Over the last decade, home power back up has become more efficient than ever. Earlier big noisy generators were used to back up power. They could take on the load of big and small electronic devices including high power drawing ACs. But they were unwieldy and were more used in big multi-apartment complexes than individual flats or homes.
However two things changed. One was, load shedding and frequent power cuts increased in India. And the other was in the form of the inverter; power back-ups had become extremely efficient and functional for smaller households.
So what exactly is the inverter?
It’s a power system that converts the Direct Current (DC) into Alternating Current (AC). All devices run on AC systems but because the inverter is a charged electricity supplier it becomes a form of DC system. So it converts AC running devices into those running on DC power that is why it’s called an inverter! The inverter’s batteries get charged regularly and systematically so they can enable the inverter to draw power from them. These batteries are of 12 voltages or more depending on the size of the inverter.
Inverters for your home:
The inverter is a general power back up system that enables devices amounting to a certain voltage to keep working during a power failure, so choosing them correctly is imperative.
The inverters can go from being a 12 volt to 24 volt to 48 volt systems for homes. For offices you may need greater power, of course.
Things to note when you buy your home inverter
Determine the voltage you may need. That depends entirely on how many devices you need to keep running, for how long, and what kind of power demands they make. A television or a couple of fans and some tube-lights require very little power. A smaller, 24 voltage systems would do. But devices like air-conditioners and more require a bigger inverter. Be careful as the cost of the inverter goes up along with the voltage capacity.
Check inverter’s specifications. The wide variety of inverters available, across a wider price bandwidth, checking the specifications is very important. Cheaper inverters may seem like they’re enough to keep small devices running. But they may simply not work given the hard and long duration of the Indian power cuts.
Check maintenance details. Though modern inverters require less maintenance, it is well worth the while to know what they are. Some inverter batteries need regular charging, some less. Some inverter batteries need topping up and other don’t. However the fact is unless each inverter is maintained as per instructions given, their efficiency could be compromised.