How long can you run your appliances on an inverter during a power outage? It’s a common question that many people ask when considering backup power solutions for their homes or businesses.
Power outages can be a major inconvenience, causing disruption to daily routines and work schedules. With so many different wattage options for inverters on the market, it can be challenging to determine which one is best for your needs. Further, different inverters can run different numbers of equipment as well.
The answer to how long a 300, 500, 600, 750, 1000, 1500, 3000, 4000, or 5000 watt inverter will run depends on several factors, including the size of the battery bank, the amount of power the appliances draw, and how often they are used.
If you want to learn more about how to calculate the runtime of your inverter during a power outage and make informed decisions about backup power solutions, read on for a detailed analysis of each wattage option and its capabilities.
How long will a 300 watt Inverter run?
A 300 watt Inverter will power small electronic appliances like phone chargers, routers, laptops, DVD players, and Led lights. Any electrical device with a continuous power draw of more than 300 watts is not suitable for a 300 watt inverter. The recommended wire size for a 300 watt inverter is a 3.3m2 wire. While the fuse rating should be around 40A. All things being equal, the 300 watt inverter will run effectively if the battery cables are sized properly, and there’s plenty of ventilation to avoid shutting down. However, don’t let it bother you if your 300 watt inverter shut down suddenly. Some Inverters are made to shut down and restart automatically when the temperature is favorable.
How long will a 300 watt inverter run depend on the Ampere per hour and workload of the battery? A 300 watt inverter can run up to 10 hours on a 12V battery but run 6-7 hours on an 8V battery. So it all depends on the battery used and the appliances to be powered. But on average, a 300 watts Inverter will last between 7-17 hours before a total shutdown.
How long will a 500 watt Inverter run?
Unlike a 300 watt inverter, a 500 watt Inverter has enough power to run a small refrigerator, cellphones, laptops, and other digital appliances. A 500 watt Inverter produces 100 surge watts and 500 running watts. Fair enough, that’s okay to power the above-mentioned electrical appliances. Under a full load, a 500 watt inverter running from a 12V battery will be using up to 40A. In a nutshell, a 500 watt inverter will run from a 12V battery for approximately 17 hours. Let’s see a concise explanation below.
How long will a 600 watt Inverter run?
With a 600 watt inverter, you can power a television set, LED lights, sound system, CFL lights, and man other electrical appliances. A 600 watt inverter can also recharge small electrical devices like a Kindle and a tablet. Also, it can run your rooftop vent in the daytime and night to combat condensation. But, always remember that the power rating of a 600 watt Inverter must not be greater than the power rating of the load connected. Otherwise, damages are bound to happen. The workload usually determines the Inverters amps draw, so you should consider the workload connected to a 600 watt inverter.
For instance, a 600 watt inverter running under a full load connected to a 110V will draw 5.4 amps. How long it will take to recharge a 600 watt inverter and how long a 600 Inverter will run typically depends on the ratings. So, for a 12V battery, you can expect a 600 watt inverter to run 2.5 hours for a small coffee machine.
How long will a 750 watt Inverter run?
750 watt Inverters can run power tools, kitchen, and sitting room appliances. A 750 watt inverter is best described as a modified shine wave Inverter because it delivers 1500 watts at its peak and a constant 750 watts. A 750 watts Inverter connected to a 120v battery can run a 750 watts vacuum cleaner. Yes, it is that powerful and efficient. But as earlier mentioned in the other sections, the workload connected to an inverter plays a major role in determining the battery rundown time.
A 750 watts Inverter connected to a 120 V battery under full load is expected to run for 2-4 hours. If you want your 750 watts Inverter to run for 4 hours daily at 100% discharge, here’s what you can do. Increase the number of batteries to three or reduce the workload connected to the Inverter. Under a full load at 100% discharge, a 750 watts Inverter is unable to work for more than 4 hours a day, and you will have to take it for a recharge.
How long will a 1000 watt Inverter run?
A 1000 watt inverter has a lot of power and can produce up to 1000 watts per hour. So, for vacuum cleaners, printers, gaming devices, tablets, toasters, coffee makers, power irons, but to name a few, a 1000 watt inverter is a good choice. Additionally, a 1000 watt inverter can power all appliances whose total wattage does not exceed 1000 watt. Do not forget that the actual workload is what determines the amps draw of the Inverter. A 1000 watt inverter with a 500 watt workload will draw 40amps. Also, a 1000 watt inverter connected to a 120V battery requires a 2.0 wire gauge for maximum output.
Back to what I was saying, a 1000 watt inverter at full load connected to a 120V battery will run for 3.6 hours. Under a 75% efficiency, a 12 V battery with 150Ah capacity will allow a 1000 Watt inverter to run for 27 hours, while a 24 V battery on a 150 A will allow a 1000 watt Inverter run for 54 hours.
