Life becomes much easier during the power outage if you have a generator, and if the generator is portable and makes very minimum noise, then it will be the best companion to easily carry along to the camping site to recharge your electronics. These all advantages are offered by the inverter generators.
In this article, we have discussed the pros and cons of inverter generator, the areas in which they are good, and where they lack something compared to conventional generators.
Pros of Inverter Generator
Inverter generators have many advantages, which we have listed down below. If you want to know more about inverter generators then read this article.
1. Cleaner Power Potential
The major advantage of inverter generators over a conventional generator is their capability to deliver pure and clean AC power, and they will have a harmonic content of less than 5%. This means it is highly suitable to charge your electronics.
As you know, electronics like mobile phones and laptops have become an integral part of our life. They need to keep working all the time, so the power through which you charge them must be clean with tolerable harmonics and free from spikes to protect their delicate circuits. For that, inverter generators are a great choice.
If there are spikes and the power is not clean, then it can reduce the lifetime of other appliances as well.
2. Parallel Mode
Another impressive advantage of inverter generators is their parallel capability. Most of the inverter generator comes with it, and it means you can connect two or more generators in parallel to increase the power output when the single generator is not enough.
The connection makes it possible to increase the power output when there is a need. But, when you don’t need that extra power, you can take it off and store the alternative generator.
It will keep the generator portable when you don’t have much power, compared to one larger one. Even if you need more power at the distance site, then it will be easy to handle two small generators than one big generator.
Their ability can come in handy in emergencies, but not all of them come with the parallel capability, so ensure that your has.
3. Fuel Efficiency
The inverter generators are very fuel-efficient compared to conventional generators. The reason behind this fuel efficiency is the ability of inverter generators to run at variable speed rather than the constant speed as the conventional generators do.
Conventional generators run at a constant speed to maintain the frequency constant, but the working mechanism of the inverter generator allows them to run at different speeds based on the load connected at the output terminals.
If you are powering less equipment, then the generator will only use that fuel to maintain the speed for that particular load.
4. More Portability
The inverter generators are not designed to provide more power because they consist of conversion stages. The stages involve the electronics which can handle voltage up to a certain limit.
It is possible, but the size and the cost of the unit increase steeply. So the regular generators generate less power compared to the conventional generators, and also, they are fuel-efficient, so for the same runtime, the fuel for the inverter generator will be less compared to the conventional generators.
This means they will have smaller fuel tanks, which significantly reduces the size and weight of the unit. Also, the handle and the wheels, if there are, will increase the portability even more.
5. Quieter Operations
Another major win of the inverter generators is their noise level, and they really run quietly. The noise level of the inverter generator stays inside the level of 50 to 60 dB.
The reason being the use of special mufflers, and the casing absorbs the sound of the engine quite well. Moreover, the engines in inverter generators don’t work that intensely like conventional generators. The noise of the inverter generator reduces when the load connected to it reduces.
Inverter generators don’t maintain the constant speed. If the load decreases, the speed also decreases, and so the noise level.
Cons of Inverter Generator
The inverter generators also have some disadvantages, which we have described below.
1. Associated Costs
The features and the convenience you get from an inverter generator are worth the price. They run smoother with less noise and clean power and offer a better fuel economy than conventional generators. But all this comes with the enhanced price tag.
Conventional generators will cost you less, but the thing about them is that they require more frequent maintenance and lack the features and advantages the inverter generators provide. So, we suggest inverter generators over conventional generators.
2. Lower Power Output
Inverter generators are great power sources with so many advantages, but they aren’t as powerful as conventional generators. They can’t provide the power that you get from conventional generators.
They are small and compact, which makes them easily portable, but in terms of power generation, they don’t cut the line.
You can run a few small appliances using the inverter generator, but if you want to power the larger appliances like air conditioning units, then you will not have to consider the conventional generators.
As mentioned, these generators come with parallel capability, so you can always have two inverter generators of the same power rating and can connect them in parallel to get more power.
Conclusion
Inverter generators have their advantages and disadvantages, which we have just gone over. They are small and easy to carry anywhere, they produce very little noise and offer excellent fuel economy. But, they are not that powerful and cost more initially.