Friday, May 15, 2009

Inverter Buying Guide

Table 1: Power Requirements of different appliances
EquipmentRunning (W)Starting (W)
Fan (75W)75150
CFL (18W)1825
Tube light (40W)60120
Bulb (Incandescent) (40W)4045
Desktop PC (CRT monitor)250350
Desktop PC (LCD monitor)170200
Laptop70100
Washing Machine (with Heater)20003200
Washing Machine (no Heater)12002400
Refrigerator (150W)150300
Air Cooler (1000W)10002000
Air Conditioner (1.5 Ton)22004000
Water Pump (250W)250500

Table 2: VA Ratings of Commonly Available Domestic Inverters
Nominal VAWattageNumber of 12V Batteries NeededInverter CostBattery CostTotal Cost
600VA360W1Rs. 3500Rs. 11000Rs. 14500
800VA480W1Rs. 5500Rs. 11000Rs. 16500
1200VA720W2Rs. 7000Rs. 22000Rs. 29000
1400VA840W2Rs. 9000Rs. 22000Rs. 31000
2400VA1440W4Rs. 20000Rs. 44000Rs. 64000
3200VA1920W4Rs. 26000Rs. 44000Rs. 70000
* All the above figures are indicative only. Actual figures vary from time to time, from manufacturer to manufacturer, also from model to model.

Table 3: Comparison of Inverter Batteries of Different Capacities
Battery Capacity
(Ampere-Hour)
Price (in Rs)Approx. Backup Time
800VA (80% load)
Full Recharge Time
135 AH95002hr.4hr.
150 AH110002hr. 30min.5hr.
180 AH140003hr.6hr.
* All the above figures are indicative only. Actual figures vary from time to time, from manufacturer to manufacturer, also from model to model.

What is an Inverter?

An inverter is a machine which converts DC to AC (direct current to alternating current). It is the inverse of rectification (and hence the name), which means converting AC to DC.

A domestic inverter does quite a bit more than just doing inversion (DC to AC).
  1. When the AC power supply is on, the inverter charges its batteries, from the power supply (essentially converts AC power to DC and stores into the batteries).
  2. Also, inverter "forwards" the AC power directly to its output, when the AC power supply is on. This means, whatever appliances we have connected to the output of the inverter, runs on AC power, when the power is on.
  3. When there is a power cut, the inverter automatically starts drawing power from the batteries, and supplies "generated" AC power, to the appliances connected to its output. Hence, the appliances connected to the output of the inverter, enjoys "seamless" electric power. It must be noted that "Seamless" is not the same as "un-interrupted". That means there is always a delay (switch-on delay), however small, before the inverter starts supplying power, and after the main AC supply goes off. This delay is usually of the order of 50 milli-seconds or around 1/20th of a second. This delay is often large enough to restart your computer and other sensitive equipments.
  4. When the power comes back, inverter stops drawing power from the batteries, starts the AC power "forward" function, and then starts charging the batteries by drawing power from the supply. Even here there is a small delay (switch-off time of the inverter), but usually this delay is much smaller than switch-on delay, usually of the order of 20 milli-seconds or 1/50th of a second.

Square wave Inverter or Sine wave Inverter?


The AC (alternating current) power supply we use everyday is pure sine wave (like A in picture). But, because of the solid state (means no moving parts) devices they use, domestic power inverters naturally produce square wave AC.



To produce pure sine wave (well, nearly pure) AC, in a domestic solid state power inverter, it must have more sophisticated circuitry, hence costs much more. As a thumb rule, pure sine wave inverters are usually at least 25% costlier than their equivalent square wave inverter.

For ordinary heating or lighting equipments, like heaters, geysers, incandescent bulbs, square wave or sine wave doesn't make a difference. However, for sophisticated electronic equipments, like computer, refrigerator, TV etc. square wave AC which has jagged edges, can be really harmful.

Hence if you have and care for your sophisticated electronic gadgets, go for pure sine wave inverter.

What should be my inverter's power rating (in VA)?

