Is It Bad If An Inverter Is Always On?

**we87** · 06-27-2006, 05:01 AM

If I wire my PC up to an inverter, and have my inverter ALWAYS ON, is that bad? I dont think it drains my battery since I ran it over night (12+ hours) and my car started in the morning with no issues at all... My battery level on my gauges was normal and everything...

Because if my inverter is always on, then I can just have a relay hit my power button on my PC when the ignition is set to ON, and hit the power button again when the ignition is set to OFF... Yes?

Thanks in advance for any help...

**Nomader** · 06-27-2006, 05:30 AM

I think it really deppends on how you wire it up..
if it is connected to the LIVE (directlly to the car batt.) then it will eventually drain your power.. an inverter is like any other tranformer.. when it is plugged and not used half of the circuit is in use (correct me someone if I am wrong).
I bet it even gets a little hot when it is plugged and not used...heat=energy=power from battery..

**DarquePervert** · 06-27-2006, 07:22 AM

It will eventually drain the battery, yes.....

**MatrixPC** · 06-27-2006, 10:36 AM

Other than running down the battery, nothing really bad about leaving it on.
Well, it's always better not to have a live 110V wire laying in the car.

**DarquePervert** · 06-27-2006, 11:03 AM

<SARCASM> But live wires are such FUN! </SARCASM>

**Maheriano** · 06-27-2006, 03:54 PM

Why don't you just run the power to your fuse panel? It takes 2 minutes.

**we87** · 06-27-2006, 04:40 PM

Thanks guys for the replies...

The way I see it is your going to have a live wire when the car is moving anyway, so why not have it when the car isnt moving at all... That would be safer, yes? But either way, i get your points....

A question though: I have a car alarm installed, doesnt that take power aswell? I mean I would think that the tiny fan on the inverter wouldnt draw that much power... I would have to compare it to my alarm if anything....

Also, I dont want to run it to the fuse block because I am trynig to figure out ways to bypass a SDC basically... The only SDC that I have found that would work with an inverter properly is the "Ghetto SDC" in the FAQ area, and I dont like the way it is set up. So I am trying to figure out other ways of doing what I need my carputer to do: startup and shutdown with key.

Either way, thanks for the input

**Maheriano** · 06-27-2006, 04:42 PM

What's a SDC?

**DarquePervert** · 06-27-2006, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by Maheriano

What's a SDC?

Shutdown Controller.
For future reference, there's a glossary in teh FAQ Emporium: FAQ: Glossary of Terms

**Maheriano** · 06-27-2006, 06:58 PM

It's called an add-a-circuit. It's a fuse with a wire going into it, specifically designed for wire-fuse input. And the fuse has a fuse holder on the back of it, so the fuse slot you're using can be occupied by both the fuse that came out of there and the wire you're feeding into there. I'm using one, it takes 2 minutes.