor suckers froze in the water. House was SOOO COLD I couldn't have made it here alone, but that was before I was married with a kid, so it was easy to pack up and move to Moms for a bit.

If it is exceptionally cold out----remember you can put your frozen things and fridge stuff on the back porch in coolers. When I lost power I stayed here for 2 days and put the milk on the back porch, heck it almost froze..HA HA