Inverters are usually rated in terms of VA (Volt-Ampere), as opposed to Watts. But most of your appliances are rated in Watts. The formula is: Watt (W) = Volt-Ampere (VA) x Power-factor (p) (of your equipment). For example, assuming your fan's power rating is 75W, and power-factor is 0.6, the VA requirement for your fan is 125 VA. Some appliances like incandescent bulbs have higher power factors (close to 1), and some others like TV have even lower power factors (close to 0.5).

Leaving all those complicated formulae for electrical engineers, we can safely assume an average power factor of 0.6 for our total domestic load. This means if we buy a 800VA inverter, we can "run" appliances upto a maximum of 480W (=800 x 0.6).

Now there is a big difference between "running" wattage, and "starting" wattage. For example, when you switch on your 75W of fan, it starts consuming around 150W to 200W of power. But, as the fan speed picks up, the wattage requirement slowly settles down to 75W. Similarly, for your 150W refrigerator, when the motor starts, the wattage requirement shoots to as high as 400W, but settles down very quickly to 150W. Even your large screen TV of 150W, when switched on (with the physical switch, not with remote from stand-by), starts sucking in almost 300W of power, but quickly settles down to 150W in 2 or 3 seconds.

Let us now look at the power requirements of different appliances in Table 1.

Understood, but again, what should be my inverter's VA rating? Before we calculate that, we have to answer one more question. How do we connect and use our inverter?
  1. Connection
    1. I want EVERYTHING in my house to be connected to my inverter
    2. I want a subset of what I have, connected to the inverter (This would mean additional wiring, but is well worth the cost)
  2. Usage
    1. I want to keep my inverter always switched on (ready mode, battery power kicks in as soon as power goes off)
    2. I want to keep my inverter always switched off. Once power goes off, I want to manually start the inverter.
    3. I want to keep my inverter always switched off, EXCEPT at night. At night, before going to bed, I want to switch on the inverter. At that time, only my fans would be running (IMPORTANT: Because if your refrigerator or AC is running at night, this is probably as bad as 2.1).
The chart below explains, the VA requirements of your inverter, for different combinations of your connection preference and usage style.
ConnectionUsageVA RequirementComment
1 (Everything connected)1 (Always ON)Equal to the sum-total of all the equipments' "starting wattage"Not Recommended
1 (Everything connected)2 (Always OFF)Equal to the sum-total of the "starting wattage"s of ONLY the equipments you want to use DURING the power cutNot Recommended, may be used, to avoid additional wiring costs. But, at night, if there is a power cut, fan goes off, until you get up and manually switch the inverter on - your choice.
1 (Everything connected)3 (Always OFF, except fans at night)Equal to the sum-total of the "starting wattage"s of ONLY the equipments you want to use DURING the power cut, OR equal to the sum-total of the "running wattage"s of all bedroom fans, whichever is higherNot Recommended, may be used, to avoid additional wiring costs. But, at night, you may need to switch off your refrigerator also.
2 (Subset connected)1 (Always ON)Equal to the sum-total of all the "connected" equipments' "running wattage"Highly Recommended
2 (Subset connected)2 & 3(As per connection mode 1, wattage only for "connected" equipmentsNot needed, if additional wiring is already done, then better keep the inverter switched on.

I highly recommend connection 2 and usage 1.

What I have done in my house is, in each bed room, living room, and bathroom, I have connected the mostly used fan and light to the inverter. In the drawing room, I have connected the TV also to the inverter. In my study/work room, I have connected my desktop PC to the inverter. I have connected 3 plug-points (scattered across my house) to the inverter as well. I have left out the ACs, refrigerator, microwave, the bed-room TVs, Geyser, water pumps and pretty much everything else, and kept them connected to main power line, not to the inverter.

I have bought a 800VA inverter, and this is how the wattage works out.

800 VA = 800 x 0.6 = 480W
  • 6 CFLs (at any time only 4 would be in use, each 23W = 92W)
  • 2 tube lights (at any point only 1 would be used = 60W)
  • 4 ceiling fans (at any time only 2 would be in use, each 75W = 150W)
  • 1 desktop PC (with LCD monitor = 170W).
All total = 472 W

The wattage calculation might suggest that there is not enough buffer space, but actually that is not the case. Because
  • Almost never the fans run at full speed, rather almost always they run at 50% speed
  • Light requirement is high only during the night, when it is colder, and hence fan requirement is lower. And during the day, it is the other way round.