How long will a 1500 watt Inverter run?
Because it is not the Inverter rating that counts, but the workload, a 1500 watt inverter with a 500 watt load can draw up to 50Amps. A 1500 watt inverter can run a total workload of 1200 watts. Let’s take a look at some of the devices that could be summed up to give a total workload of 1200 watts to be run on a 1500 watt inverter. A 100 watt ceiling fan, 100 watt laptop, 20 watt cellphone, 800 watt fridge, and a 40 watt television can be simultaneously run on a 1500 watt inverter.
A 1500 watt inverter will run for 16 hours at a 200 Amps hour rating connected to a 120V battery, while it runs for 80 minutes at full load under a 1500 Amps 120 V battery. But before we jump ahead to the next paragraph, you should know that the kind of battery used for a 1500 watt inverter also determines the battery rundown time. Although the SLM batteries and the AGM batteries are the most commonly used batteries in homes, a battery with an in-depth discharge is most recommended for an Inverter. Depending on the manufacturer, a lithium battery can allow up to 100% usage.
How long will a 3000 watt Inverter run?
You can consider using a 300 watt inverter to power a 2400-2500 watt workload. This may include a 359-780 watts refrigerator, 1500-2000 watts microwave, 1225-1500 watts vacuum cleaner, 1500 watts toaster oven, 25-75 watts laptop, 50 watts cellphones, 900-1600 watts hairdryer, 25 watts fluorescent light bulbs, and 100 watts indulgent light bulbs. A 3000 watt inverter requires a 1/0 American Wire gauge and 6 50Ah batteries. If you are using a 170Ah battery, you will need two of those to power a 3000 watt inverter.
For a 12V battery connected to a 3000 watt inverter at full load, you can expect a 7 hours rundown time. And for a 3000 watt inverter to run at a maximum of 1 hour at full load, it will require a 300 Ah 120 V battery.
How long will a 4000 watt Inverter run?
Talking about heavy-duty equipment like a refrigerator, a washing machine, a hairdryer, etc., a 4000 watt inverter is enough to power them. For clarity, a 4000 watt inverter can run anything in-between an 1150 watt washing machine, 1000 watt well pump, 1000 watt coffee maker, 1500 watt dishwasher, 700 watt fridge, and a 1200 watt AC unit. The trick is to avoid a total wattage of more than 4000 watts connected to a 4009 watt inverter.
A 4000 watt inverter needs four 12 V batteries to power, and at 120V, a 4000 watt inverter will draw 33.3amps. The general rule of thumb is that a 4000 watt inverter will run for 2 hours at a full discharge.
How long will a 5000 watt Inverter run?
With two 210Ah batteries, a 5000 watts Inverter will run for 45 minutes. The same applies if it is connected to a 500 Ah 12V battery. A 5000 watts Inverter can power a house. Yes, it is that powerful and can be effectively used for a wide range of equipment and electrical appliances. If you want an hour 5000 watt inverter supply, you need a 750 Ah 12 V battery.
How to buy the best battery for your Inverter?
There are many factors to consider when buying batteries for your Inverter. From how much power do an Inverter draw on Zero loads to how fast an inverter drains a battery and can I leave my Inverter in all day long, is enough reason to consider what type of battery is suitable for your Inverter. See some of the factors to consider when buying a battery for your Inverter.
The low voltage alarm: The low voltage alarm helps to alert you when the voltage level is critically low to avoid damage to the battery
Remote control: Some batteries have a remote control in handy to allow you to turn in the Inverter when it’s in a sleepy mood. Other batteries may not have this feature, but it’s best to consider the remote control feature for convenience when buying a battery for your Inverter.
Battery auto cut-out: The battery auto cut-out feature will shut down the battery at the critical voltage level.
Power save sleep mood: Another feature to look out for is the power save sleep mood. It helps protect the battery at a critically low voltage level.
Over-temperature alarm cut out: This works to protect the battery when there’s an over-temperature issue in the battery.
Conclusion
The good news is that you can use two batteries to extend the rundown time of an Inverter. You only need to know how to properly connect the two batteries in parallel. Other than that, inverters are efficient when it comes to using them to electrical power appliances, especially in the house. Inverters are economical and a good source of power supply for electrical gadgets. Use only the recommended battery size for your desired rundown time from your Inverter.
Eng. Matthew Joseph Nandirio is the Founder of walkingsolar.
After graduating from the University of Houston in 2002, matt started working as a Solar Electrical Engineer for several multi-national solar energy companies.
He has a wide range of experiences including solar system requirement analysis, planning, maintaining, debugging and even solar device development through research.
He now shares his 20 years of expertise through his articles on the walkingsolar website.
Further, he is also the author of two books on Solar Technology, “Solar Power for Villages” and “DIY Solar System for Dummies”.
