What Is An Inverter Generator Used For?

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Discover what an inverter generator is used for so you can figure out whether this is the right generator type for your situation.

Inverter generators are mainly used for situations where you use sensitive electronics and/or want to keep noise levels down.

That means inverter generators are used for things like camping, tailgating, home backup power, food trucks, outdoor events, and much more.

If you look more closely at what an inverter generator is, you will also notice that these are basically always portable machines.

In turn, you get the flexibility of using an inverter generator for multiple of the purposes above.

The main purposes of inverter generators

While there are other advantages of inverter generators too, it is fair to say the clean THD power and quieter noise levels are two of the main purposes.

Low THD levels help you avoid damaging and/or speeding up wear and tear of sensitive electronics like a TV, phone, and certain refrigerators.

Quieter noise levels make the generator experience more convenient for you and the people around you.

This can be especially useful for situations like a camping where there are noise level limits.

Additionally, inverter generators are basically always portable which can be useful too.

More specifically, you can use inverter generators in a variety of locations for a variety of purposes.

Even if you don’t plan to travel with your RV across the US, being able to use your machine for both tailgating and a DIY session is a nice benefit.

What can you run off an inverter generator?

With the low THD levels, you can run basically anything off an inverter generator as long as it can generate enough starting watts, running watts, amps, and volts for the devices.

This applies to mini fridges, battery chargers, a TV, a microwave, a welder, a coffee machine, a radio, and much more.

You basically want to measure/figure out how much power your setup requires.

After that, you want to get the right size of inverter generator or choose fewer/smaller electrical devices until your current machine can handle the setup.

Examples of when to use an inverter generator

As you can expect, there are many examples of when you can use an inverter generator. Some of these include:

  • (RV) Camping
  • Tailgating
  • Home backup power
  • Food trucks
  • Outdoor events
  • Mobile detailing
  • Off-grid living

In short, in basically any situation where you want to power sensitive electronics and/or keep the noise levels down, you can use an inverter generator.

For situations like a construction site, inverter generators tend to be less essential.

However, even in cases like this, you could still use an inverter generator to get extra power if you have one anyway.

FAQ

Can an inverter generator power a refrigerator?

An inverter generator can power a refrigerator if it produces enough watts, amps, and volts for the device.

To run a refrigerator, you generally want to go for an inverter generator that can produce at least 2200 peak watts.

Can an inverter generator run an air conditioner?

Whether an inverter generator can run an air conditioner depends on the capacity of the generator and the power needs of the AC.

More specifically, you want to figure out how many watts, amps, and volts your air conditioner needs and find an inverter generator that can produce these amounts with a margin of safety.

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Author:

Mats is the founder and head editor of Generator Decision. With a combination of critical thinking, tireless research, and a healthy interest in electronics he helps people find the right generators and how to use these. At this point in the journey, Mats has done research on hundreds of portable generators.