What are the VA ratings usually available?

Table 2 gives you the commonly available VA ratings for domestic inverters.

What battery do I need?

Almost all domestic inverters run on 12V rechargeable batteries. But normal cheap rechargeable 12V batteries, technically known as "shallow discharge cycle" batteries, such as the car batteries, won't be suitable. Because these are only good if you discharge them only upto 50%/60%, and recharge them back again. If you discharge these batteries beyond 60%/70%, they suffer permanent damage, and their life and capacity gets drastically shortened. The other problem with these batteries, is the amount of electrical energy needed to recharge, is far greater than the amount of electrical energy used during charge, meaning these batteries are "inefficient". The efficiency for car batteries are usually as low as 70%.

Hence for power inverter, you would need high capacity, high efficiency, "deep discharge cycle" batteries. Tubular lead-acid rechargeable batteries are very commonly used for power inverters.

Battery capacities are specified in Ampere-Hours (AH). The higher the number, longer is its capacity, and hence higher is its backup time. The amount of backup time needed, would depend on the duration and frequency of power cuts in your area. Table 3 compares the commonly available tubular batteries in the market.

Many small local battery manufacturers claim that their batteries are "as good as" the branded ones, but are substantially cheap. Please don't fall into their trap. Always go for branded batteries, insist on VAT receipt, and fully filled in warranty card.

Exide Inva Tubular range of batteries are market leaders. You would find plenty of Exide dealers in any city in India, and their after sale service is good as well. Other good battery manufacturers are Amaron, and Standard Furukawa. I would strongly recommend to restrict yourself within these manufacturers.

DO NOT buy batteries manufactured by the inverter company itself, even if you get a killer bundle offer. Companies who manufacture good inverters, seldom manufacture good batteries. And good battery manufacturers seldom make inverters.

Who are the good inverter manufacturers?

Su-Kam is the market leader in domestic power inverter sector. APC (American Power Corporation) is also very good, and their technology is the best of breed. Luminous and Hyundai spend a fortune for marketing, however I am doubtful about their product quality and quality of service. Microtek is also very popular, but they usually serve the low-end square-wave inverter segment, not very popular in pure-sine-wave segment.

Anything else to keep in mind while buying?

Lots of things to keep in mind. I'll try to mention a few important ones below.
  1. Tubular batteries generally come with 3 yrs manufacturer's warranty. However if proper care is taken they should last beyond 5 years. Keep the batteries in a well ventilated place, preferably not inside your bed room. Make sure that the batteries and the inverter do not get exposed to water or direct sunlight. Keep them away from wash basin, and outside balcony. Top off the batteries every 6 months, with distilled water. Charge the batteries every fortnight, even if inverter was not used.
  2. Get a good electrician to do the additional wiring in your house for your inverter. The electricians from the shop where you purchased your inverter, will most likely be an inexperienced part-timer, and would do a shoddy job, and would definitely over-charge you.
  3. Use an MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker, also commonly called "trip") at the output of your inverter, in addition to the built-in fuse. MCBs breaks the circuit much faster than the fuse, in case of an overload, and hence better protects your inverter. Max current for an X VA inverter, is =X/220. I use a 4A MCB, for my 800VA inverter, because 800/220 = 3.6, which is less than 4.
  4. Please check the manufacturer's warranty period of your inverter. Typical warranty periods are 1yr, and 2yrs. Many manufacturers sell machines with similar specifications, but different warranty periods, at different price points. Try to go for the machine with higher warranty period - less headache and more value for money.
  5. The tubular batteries are usually very heavy (more than 50kgs), and hence difficult to handle yourself. Also, it contains extremely strong sulphuric acid, which can easily "leak" through the porous ceramic "caps" and burn your skin. Make sure the battery is properly handled and installed, by the delivery folks. Once installed, avoid moving or pushing the battery yourself.
  6. Many of the pure-sine-wave inverters supports "UPS mode" in addition to normal mode. In UPS mode, the inverter's "switch on" time in case of a power cut is significantly lower (less than 35 milli-second), than in the normal mode. This ensure, your PC doesn't get reset if there is a power cut. This saves you the cost of buying UPS for your PC.

