1000w power invertor - enough for a microwave?

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symondo

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as above really?

assuming a small microwave is 750/800w normally, logic would dictate yes its fine but i know sometimes numbers arent what they seem.

I dont think id be plugging anything else into that system, as everything else im looking at is 12v
 
I think you need a pure sine wave inverter for a microwave but could be wrong.. I do know that a 700w microwave will probably need a bit more than 1000w of power.. If I remember microwaves are generally about 65% efficient..
 
The cooking wattage, eg 750, does not represent the power draw of the microwave. My 800Watts microwave draws nearer 1500watts.
 
I have a 2000W pure sinewave inverter. I hardly use it as I have found out that peak startup loads for sub 1000W devices often excede the capacity of the inverter causing it to trip. This includes the small fridge, the microwave and small power tools like hand drills. In fact I haven't found much use for it at all. It also kills the house batteries. Some have found great success using inverters, but tbh I found that getting appliances that can use an inverter such as TV's and laptops etc successfully are better served by getting 12-14V compatible devices or DC voltage step up (i.e. 18V for laptop) rather than going to 220V AC then transforming down. My inverter also has a constant 2 amp load just to run, it is a battery killer imo. Where that leaves you with the microwave, I dont know. For that I use a genny.
 
BruceK said:
I have a 2000W pure sinewave inverter. I hardly use it as I have found out that peak startup loads for sub 1000W devices often excede the capacity of the inverter causing it to trip. This includes the small fridge, the microwave and small power tools like hand drills. In fact I haven't found much use for it at all. It also kills the house batteries. Some have found great success using inverters, but tbh I found that getting appliances that can use an inverter such as TV's and laptops etc successfully are better served by getting 12-14V compatible devices or DC voltage step up (i.e. 18V for laptop) rather than going to 220V AC then transforming down. My inverter also has a constant 2 amp load just to run, it is a battery killer imo. Where that leaves you with the microwave, I dont know. For that I use a genny.
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That sounds like your Inverter is a bit rubbish. A good 2000w unit should easily run a microwave, and a 2A standby power draw could easily be bettered with a decent model.

Edit
Just looking up the specs for a 2kw Mastervolt inverter and it has a peak load capacity of 4kw, to deal with high start up loads, and a standby drain of as little as 50mA.
 
CLB said:
That sounds like your Inverter is a bit rubbish. A good 2000w unit should easily run a microwave, and a 2A standby power draw could easily be bettered with a decent model.

Edit
Just looking up the specs for a 2kw Mastervolt inverter and it has a peak load capacity of 4kw, to deal with high start up loads, and a standby drain of as little as 50mA.
Click to expand...

I had a microwave that used to run on a cheap eBay 2000w inverter. The microwave emitted a different buzzing noise when on inverter but it seemed to cook OK.
 
jrudge said:
I had a microwave that used to run on a cheap eBay 2000w inverter. The microwave emitted a different buzzing noise when on inverter but it seemed to cook OK.
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Cheap inverters tend to be modified sine wave, so a microwave will usually work, but not quite as efficiently as normal. Probably difficult to detect the difference unless you were really inclined to do so.
 
my intention was to use it purely for a microwave or a small travel kettle (not both together obviously)

as for a tv - yeah its on my shortlist but ive located a 12v effort.

i know invertors are power hungry.

As for installation id look to fit a relay probly with a swith to turn it on/off as when hooked up to shore power id use that instead and i wouldnt want it left on at all times.
 
Worth bearing in mind that 1000 Watts equates to more than 80 Amps of current draw at 12V, so you need ample capacity and very fat wires. A small Camping Gaz stove is normally preferable, for many reasons.
 
CLB said:
That sounds like your Inverter is a bit rubbish. A good 2000w unit should easily run a microwave, and a 2A standby power draw could easily be bettered with a decent model.

Edit
Just looking up the specs for a 2kw Mastervolt inverter and it has a peak load capacity of 4kw, to deal with high start up loads, and a standby drain of as little as 50mA.
Click to expand...

Admittedly it was a Maplins purchased unit and not Mastervolt and at about £250 probably considered cheap and overpriced even then. However, I just wanted it for the fridge as a temp solution until I could find a 12/220V unit that would fit. And yes it killed a 3 bank battery over a weekend stone dead so ended up being a rather expensive misjudgement and learning curve.
 
elton said:
Worth bearing in mind that 1000 Watts equates to more than 80 Amps of current draw at 12V, so you need ample capacity and very fat wires. A small Camping Gaz stove is normally preferable, for many reasons.
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80a you should easily run on a 4awg power cable for a length of over 5m with little hassle - they arent too bad.

i have an electric/alcohol hob which i need to figure out but a microwave would be more than handy
 
I've also got a 1000W honda genny and this also does not run my microwave.

But that said SWMBO likes to do all the cooking so i'm not really bothered.
 
I have an alcohol hob too. Origo. Somebody here will tell me they aren't so bad either, but mine take forever to boil a kettle for two or cook my breakfast on. Maybe I'm using cheap meths. :p
 
I ran a microware of a victron 1600 multiplus invertor. As stated on here the 700 watt setting on your microwave is a heat setting. The actual consumption is more.
Check the power label on the microwave for this. I seem to remember it was around 1200 Watts for mine.
 
Our Heart 1kw modified sine wave inverter runs a Samsung 750w microwave fine. Interestingly the microwave makes a louder buzzing and takes a little longer when using the inverter as opposed to a shoreside supply. I guess that's a function of the less than ideal wave form.
 
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