Real Life Examples

by Inverters R Us Customer K Frost: My set-up is a simple solar powered inverter system to supply electricity to my house. I live in a remote area on a Caribbean island, and there is no power available, except what you provide yourself! Over the years, I have gone from no power at all to: power through an extension cord from someone else's system (and frequent power-outs) to: finally my own system! I purchased a 3300W Spartan Power Pure Sine Wave Inverter from InvertersR Us. Originally, I had ordered another brand in 3000W. But when it was sold out, Inverters R Us substituted the Spartan at no extra cost. I was very thankful and impressed by the customer service, and the inverter has been working like a dream. (I carried it into my country of residence by suitcase!) My set-up is probably one of the most basic (and affordable) possible: solar panels (6 panels, 176 Watt) , inverter (Spartan 3300W Pure Sine Wave Inverter), charge controller (Outback Flex-Max 60 amp), batteries (8 batteries, Trojan 6V deep-cycle). That's it (besides wires and circuit panel, of course). No fancy stuff. The electrical wiring in my house is ordinary. I use LED light bulbs to reduce power usage. The biggest pull on my system is the refrigerator (Refrigeration changed my life, people.). I also run an iron on it occasionally, and a water pump. It's working so well, I may try a small chest freezer! Really, that's all I know how to tell you. I'm not very electrically savvy. Someone else told me what I needed and installed the system for me. Poor soul--they tried to explain all the watts, amps, and volts to me more than once or twice. But despite all their efforts, I'm not much more of an electrician. I'm just a happy girl who lives in a house in the middle of nowhere with electricity!   Inverters R Us comment: A very clean, simple setup that works flawlessly for Ms. Frost, she should be able to enjoy her new found power for years to come! To learn more about the inverter in this post, follow that link.

This Inverters R Us customer made a pretty sweet mobile emergency power station, check it out and let us know what you think! Customer: This is an AIMS PWRIG300012120S 3000W pure sine wave inverter mounted on a hand truck supplied by a DEKA Marine master heavy duty deep cycle battery. It has a voltmeter, USB charge port and a 12 volt auxiliary switched port to attach LED lights. The 3000 watt power inverter is designed as a mobile rapid deploy emergency power source for power outages. It can power a sump pump, refrigerator, forced air propane heater or fireplace fan. It is also suitable for powering a computer, modem, base communications and other frequency sensitive equipment that a modified sine wave power inverter may not be suited for. It is staged with a GFCI cord , various extension cords, a set of jumper cables and a 12 volt 6000k LED light bar for area lighting. The mobile cart can be wheeled to a specific room or setup outdoors with a tarp covering as needed. Additional things I like about this emergency mobile setup:

• The hand truck makes the heavy battery easy to move.
• The added voltmeter indicates battery voltage for remaining power.
• The whole setup is silent in operation and reliable.
• The USB port can charge cell phones or power diagnostic equipment.

  Inverters R Us Comment: We have seen many mobile emergency power setups before in the past which were usually mounted onto a plastic or steel mobile cart, but never one utilizing a hand truck.  The hand truck certainly makes moving the mobile power inverter setup a bit nimbler while not sacrificing the ease of carrying the heavy battery. We love the additional GFCI outlet, extension cords, light bar and jump cables he added. If you would like more information regarding a setup like this, give one on our expert inverter technicians a call today at 866-419-2616!

“The western U.S. has some of the most enjoyable, breathtaking geothermal hot springs on Earth. My husband and I partially moved here because of our love for finding remote hot-spring destinations within Nevada and the surrounding states. The resorts are OK, but we prefer finding a hidden gym where we can camp and have the hot spring all to ourselves. Out in the great wide open, it’s nice to have a power inverter to make camping more comfortable.”

