What does a car inverter do, and what can I do with a car inverter?

An on-board inverter converts direct current from batteries to regular alternating current, and you can use it to operate a variety of devices: lights, kitchen utensils, microwave ovens, power tools, TVS, radios, computers, and more. You simply connect your on-board inverter to the battery, then plug your AC device into the inverter, and you have a portable power source, whenever and wherever you need it.

An on-board inverter draws power from a 12-volt battery (preferably a deep-cycle battery) or several batteries in parallel. The battery needs to be charged because the on-board inverter takes power out of the battery. Batteries can be charged by running a car motor, gas generator, solar panel or wind. Alternatively, you can charge the battery using a battery charger plugged into an AC outlet.

Use an on-board inverter as an emergency home backup power source

A very easy way to use an on-board inverter as an emergency power source (such as during a power outage) is to use a car battery (with the vehicle running) and an extension cord to the house, where you can then plug in appliances.