Archive for the 'Education' Category

11th Aug 2010

Safety Issues When Using a Power Inverter

When there is a power outage and you need electricity, few things can be as useful as a power inverter.  A properly used power inverter can power your electrical appliances in a safe and efficient manner allowing you to carry on with necessary appliances until your power has been restored.  Power inverters are simple to use and every home should have one for cases of emergency power outages.  However, while power inverters a very useful when used to correctly, they can also be dangerous and cause damages, injury or even death if they are not used in the proper fashion and with the utmost care.

When using a power inverter you must remember that you are handling electrical currents which can be very dangerous.  110 volts of power can be lethal to a human so it is very important that you are careful when handling these devices.  A 1000w inverter could produce a lethal shock if used incorrectly.  To make sure that no electrical shock is created and no damage is caused to any of your equipment or physically to yourself, you should follow these guidelines.

Keep the inverter on a flat surface, either vertically or horizontally mounted.   You should not install an inverter in the engine compartment of a vehicle because of dirt and oil contamination that could get into the inverter as well as the high temperature and gas fumes that are present inside the engine compartment.  Power inverters can occasionally cause a spark which could ignite or explode in the presence of fuel fumes.  Always make sure that the inverter itself as well as the devices you are using it with are dry and that no water can come into contact with the cables or devices.  You should keep the temperature around the converter between 50 and 80 degrees, so do not place the inverter near heat sources.  Also keep the inverter well ventilated so that heat created is properly dispersed.  Finally never use the inverter near flammable materials or fumes which could ignite due to a spark or from heat.

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