Power Inverters

I have a Jupiter 2000w from harbor freight. Been going strong for 3 months. Running a dorm room refrigerator, microwave and rice cooker. I keep the refrigerator plugged in 24/7 just unplug when I'm using the microwave then plug it back in. For the price I pay for it and the money I've saved not eating out the truckstop. It's well worth it. If it stop working I will upgrade to the 5000w. I have a video on my youtube channel (island trucker)

 

I’m researching this, and I have an electronics background. The 110 fridge I’m looking at uses 219 kWH/yr. Do the math it’s 27.8 watts. The microwave is 700W. My company allows up to a 1500W inverter. The power draw, even if you run a couple things at once, isn’t an issue. What I’m wondering is, for the fridge I’ll have to run the inverter 24/7. It cools itself with fans. How long is it going to run before my $150 inverter craps out?
What I’m thinking is get something like this
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H2U9DE4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vENyBbF32F224
and dedicate it to the fridge. If it fails, I’ll plug the fridge into the big boy and save the food.
(Maybe I could put the inverter in the fridge and it would make itself last forever? )

 

OK a few things, of you have a electronics background, then you will know what inrush or startup currents are.

You figure you need a surge current of 1.5 to 2 times the running current for many fridges but some will have as high as 4 times the running current depending on the age and capacitor value.

Second is the microwave, same situation, start up current has to be considered.

third the inverter you posted is a modified sinewave converter (which you know what that means) and is plain crap. It is a knock off of an American design that turned into a Chinese design that has flooded the market and pretty much a very noisy item.

On top of that, if your fridge is using the average wattage, that is 20 watts, then that would be at 120 volts (nominal output voltage without a full load) - 6 amps at the plug, then you have the inverter overhead which is up to 20% of the drawing current (you are using a cheap noisy inefficient inverter per your link), so that is 7 amps it is drawing at the battery side. This won't include a 1 to 2 amp draw with fans either. A lighter plug connection is pretty much asking for a fire.

Also if your company allowed you a 1500w inverter, then install it right.

That means no mickey mouse cabling. again 1500 watts is the operating wattage, at say 12 volts that is 125 amps which is within the range of a shut down truck but if it is running, then that can drop to 110 amps. However then there is a consideration about start up currents of things like microwaves, that 1500 watt may take a 2000 watt inrush and your cabling needs to be able to take it.

so as you know the cable has to be at least 2 ga, then you have to fuse both legs of the power at the battery to do it right.

 

There’s something I’m not understanding then. Surely that lighter outlet has at least a 10a fuse.
If you could run a fridge in a truck for $130, then truck fridges would probably cost $130.
The deal with the 1500w unit is I buy, the shop installs. I’ll buy quality and trust it to last.

 

@Ridgeline post is the reason I went generator/invertor route.

All this amp/watts this & that give me a headache. And I'm not a slow learner neither.

I have learned to accept that certain subjects are like rocket/brain surgery to me.

 

Might want to recheck those numbers. 20W at 120V is 166mA, not 6A.

 

OK let's see, yep your right, having a very bad day thinking.