Power outages are inevitable. They occur unannounced and are thus unavoidable. However, this doesn’t mean you have to sit around and wait to sit in darkness during a power outage.
You need to keep yourself prepared by investing in some great inverters. They provide continuous power to keep your gadgets and equipment powered even during a power outage.
However, you realize that there are so many types to select from when you embark on looking for your inverter. And one of the most common questions you find is if you want sine wave inverters or square wave inverters.
How inverters work
You can make a better choice once you understand how inverters work. Household electrical appliances run on alternating current or AC.
However, the battery in your inverter has stored direct current or DC. It’s the inverter’s job to convert the DC into usable AC when you use it.
This is the general working of inverters. However, if you look at its circuits, you realize that inverters convert DC to either square or sine wave AC.
When you compare the two, the sine wave inverter produces AC that’s very similar to the AC found in utility lines. It’s because this power is purer than square wave output that you have pure sine wave inverters.
So it’s natural that pure sine wave inverters are a better choice, especially for powering your sensitive equipment. Many European countries ban square wave inverters because it ends up heating the household devices it powers.
Differences between square and sine wave inverters
Here are the significant differences between these two inverter types:
a) Supported appliances
Inverters can be used to power different kinds of devices. Square wave inverters are a better choice for supporting only motors.
However, sine wave inverters are the right choice for supporting delicate household appliances like laptops, ovens, and refrigerators.
b) Safety levels
Of the two, the square wave inverters are not a reliable choice. They are, in fact, unsafe to use to power some appliances. On the contrary, sine wave inverters safely power most devices.
c) Amount of noise produced
Inverters are relatively less noisy than generators. However, they do make some noises. Of the two, the square wave inverters tend to make a lot of noise when used. Yet, sine wave inverters have minimal sounds. That’s why they are commonly used for providing emergency power in hospitals.
d) Cost
Square wave inverters are more noisy and unreliable, so they are cheaper than pure sine wave inverters. While sine wave inverters are more expensive, they safely power even costly equipment without much damage.
Modified sine wave inverters
For those of you who want the best of both inverters, you could take a look at modified sine wave inverters.
These are inverters that have a bit of square and sine wave inverter traits. They are better, more reliable, and safer than square wave inverters. And at the same time, they are more affordably priced than sine wave inverters.
However, though they are relatively safer than square wave inverters, modified sine wave inverters are better used to power only simple systems.
They do not support other devices like home automation systems, medical equipment, devices with silicon-controlled rectifiers, and photocopiers that well.
So if you are looking for inverters to power your sensitive equipment, it’s always safer and better to stick to only pure sine wave inverters.
If you are worried about costs, you don’t have to. With time, technological advancements will lead to a slow but sure drop-in sine wave inverters rates.
You won’t be surprised if these inverters will soon be affordable and accessible across the global market.
Don’t worry.
If you are unsure about which inverter to buy, your Exeltech consultant will be more than happy to guide you. They will find an inverter that fits your pocket and will safely and reliably power all your equipment.
