A standard power inverter can draw between 5% and 10% of its wattage even with no load.
On the average unit designed for home, RVs, trucks, or cars this would be between 2 and 10 watts when nothing else is connected.
That translates to a current of 0.2 to 1 amps per hour, 24 amps a day, and 168 amps a week.
With this in mind, it is important to keep your deep cycle battery charged up regularly as it is not good to completely deplete a battery. If your inverter is connected to your vehicle starter battery is is wise to keep the engine running to avoid exhausting it leaving you stranded.
Why does an inverter draw power on no load?
Now you might be wondering why your inverter uses power when nothing is connected to it?
Well, if you leave the inverter connected to a battery and turned on it will use power to run its own systems such as LCD displays, safety features, fans, and sensors. This can be a frustrating mistake as over a period of time it might deplete your battery leaving you out of power when you need it the most.
To stop your inverter drawing power on no-load then ensure you turn it off when not in use or even disconnect it to be 100% sure.
You could also look for a model with smart power-saving features like auto-off when not in use or eco power-saving mode. Eco modes are great as it helps to switch the inverter into idle mode if your devices stop drawing power!
Will a bigger inverter draw more power?
Yes!
The larger the inverter the more power it will draw when nothing is connected. As mentioned above a good rule is between 5-10% loss of efficiency. So a 700 watt inverter may draw 7 watts where as a 200 watt inverter may draw 2 watts.