-Jennifer P., Carson City, Nevada

Soaking in a natural hot spring has incredibly rejuvenating benefits. The natural minerals and high temperatures do wonders for the body and mind. The feeling after a couple days of periodic soaking is entirely refreshing. The combination of being far away from the hustle and bustle, getting under the stars on a clear night and having a mineral-rich hot spring all to ourselves … well there’s nothing quite like it. My husband and I are in our early 30s, which means we are just a little past the portion of our lives in which we were fine sleeping on the hard ground in cold tents. We’ve updated our camping gear to make our trips really rewarding. When it comes to sleeping arrangements, we have a large tent with a blowup, queen-sized airbed. We also plug in a heated blanket on cold nights and couldn’t be more snuggly. (Note, when using a heated blanket, make sure it’s compatible with the type of power inverter you’re using. Not all power inverters are created equal). The power inverter we bring with us helps with the electric pump and the heated electric blanket. We also plug in a small lamp and set it on a folding table for games and mealtime. Speaking of eating, we love the convenience of crockpot cooking and have for some time. I’ll pull all kinds of goodies from the cooler we packed and throw them all in the crockpot while we are away on day hikes exploring. When we get back to camp, we sit in the warm water for a soak and our campsite smells delicious. Just FYI, we don’t use the crockpot if we are in the mountains anywhere near bear territory, which would be an open invitation to have our camp raided by hungry bears. Having power at our campsites lets us really settle into a place for a few nights. We have our hot spring, our “kitchen” area with the table and cooking gadgets, our “master bedroom” with our cozy bed, and our truck-bed storage box where we keep our clothes, hiking gear, games and more. If you’ve never camped beside a natural hot spring, do so immediately. And, take our advice: go for a few nights and take a power source—we recommend a quiet and reliable power inverter from Inverters R Us!

“Hauling water from one of our three ponds to the cages of our animals was a serious pain. If our kids had gotten in trouble recently, it was easy to give them that daily chore, but when it’s on my shoulders, I’d much rather use an electric pump.”

-Ken W., Claremore, Oklahoma.

We live on a 20-acre farm about 15 miles north of Tulsa, Oklahoma. When we built our home 22 years ago, we had the builders dig out 3 ponds on our property. With the amount of rain we get annually, the ponds stay full (or even overflowing) most years. It’s nice to have natural water to give to our farm animals rather than having to pull from our well. As our farm started growing, I quickly knew that hauling buckets of water to the various animal cages was going to become more and more tedious. The cows and horses have one of the ponds within their five-acre fence. But the pigs, pheasants, chickens, turkeys, peacocks, guineas and llamas all need to be watered every other day, at least, during the summer. I started using a beat-up, gas-powered pump from a neighbor as I was putting together a rudimentary watering system with hoses running to each of the cages. However, it was a pain to start and sputtered out about halfway through the job usually. Not enjoying my experience with the gas-powered setup, I moved to an electric pump. All of the cages are pretty far from our house so we aren’t disturbed by the sounds (and smells) of all the animals. Running a series of extension cords isn’t an option for getting power to the pump. I bought a power inverter last summer from Inverters R Us and rigged up a system that works easily for me. We have a couple of four-wheelers in the barn (one for the kids to play with and one for farm work). I have a box on the back that stores the power inverter and battery; this box keeps the setup dry in the rain. Then I have a small rack next to the box for when I need to strap on the water pump and go to the next pond. I keep plastic hosing going to each cage and it’s as simple as hooking the pump to the pond hose and then attaching the correct hose leading to each animal cage. The only thing I have to watch for is the animals knocking the hose from the fitting over their water troughs; the pigs are notorious for this, so I keep moving it higher and higher on the fence. I’ve been using this setup for about 8 months now with no issues. Plus, now that I have invested in the power inverter and battery, I think I’ll work next at rigging something that lets me thaw the trough water for the animals during the frigid winter months, like now. For this, I’m still resorting to a pickaxe and hammer to break the top layer of ice each day. This method gets pretty miserable, but as long as one of our teenage boys continues to get in trouble periodically, I can punish them with this labor-intensive chore; it’s good for their character.

You can’t find the ghosts without the right equipment. And once you find them, you can’t document them if all of your recording equipment is out of power. I’m not willing to take any chances, so I always carry a power inverter on my outings.”

-Ron H., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  From a series of digital video and audio recorders to motion sensors and electromagnetic field detectors, my team uses a lot of gear on our ghost hunts. Unlike the TV shows that make their money by providing drama and convincing advertisers to buy spots, we ghost-hunt only as a hobby for ourselves. Therefore, what counts to us is catching something on record; that’s what lights us up. The destinations we travel to include abandoned mine shafts, ghost towns, old railroad yards, decommissioned hospitals and prisons, ancient churches and other desolate locations. Most of the places we hunt for ghosts are far away from functioning power outlets. Since we have so much electronic equipment with short battery life, we need to be close to reliable power. Dragging a bulky gas-powered generator is not appropriate for what we do, as you can imagine. So, we’ve fashioned a mobile cart that has a high capacity pure sine wave power inverter and three deep-cycle batteries connected to one another, otherwise called a “parallel.” This compact cart comes in handy when we are traveling down a narrow mine shaft or trying to navigate the attic of an old building without having it collapse. Having this reliable source of power allows us to focus on our mission instead of worrying when the next time we’ll be able to recharge the batteries in our equipment. There’s a lot to juggle while out on a hunt, so the fewer things we have to worry about, the better. With our power inverter, all we have to remember before we head out is to fully charge the three deep-cycle batteries. Other than that, there’s no maintenance, no gasoline to purchase and nothing to forget. We love what we do and we love being able to focus on what excites us rather than whether or not our equipment will work. This is the hobby we chose and we’re always looking for ways to make it more enjoyable. One major way was purchasing the power inverter and letting go of the worry of not having power. From now on, we’ll always have power … as long as we don’t forget to recharge the batteries before our trip. If so, we might find ourselves in a compromising situation when our electric lights go out.

A customer of Inverters R Us recently wrote us and shared his power inverter setup. He uses the Cobra CPI-2590 inverter to power the entire cabin and a water pump. If you would like to share YOUR inverter setup with us, please use this form and we will send you a $10 Starbucks card for your efforts!  If you have any questions about the Cobra 2500 watt mentioned in the example below, please don't hesitate to contact us today!   The System is located in the high sierra of Baja, Mexico in a very remote location. Power inverter is a Cobra 2500 watt modified sine wave unit with a MorningStar 45 amp MPPT charge controller. The equipment is mounted in a weather proof cabinet outside on a wall under a large overhanging eve just above the battery bank. A remote on-off switch is located inside the house as is an extension USB cable. The inverter powers the cabin, submersible water pump and has provided energy to complete the construction of the interior of the dwelling. It has remarkably powered worm drive, heavy duty saws, rotary hammer drills, charged cordless power tools and all manner of finish carpentry power tools. I am very impressed with the durability and quality of the machine and highly recommend it. This is the 4th such installation in the past year. Cobra rocks!

“We sell our electronic wood-pellet grills at shows all over the country and we don’t always know if we will have access to electricity, so we always bring our power inverter.” -Michael D.Z., Wichita, Kansas

We developed a BBQ that grills meat and vegetables and produces flavors people have likely never experienced before: slow-cooked spare ribs that melt off the bone, whole juicy chickens that produce enticing aromas and cedar-plank salmon that makes non-seafood lovers fall for fish. Our small wood-pellet grills use electricity to feed the wood pellets into the fire, regulate heat and present LED displays. Our audience of potential buyers can be found at fairs, home-and-garden shows, boat shows, cookout events and farmers markets. We travel a lot to be a part of these shows and markets, and we see a lot of different types. If it’s a show we’ve never done before, we don’t always know how accessible power will be. Or, even worse, sometimes the coordinators charge extra for power. So, we always bring our own power inverters. When people approach our booth, they expect two things: 1. To see how our grill works. 2. Free food. If we don’t have power, we can’t show off our grills. We wouldn’t be able to fill the area with delicious smells and captivate the hungry stomachs of those who pass by. No one is going to buy a grill if they can’t see how it works or taste some flavorful food grilled on it. It’s one thing to talk about how great something is; it’s quite another to let them smell, see and taste it. With our power inverters, we can hook up normal deep-cycle batteries and have mobile power wherever we go. The power from our pure sine power inverters provide us with electricity that’s nearly identical to the electricity that comes out of electrical outlets. It’s easy as can be. We simply make sure our batteries have a full charge before we head out, then we set up our booth so we can plug right into the power inverters, which are converting power from the batteries. Because we like to have multiple grills spread out (so we can cook different dishes simultaneously for our audience), we elected to go with multiple power inverters; we bought two. Each of them pulls from it’s own battery bank. We could have ran a  larger bank of batteries with one power inverter with a higher capacity, but we decided against it in case we needed to do two separate shows on the same day. If that’s the case, we can both take one inverter. If the show provides power, we simply leave the power inverters in the trailer. After all, if free power is available from the show, we’re going to us it!

Power for Our Ice Fishing Cabin Without the Fumes and Noise  “Winters in Minnesota may be frigid cold, but that doesn’t stop the fish from biting. Our ice-fishing cabin has been in our family for 35 years. Getting out there lets you get away from it all, which is incredible … as long as the cabin stays warm and the Minnesota Wild games play on the TV.”

-Matt S., Mahnomen, Minnesota

  Our ice-fishing cabin is located on the west side of the Lake of the Woods, between Long Point—in the United States—and Buffalo Point—in Canada. During the summer the lake melts and we drag the cabin on “skis” back to dry land until the next deep freeze hits. My father and grandfather built the cabin 35 years ago and it remains in great shape. The insulation is top notch and the small upgrades we’ve made over the years continue to make it a more enjoyable getaway. We have a wood-block table for setting up a small stove to heat coffee, a few chairs that stack up out of the way if no one is using them and there’s even a small cot that folds down from one of the walls if you need to lie down.   For years everyone was content with listening to a battery-powered radio, talking, playing cards and having a couple drinks while we fished. However, the nonstop shivering made the experience less tolerable, especially if you wanted to stay more than a couple hours. My dad used a kerosene heater, which worked fine for a while, but it acted up quite a bit and the odor of kerosene keeps fish away (if you get it on your hands and then tie your bait on). When that heater finally blew its last flame, we looked into other options, namely electric heaters. Knowing we didn’t want a rattling, fume-y, gasoline-powered generator, we looked into battery power. It made complete sense to pull power from a deep-cycle battery that could perform in cold temperatures, and to do so all we needed was a power inverter, to convert the DC battery power into AC power for using various electronics, like space heaters and lights. We bought our power inverter from Inverters R Us, they had a ton of different options.   Since our inverter had plenty of power, I started bringing other electronic devices and more batteries with me when I’d visit the cabin. During hockey season, I now bring a small TV with a satellite dish and receiver so I can watch the Minnesota Wild games. These days, when I go out to the cabin with my son, we are warm, we have hockey, we can cook lunch on a hot plate and drink coffee and hot chocolate while we fish. So, as long as the fish are biting, we’re staying put. Plus, mom doesn’t really want us home unless we’re bringing a catch of walleye or sauger for frying.

“I’ve operated my own landscaping business for five years. During the summer two years ago a client asked if I ever thought about moving my business toward solar power—something I’d never considered … but it piqued my interest.”
-Craig V., Albuquerque, New Mexico
The more I thought about running a solar-powered landscaping business, the more I wanted to really do it. I can’t say there aren’t some discouraging obstacles in the way, most notably cost, as battery-powered power tools for landscaping typically run significantly more expensive. The other drawback is the loss of power. Sometimes the horsepower needed to complete a job can only come from gas-powered equipment. But, the more I started considering all the types of jobs my business provided, the more I identified as being possible with tools ran by man power, like shovels, hand trimmers and shears. Sure, it might take a little more effort and a little more time, but if it’s something my clients value, that’s what I want to stand for.

This year, I’ve taken big steps toward this solar vision by purchasing a panel of batteries and a power inverter. I’ve also sold many of my gas-powered tools and moved toward battery-powered options. We also invested in the nicest “man-power” hand tools as well. I’ve shared this vision with my clients and some of them are very encouraging, while some of them don’t seem to care as long as the job gets done correctly. I have received more referrals this year than any year prior, and they all mention how they value a company that’s taking efforts to reduce its “carbon footprint.”

Sure, I haven’t installed both of our trailers with solar panels, voltage regulators and sufficient battery backups, but that will happen in phases. For now, both of our trailers have more battery-powered or electric tools than gas-powered tools, which is a great start. I have battery setups that provide power that is converted through a power inverter. We plug in our electric tools and use heavy-duty extension cords to get the job done. A few of our clients have even volunteered their own home’s electricity while we work on their landscaping, which I didn’t see coming. It’s amazing that a number of our clients will now pay a little more for our services AND let us pull power from their homes while we work. I never saw that as possible. Plus, our savings in gasoline purchases alone has really cut down our overhead.

Moving to solar is a big investment, but I am really excited in the direction my small landscaping business is headed.