using your car as emergency generator: safe ba?

[badkuk]

i hope some resident engineers can help out...

i've seen a few DIY pages explaining how to do this -- i.e. run car, plug in DC to AC inverter, plug appliances. Just curious:

-- Is it safe to do so, for extended periods of time(e.g. >24 hours)?

-- how can you tell how many watts the car can produce at idle? Would revving the engine pump up the wattage? This is different from the rated hp(which refers to the mechanical power) of an engine right?

-- most examples i see mention pretty lightweight devices: laptops, cell chargers, etc. Can you safely plug in appliances with motors(fans)? i think it's wishful thinking that you can plug in even a small A/C or ref?

[niky]

i hope some resident engineers can help out...

i've seen a few DIY pages explaining how to do this -- i.e. run car, plug in DC to AC inverter, plug appliances. Just curious:

-- Is it safe to do so, for extended periods of time(e.g. >24 hours)?

-- how can you tell how many watts the car can produce at idle? Would revving the engine pump up the wattage? This is different from the rated hp(which refers to the mechanical power) of an engine right?

-- most examples i see mention pretty lightweight devices: laptops, cell chargers, etc. Can you safely plug in appliances with motors(fans)? i think it's wishful thinking that you can plug in even a small A/C or ref?

Ref, definitely not.

The regular car-type inverters I've seen on the market aren't durable enough to run anything beyond a cellphone or laptop for extended periods of time. And it's a waste of gas... having an 80-140 hp engine powering a laptop charger when a simple 3-5 hp generator can run so much more on much less gas. (and even those small gasoline generators should not be used for such long periods of time)

[erick_214]

Pwede mong gawin yun bakit hindi?

Ganyan ang ginagawa ko pag walang kuryente although madalang naman

mawalan ng kuryente. I have a van w/c has a diesel engine so walang

problema sa akin yung presyo ng gas. Kung gusto mong maglaptop at

magcharge ng batt ng CP pwede ka bumili ng maliit ng inverter siguro mga

100watts pwede na yun pang laptop at pangcharge ng batt ng CP mo kahit

hindi mo buksan yung engine mo ng 1hour ewan ko lang kung kaya ng batt

mo yung aking kasi kaya. Pwede ka pa bumili ng mas mataas ng inverter

let's say mga 500 watts para paganahin yung ilang ilaw sa house nyo

huwag lang yung ref...Pwede yun sa mga ilaw, tv, electricfan...Syempre

tandaan mo na lang na mas mataas yung load eh mas mabilis ma-drain

yung battery ng kotse mo so dapat paandarin mo yung engine mo...Kung

itatap mo sa MAIN LINE ng house mo yung wire galing sa inverter make

sure na ibaba mo yung switch para putol yung supply galing sa meralco

para kung sakaling magkailaw eh hindi masisira yung inverter mo...

Maraming nabibiling klase ng inverter, mayroon 100W, 500W, 1000W at

may 2000W pa ata...Pero kung 1000W pataas eh huwag mo na i-plug sa

cigarette jack mo yung inverter...I-modify mo na lang ito para pwede mong

i-tap sa battery mo...Syempre gamit ka ng mas makapal na electric wire

para doon para safe...Syempre pag matutulog na mas maganda kung patayin

at disconnect mo na lang lahat para mas

safe talaga pero pwde mo pa rin gamitin ng 24 hours yun kung gusto mo

yun nga lang malakas yan sa gaso...Yung akin kasi pag ginagawa ko yun

eh tinatanggal ko bago matulog...

[niky]

You can't run a car inverter for 24 hours because the puny electronics and wiring aren't built to run for that long. It's the same reason you can't run a cheap emergency generator bought at ACE hardware for very long periods of time... they're designed for light duty and emergency use... not for 24 hour use.

And idling for hours isn't good for your car, and deep discharging a car battery is a good way to shorten its service life.

Easiest for long brownouts is to have a portable generator that you turn on every few hours just to charge stuff with and run lights on. Safest is to buy a larger diesel generator.

[erick_214]

You can't run a car inverter for 24 hours because the puny electronics and wiring aren't built to run for that long. It's the same reason you can't run a cheap emergency generator bought at ACE hardware for very long periods of time... they're designed for light duty and emergency use... not for 24 hour use.

And idling for hours isn't good for your car, and deep discharging a car battery is a good way to shorten its service life.

Easiest for long brownouts is to have a portable generator that you turn on every few hours just to charge stuff with and run lights on. Safest is to buy a larger diesel generator.

That's the best thing to do if you have enough money and if brownouts are
regular everyday.

[yapoy86]

mura lang naman yung china na generator.. mga 3k to 5k meron ka na.. 1 liter of gasoline per 1 hour depende sa load.. yung sa amin yung mumurahin lang 5k pa bili namin mga 2 years ago.. ok naman at nagamit namin nung mga nagdaang bagyo..

yung 950 watts generator can run a sony 21 inch TV, 180 watts ground fan and 2 fluorescent lamps...

[CVT]

Bro.,- I'd still recommend that you use a generator for this purpose.... That is what it was made for....

10.9K:lotsocoffee:

[harold13]

delikado ata yan bro. it was not made for that purpose.`

[normanenoza]

you also have to consider the amperage (Amps) the inverter can support not just the wattage.

[CVT]

Pero, years ago,- brownout sa amin the whole night (as scheduled),- nagpa-full tank ako ng sasakyan,- well-ventilated naman ang garahe namin. Sa loob kami ng sasakyan natulog (running engine and A/C)....

10.9K:lotsocoffee: