Emergency Power Cheap, Battery Inverter Use

Hurricane season is here and with it comes the potential need for emergency power. I don’t know about you but who has thousands of dollars to spend on a fancy generator? If you do that’s great and in another post I will describe step by step how to connect it to your home and save thousands in installation costs. But this posting is for us “poor folks” that have the same need without the disposable income.

Most of you already have what you will need to begin for Hurricane or even Ice storm preparation. Your car. Or boat, ATV, snowmobile, lawn mower; anything that has a combustible engine with a battery system for starting. The majority of all of these have a charging system that will keep your battery/s charged, and that my friends is the key to emergency power during or after a hurricane or winter storm.

All you need now is a simple inverter and some extension cords. Depending on your expected emergency power usage. I recommend you obtain at least a 200-watt inverter. These are easily obtained from just about anywhere for approximately $25.00. Inverters change 12 Volt DC electrical vehicle power into 115 Volt AC household current for emegency power. Now this inverter system will not power your entire home but it will provide emergency power for lighting, vital information systems (small TVs, Lap tops, radios ect.) and some small compact refrigerators.

If possible invest a little more money and obtain a larger capacity inverter. I have seen some inverters with up to a 5000-watt output but these are very expensive. Some cost as much as a generator. Ideally anywhere from 300 to 1500 watts will be enough for emergency power use. The consideration as to the size of your inverter is in your intended and expected use during a power outage caused by a Hurricane or storm.

The most important thing to do before you purchase an inverter is preplan what you would really need during a hurricane or storm induced power outage versus what you want to use. Some things you will just have to go without. You really don’t need that big screen TV or the air conditioner. But you will need some type of news and information reception. In the hotter climates you might need a fan. You will need emergency power for some lighting at night.

You must also be prepared to use alternate methods for your real “needs” food and water come immediately to mind. You should have a large cooler and at least an initial ice supply to store food. I keep at least two 10lbs. bags of ice in my freezer during the season for this purpose and some gallon jugs of water for drinking. For cooking have a grill, either propane or charcoal and at least an extra supply of fuel. Our last hurricane power outage lasted eight days. And with some very careful and conservative use we had no problems getting by. We didn’t even need more ice until the end of the third day. More on hurricane storm survival in another post.

So now you know you will not need emergency power for cooking and cooling we have to then consider what do we need to have to satisfy some of the, shall we call it, creature comforts. Lets start with emergency light. You can plug in a lamp or two, but if you do, change those light bulbs to low wattage lamps I would suggest a 15-watt. But if I were you I would use a string of small Christmas lights. They consume hardly any power, usually only about 50 watts or .4 amps and the string will eliminate the use of extension cords and distribute light over a much lager area. I typically have used two sets for emergency lights, one 100 light string for inside and one 50 light string for outside in my service area where the vehicle (power source) and cooking operation are set up. You usually do not need the outside lights on all the time only plug them in when you are out there. The key to battery powered consumption is conservation. If you are not using it turn it off and disconnect it.

With my set up (an 800 watt inverter) I can use a small 13” TV and/or DVD player or radio, keep my laptop charged for use and the lighting. I also keep my internet interface hub and wireless switch operational. With second and third inverters (500 watt ea.) I run floor fans to keep the air moving through the house.

I can use multiple inverters because I have multiple vehicles. Actually in my case I have a real advantage because I own a bass boat. Most boats have only one battery, some larger ones have two. My boat has four and a two charging systems, one from the engine and one from an electrical onboard charger. The advantage here is I can use an inverter connected in the truck and the inverter output will charge the four boat batteries through the onboard charger, at the same time with the truck running, the truck battery is charging. This gives me five batteries to work with, and when I connect the boat batteries in parallel making two sets I increase my battery amp hours. Which is the amount of time the batteries will last. If you have a boat it is a good idea to obtain an onboard charging system, this type of emergency usage is just an added bonus, but many a boat owner has heard the sound of that “click and no start” at the ramp, which will ruin what could be a perfect day. An onboard charger avoids this entirely.

The key in using this system is to be aware of your inverter and emergency power usage. You do not need your car running all the time like a generator has to run to be used. But you must monitor your battery output. Keeping a multimeter on hand and knowing how to use one is a good idea, but if you just pay attention an notice the lights dimming for example go out and start the vehicle and let it run. Batteries will typically take a full charge in about an hour. As a security precaution have two sets of keys and keep the car locked when running. Tip: when a Hurricane or storm is approaching your area fill all your vehicles fuel tanks.

Most inverters will just plug into a cigarette lighter or as they are now called today, power ports. And this is okay if you are using a smaller inverter. I really don’t like the idea of leaving the inverter in the vehicle for two reasons. One, inverters create heat and the potential for fire is apparent. If you do leave the inverter in the car place it on a noncombustible plate and insolate it from the carpet or seat fabric. A porcelain tile is a good idea. Two, if the inverter is in the car you have to route the extension cord through the door or window. Connection through the window (the safer method) exposes the interior of the car to the elements created by a hurricane, most storms are not over when the power goes out, and damage can occur. The method also lessens security of your vehicle; open windows can lead to a stolen vehicle. Connections through the doors can lead to worn insulation on extension cords, which can lead to fire, electrical shock or DEATH. A little item which I think should probably be avoided.

I prefer to connect my inverters directly to the battery inside the engine compartment by using large alligator clips. These clips can be purchased at any auto parts store. Some of the larger inverters will already have these attached; other inverters have eyelets to connect to the battery posts. The caution here is to place the inverter, the cables and the extension cords well away for any of the moving parts of the engine. The fan and belts come to mind. This by far is the best location for safety and protection for the weather.

After the Hurricane or storm passes the inverter can be placed below the engine. I keep mine on a milk crate just below the battery, which keeps it above the ground and out of any water that may be puddling that could cause electrical shock.

More safety tips, NEVER try to connect your inverter to your household circuitry! This will cause damage or a fire in your home and your vehicle. Inverted circuits must be kept isolated from normal power. Catastrophic damage will be created if you attempt to connect to your home to your inverter. DEATH may occur. NEVER use this system when connected to any combustible engine in a garage or enclosed space, carbon monoxide poisoning will occur and the DEATH of your entire family is possible, move all vehicles outside.

Correctly using this veritably inexpensive inverter system will keep you informed and reasonably comfortable. But always be aware of your use and conditions. This simple inverter system when applied correctly will get you through a tough time a little easier. Good Luck this season and hopefully you will never have to use this. But be prepared, have everything in place and handy before the power goes out. Remember most of the stores will be closed since they are also out of power and getting the things you need for this emergency power inverter system may be hard to get for days after a Hurricane or major storm.

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