65 comments:

  1. This is a very informative post. Thanks for sharing the info.

    I wrote about this in my blog\

    http://krishnan.co.in/blog/post/Things-to-consider-before-you-buy-an-Inverter-or-UPS.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for such a vital information.. it would definitely help me and everyone else who has less knowledge about the inverters..

    Chetan Khera
    New Delhi

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent and useful information. . . thanks a ton !

    ReplyDelete
  4. That was great help thanks!! would you also say something about how to select a battery( in Ah) given the back-up times required.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Excellent information. You can also check some more information at:
    http://indiahometips.com/buying-inverter.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Most amazing !! .. A very comprehensive guide indeed ..

    Thanks a lot for taking the time out to post this info.

    For reference of other readers, here is a link to another great post on the same subject:
    http://www.amitsrivastava.net/2008-06-01-the-home-upsinverter-buying-guide/

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very good guide, inclusive of all related data. This is what I was looking for and got all of it in one place. Thanks a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh! What an excellent information. I'm bowled over by your fantastic explanation on the Inverter. Now, I can confidently go ahead and buy one.

    Thanks a lot!

    Cheers,

    Shekar

    ReplyDelete
  9. Excellent Info. I have planned for 1 KV.. with out knowing anything. Now I can settle for 800VA for my need.

    Thanks a lot!

    Subhan

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is great, it helps me to find the specification that im looking for. Im having a hard time for it. Cool! keep on updating.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very informative article man thanks :-) i was specially confused about the starting wattage considerations... thanks for clearing...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Really informative post. Need 1 more favor from you. Please help me with average expense incurred by a 600VA inverter use @ 6 hrs electric failure.

    please respond on dhruv.india@gmail.com as well.

    ReplyDelete
  13. very nice information it will definitely help to buy good inverter

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi!
    This is really a excellent article and gives a clear idea of choosing the suitable inverter.

    ReplyDelete
  15. What else can I say other than THANKS....

    ReplyDelete
  16. thanks a lot...
    i am to buy one today

    ReplyDelete
  17. many people take science but only some of it apply it.

    very accurate and informative information

    THANKS

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm planning to buy one and didnt know where to start. Many thanks for this super information.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Splendid. Easy to understand and did not miss any needed info. Thanks a ton!

    ReplyDelete
  20. thanks man. it was really informative

    ReplyDelete
  21. thank you. it gives a clear idea

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks man for such a valuable information. I was looking for a good battery for my Sukam 800VA inverter and happened to find your blog. Really informative. I was looking for SMF battery but almost every dealer refused (not available in market, doesn't perform well, many complaints etc.). Whats your take on SMF OR normal LEAD battery?

    ReplyDelete
  23. It's really superb... The information should be copy righted.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks for the much needed info!!I bought an inverter with the aid of your info.But the problem is that even after requesting for a sine wave inverter,seller told me that it is sine wave and sold to me a square wave inverter(Microtek DG900).Now I want to know that if it safe to run my deskop computer having a UPS.(intex 600va style)?I think that when output received by my comp wil be from UPS,so there should be know prob?
    Kindly clarify me on kr.a2yush@gmail.com.Thanks in advance!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Very useful info !
    Thanks a ton
    Madhab

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks. Really useful. I had spoken to a couple of su-kam dealers and they claim that they provide onsite warranty for su-kam batteries whereas exide does not provide the same. Is it true and does it mean su-kam batteries are better?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thank's 4 r sharing info..!!1

    ReplyDelete
  28. very usefull. I am searching these kind of article for many days.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi,
    Thanks man for such a valuable information.Really its a informative post.Thanks a lot dear. Power inverters

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi,

    I am opting Microtek SEBZ 850VA inverter.
    But regarding 150AH battery,I want to purchase an old battery for some time which is available with one of my friend.
    Battery specification is : Luminous "IL 18000 PLUS 150 AH" 1 year old normal battery with 24 months warranty.I am thinking if I purchase this for aprox 4000...It will be sold at approx 2300 after 1.5 years.Will it be benificial to me.
    Please suggest about the option and price for the same.

