Home inverters have become an inevitable part of our lives. And whether you blame it on the rising summer temperatures or the need for people to be able to work, seamlessly, from home, the fact is that life without home inverters is unimaginable. However, simply buying a home inverter is not enough. One also needs to make sure that the home inverter we buy is reliable enough and that we can completely depend on it during a power outage. If you don’t have a home inverter already and are planning to buy one, or are thinking of upgrading your old inverter with a new inverter battery combo here are a few factors that will help you select the right inverter for your home.
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Home Inverter Price
When buying an inverter you must compare the price of home inverters from different brands. But make sure you don’t buy an inverter just because it’s cheaper. Instead, look or an inverter that is value for money. Make sure it has all the features that you would need in an inverter. Last but not least, don’t hesitate in spending a few extra bucks for a home inverter that offers better quality or has important features that are worth it.
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VA Rating (or Power Rating)
VA Rating (or the inverter capacity) of a home inverter is the power it can supply. It is measured in VA (Volt Ampere). In order to buy an inverter with the right VA Rating, you first need to calculate your power requirement. Here’s the formula for calculating VA Rating
Power supplied (or VA rating of an inverter) = Power requirement (watts) / Power factor
The value of the power factor lies anywhere between 0.65 – 0.8.
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Technology (or waveform of output power)
Inverters can be divided into three main types based on the waveform of output power they deliver. They are as follows – square wave, modified sine wave, and pure sine wave. Your choice of the type of inverter would depend on the type of appliances that you need to run and the nature of usage. By nature of usage, we mean whether it is being used on an emergency basis or on a continuous one.
So let’s say if you want to run lights and fans only, a square wave inverter is fine. However, if you want to run devices like a personal computer, TV, etc then you should use a modified sine wave inverter. The pure sine wave inverters can run all kinds of loads. As they are the most expensive, out of the three types, they are recommended only for those households that need to run sensitive electronic equipment.
Based on the waveform of the output AC power inverters deliver, they can be categorized into three main types –
- Square wave
- Modified sine wave (also known as a quasi-sine wave)
- Sine wave (also known as a pure sine wave).
Out of the three inverter types mentioned above, pure sine wave inverters are considered the best as they deliver a superior waveform that matches the waveform that we receive from the utility grid. Also, sine wave inverters make minimal noise and are ideal for running voltage-sensitive appliances. Sine wave inverters are, therefore, more expensive as compared to square wave and quasi-sine wave inverters. Square wave inverters require minimum circuitry and are, therefore, cheaper.
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Features
The market is swarmed with inverters of different brands. How do you choose the one that’s right for you? Well, you can compare the inverters based on the exclusive features that they have to offer. Buy one that offers the most unique features. Inverters from reputable brands like Luminous India offer several unique features. Some of the most notable ones are – digital display (that shows backup time and remaining charge) Intelligent battery charging mechanism, intuitive designs, advanced battery management (that helps enhance battery life up to 70%), high over-load handling capacity, low maintenance, and more.
Last Few Words
It goes without saying that one of the most important factors when buying an inverter is the brand that you choose. It is important because the warranty of your product and the kind of after-sales support you get depends on which brand you choose. If you want to buy the best inverter, we recommend that you choose to go with one of India’s best inverter brands, Luminous India. They are one of the most popular names in the power solutions space and trusted by millions across the country.