Maybe your car suddenly stopped to start. That can be a problem with the battery or the inverter. An inverter is used to convert the current to an alternating current (AC) from a direct current (DC).
The inverter that is used in the car converts the DC current source into an AC current source. There are so many cables that can connect an inverter with a battery. You can connect your inverter with another car’s battery and start your engine. However, can jumper cables be used in an inverter?
According to NEC ( National Electrical Code), aluminum and copper-clad aluminum main bonding jumper cables can be used in inverters. Jumper wires are wires that have two clips at the two ends. There are many jumper cables but you should only use these two because these are certified and the probability of an accident happening is low. The other cables are not banned but you should use the safe one.
Jumper cable is one of the wires that can be used in inverters but there are so many more. Before using cables for your inverter you should know about some other topics. That will definitely help you to find the right choice. These pieces of information can save you from many accidents. To know more about cables and the inverter, continue reading.
Table of Contents
What is a jumper cable?
A jumper cable is a cable that has clips at the two ends. Jumper cables are also known as “booster cables”. It has an inner layer of copper or aluminum or copper-clad aluminum and an outer layer of rubber. It is able to flow current. If the one end of the cable is connected with a positive side then the other part should also be connected with the positive side or else it could be dangerous or there can be an accident.
At the same time, another cable will connect the two negative sides of the two devices. The capacity of current flow is quite good in jumper cables. The capacity range is between 150 Ampere and 1000 Ampere.
What cables are used for inverters?
The cables that have good conductivity and have the ability to reduce resistance can be used in the inverters. The size of the cable is not fixed. It depends on the current flow. If the current flow is big then you should use thick cables. There are two methods that are popular for the number of cables.
One is known as the American numbering system and another one is used worldwide. In the American style, they use decimal numbers to understand the size of the wire whereas, in the other method, people use AWG after a number.
Among all the cables, the most used cable is four AWG in 800 to 1200 Watt inverters. A short cable can be found included in smaller inverters. Before using these cables, you should know how long the cables will be there. Besides, you should also know how many watts you will flow through the cables. To calculate the watts that you need use this formula: W= V*A ( Here V=Voltage and A=Ampere).
What will happen if the cable burns down?
Two causes are found for the burning cables. One of the reasons is producing heat and the other one is a loose connection. If the cable is not connected properly then it can cause an accident because, from the loose connection, there will be friction and friction will cause heat and then the heat will turn into fire.
That is why always make sure if the connection is alright or not. Besides, the cables can produce heat if the cable is not able to carry the current of the inverter. If the current flow of the cable is more than the capacity of the cable then the wire will burn down and that can be a cause of the accident. That is why using the right cable or selecting the cable according to the capacity of the current is also very important.
You can take a step to be safe from any accidents. You can connect the battery with an inverter through a fuse. Fuses are very useful. If the current flow is more than the capacity then the fuse melts and disconnects the system. That is why accidents can be prevented if you use fuses in the connection.
What are the types of inverters?
There are three types of inverters available in the market. One is known as Sine Wave Inverter, another is Modified Sine Wave Inverter and the last type is Square Wave Inverter. People use the type that is suitable for them. They all have different working methods.
Sine Wave Inverter
This inverter is also known as a “pure sine wave inverter”. A Sine Wave Inverter is directly connected to a battery. The DC current of the battery is converted to an AC source when the inverter works properly. In this inverter, the produced AC current almost creates a sine wave.
It is the current that we use in our home. The inverter of our home transforms the DC current into the AC current that we use from the wall outlet. Usually, the generator and power distributing company’s current remain in DC form and the Sine Wave Inverter makes them usable.
Most of the electronic devices we use require an AC source and the Sine Wave Inverter is the main reason for getting AC current. There is one disadvantage of this inverter. It is quite costly. Rather than that, it is very good to use. Here is a sample of a good Sine Wave Inverter. Click here to check the product.
Modified Sine Wave Inverter
Modified Sine Wave Inverters are used in simple electronic devices because Sine Wave Inverters have a big fluctuation wave. The devices that cannot tolerate the fluctuation can be damaged. That is why the Modified Sine Wave Inverter was invented.
In this inverter, the polarity switches from positive to negative. This device is used especially in lights. There are some other devices that also require this type of inverter which have less sensation. The source of the power is also a battery in this inverter. This is very cheap to use.
People who are very worried about their bills can use this device. Modified Sine Wave Inverter is also used in cars. There is one problem. This inverter wave has no upper limit. That is why the inverter behaves unpredictably. To get a good quality product for your car, click here.
Square Wave Inverter
Square Wave Inverters are a special type of inverters. They are used to convert solar power into alternating current (AC). It is the simplest inverter among these three. This inverter has a large number of high harmonics. That is why this device cannot be used in every replacement of the Sine Wave Inverter. Besides, Square Wave Inverters are not safe to use. There is another problem with this inverter that it makes a sound when it works and that is very annoying.
Conclusion
Inverters are very important in our day-to-day life. However, people have already faced so many problems and accidents with these inverters. That is why these pieces of information about inverters should be known by people.
The jumper cables are very helpful for inverters. They can know about the right cables for inverters by reading this article and also they can know about the types of inverters that will help them to choose the correct inverters. If people use inverters using this knowledge hopefully they can avoid accidents.