    Regards,
    krishna

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hello All, As this is an old blog written in 2009, technology has changed and may new brands of inverters and batteries have entered the market. Also the most reputed battery brand in the market (not to name) is losing market due to poor quality and over pricing. Sales are down by 50% of this No.1 brand (once upon a time).
    Right now Amaron battery is No. 1 in terms of quality and sales (as per my opinion).
    So the blog needs quick updating.
    As for the inverters, go for pure sine wave inverter of major brands. I would recommend Mahindra HiSpeed Home UPS which has LCD display costing around Rs. 5500/- for 800VA.
    As for batteries, better go for Tall Tubular battery with HADI casting technology. I would recommend Okaya Tall Tubular 150AH battery TT-2450 costing around Rs. 11,000/- if you are on a tight budget without comprising on quality.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Its very informative and effective article. Thanks for sharing your information.
    Inverter Battery

    ReplyDelete
  33. I want know how to calculate the per unit cost of electricity produced by a normal domestic inverter i.e. single battery (1-2 kva).

    ReplyDelete
  34. Nice info. Thanks a lot. Can you please suggest what websites / books you referred. Are there any general ref material like "buying guides" for other appliances? Thanks a ton again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of the primary things that you simply have to be compelled to arranged is that the quantity of power that you simply have to be compelled to run your appliances. Here, you wish to induce the the facility ratings of all the instrumentality that you simply shall connect with the electrical converter.

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  35. Hi Sir,

    I am living in UP and during summers the power cuts are prolonged. I have a Luminous 675 V inverter and a normal battery not sure of the make which I got 3 years back.with only 1 fan it gives 6 hours at the moment.I want to install another inverter along with this one which can give me backup of 7-8 hours for 2 fans only. I will use the inverter with me at present as well with the new one.

    Please let me know which kind and brand of inverter should I buy and also the make of the battery I should ask for?
    my main need is to run 2 fans at a stretch not any other thing.

    Also can I use a small air cooler(symphony) , 250 V for 2 hours only along with a single fan sometimes with the inverter you will suggest

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wow, that is amazin stuff you posted.. thank you so much...

    ReplyDelete
  37. Too good buddy. Thanks for the info

    ReplyDelete
  38. A UPS typically includes the inverter, battery and battery charger in one stand-alone unit. However, there are UPSs that use external batteries, and PowerStream has made inverters with battery chargers, so the differences blur as features
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  39. An inverter also increases the safety of a solar energy system by making it possible to switch off the connection to the panels and/or the connection to the grid (when the inverter needs to be serviced for example) By Microtek inverters in chennai

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  40. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  42. If you want to replace your inverter battery then buy it from a trusted battery and inverter dealer in Delhi. One of the best dealers of inverters and automobile battery is Dolly battery. It is a leading online store of multi brand batter, inverter, automobile battery and RO water purifier.
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  46. The performance of an inverter is totally depends on the battery, so it is very important to buy a branded battery for your branded inverter. The known inverter battery brands are Luminous, Su-Kam, Exide, Amaron, Microtek, etc. There are different types of battery available in the battery; Maintenance free lead acid battery, Lead acid inverter battery and Tubular battery.
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  48. Really this usfull Nice Microtek Direct Blog .and good information.please Thanks for sharing this post.

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  49. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  50. Buy luminousinverter battery onlineand also get discounts on tubular luminous batteries with free install & delivery in Bangalore, Karnataka.

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  51. You should always consider buying inverter, which gives good power backup at an affordable cost. Some of the best inverter companies are Su-Kam, Microtek, Luminous, etc. You can buy the branded inverter and battery combo together from the official website of dolly battery.
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  52. Luminous Battery Price, So do not buy a local battery and visit the official website of dolly battery to select a good quality product from their wide range. You can also buy inverter with battery at very low cost luminous inverter price is low at their website. You can select a branded product from dolly battery and avail special discounts.
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  53. Very informative and effective article! Thanks for sharing. Inverter Battery

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  54. If I want to buy a Inverter Battery Supplier, first I have to know how it working, comparsions Ratings and capacity .In this Article shown very clearly about the details.

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  56. solar inverter price list for new inverters have been changed check it out on UTL Solar website

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