Load-shedding hours keep on increasing and with this, a lot of people are turning to alternative power sources to cushion the power deficits being experienced. One of the most popular alternatives on offer are Inverters and Power Generators. In this article, we are going to be discussing the difference between Pure Sine Wave Inverters & Modified Sine Wave Inverters.
Inverter Basics
An inverter converts DC (Direct Current) power drawn from a battery bank or solar panels to AC (Alternating Current) power. Both Pure Sine Wave & Modified Sine Wave inverters will provide power to AC appliances. However, Pure Sine Inverters produce high quality equal to (or better than) the power we get from the utility supply company, ZESCO in this case. Modified Sine Wave Inverters produce AC in a simpler form, the power being adequate for simple electronics, but resulting in damage to more complex appliances.
Pure Sine Wave Inverters
These inverters will usually cost you an arm and leg depending on the rating you are going for. The output voltage of a pure sine-wave inverter has a sine wave-form like that of the mains/utility voltage. This is achieved by the use of complex electronics technologies integrated into the circuitry of these inverters. Pure sine wave inverters are capable of producing power which equals or is better than the power generated by a utility company. Use Pure sine inverters for appliances like flat screen tv’s, laptops, digital microwaves, fridges, and other sensitive electronic equipment as they can power just about any AC appliance without risk of damage.
Modified Sine Wave Inverters
Modified Sine Wave inverters are very affordable, all-purpose inverters and the most commonly sold. These units produce AC power that is only good enough to power simple electronics. You are most likely to damage a flat-screen tv if you use this kind of inverter. In as much as these inverters are not suitable for the more complex electronic appliances, you could use them by making sure they are only powering simple appliances like phone chargers, LED bulbs.
Summary
When picking an inverter for purchase, always make sure you know what kind of sine wave it produces. You can easily get this information from the packaging or user manual of the inverter. Take caution as most sellers of these units will try and convince you to get a modified sine wave inverter claiming it is a pure sine wave inverter.