What Size Inverter Do I Need To Run A Microwave

The concluding thing yous want to do is fix up your off-grid system only to observe that your inverter isn't powerful enough to run your trusty microwave.

All microwaves are different, but the average ane,000-watt microwave requires at least 1500W of power to run properly. To brand certain you lot end upward with the right inverter, permit's take a expect at how to make up one's mind what size inverter you need to run a microwave. Information technology's quick, easy, and it'll ensure you don't waste product your money.

Determining What Size Inverter Y'all Need to Run a Microwave

At some point, many of u.s.a. who enjoy off-grid living have asked, "What size inverter do I need to run a microwave?"

Fortunately, it's incredibly piece of cake to figure out what size and ability sine wave inverter you need to run a microwave. Naturally, y'all'll get-go past taking a look at the microwave itself.

Figure Out the Microwave'south Continuous Wattage Rating

The first thing you'll need to effigy out is how many watts the microwave uses while running, which is ordinarily as easy as finding where it's noted. This tin can be on:

The within of the microwave door
The serial number tag on the back
The user manual
The manufacturer's website

If yous're unable to discover it afterwards looking in all of these places, you lot can get a pretty good idea using the USDA recommended method – "Time-to-Eddy Test." Here's how to exercise it:

You will need to put 240ml of water in a 2-cup drinking glass measuring cup.
Add ice cubes and stir until the h2o is cold.
Remove the water ice cubes.
If the water is more than ane cup, cascade the excess.
Put the container within the microwave
Set the microwave to high for at least four minutes
Monitor the water and check if it boils

If the water boils in less than two minutes, yous have a grand watts microwave. If it took around 3-4 minutes for the water to boil, you have a slow oven. (one).

If the water boils in 3 minutes = average wattage oven (650 – 700 watts or more)

Now you should accept a pretty good idea of your microwave'due south continuous wattage rating. Note that, this refers to the 'cooking ability' of the microwave (every bit we explain below). Hence, there are other factors to keep in mind when answering the question "What size inverter practice I need to run a microwave?"

Ability Consumption Versus Cooking Power

When choosing an inverter, your microwave's bodily power consumption is what matters, and not the cooking power.

It'south important to note that a microwave's cooking wattage is lower than the wattage it consumes, then take that into account when choosing an inverter size. This is often referred to as 'Input Wattage' (for actual ability consumption), and 'Output Wattage' (for cooking power).

A microwave'southward cooking wattage is lower than the wattage it consumes.

Most microwaves use free energy with about lx-seventy% efficiency (2). So if y'all're unable to find your microwave's actual power consumption noted anywhere, y'all tin utilize some simple math to figure information technology out.

Let's assume a working efficiency of 65% for your microwave (on boilerplate).

Say you have a microwave that cooks at 700w. Let its actual power consumption exist Ten.

10 * 65/100 = 700W
X = 700 * 100/65
X = 1076 ~ 1100W

That means your actual power consumption is around 1100W.

You tin can utilise this technique to almost any microwave and estimate the actual power consumption, if y'all already know your cooking power.

Here'southward a unproblematic table that shows input power vs output power of common microwaves with 65% efficiency (3):

Input Power (Power Consumption)	Output Power (Cooking Power)
1100 W	700 W
1350 W	900 W
1700 W	1100 W

Interestingly, even though they crave more power to run than they use to cook food, microwaves are all the same i of the more energy-efficient cooking methods, making them ideal for off-grid living. Scientific American states in a recent commodity (4):

Cooking or re-heating small portions of food in the microwave can save as much as 80 percent of the energy used to cook or warm them up in the oven.

That said, your microwave's actual ability consumption is what yous need to worry about when choosing a sine wave inverter size, not the cooking ability.

Conversion Formula

If you're not able to determine your microwave's wattage but know how many AMPS (current) it uses, there's an easy conversion formula that will aid you lot figure it out.

Just multiply the amperes by AC voltage, which is generally 110-120V for U.s. citizens. The production is your wattage.

And so if your microwave uses 12.5A of electric current, the formula would be: 12.5A * 120V = 1500W

Factor In the Microwave's Peak Wattage

Now that y'all know everything there is to know about determining your microwave's continuous power usage, which is the ability it consumes while running, it's time to take a await at its peak wattage or the maximum corporeality of power information technology utilizes during a surge.

Peak wattage, or surge wattage, usually occurs during startup and lasts for less than a second, but your inverter needs to be able to handle this sudden surge in power. The process should look something like this:

Your microwave'due south summit energy requirements should be listed on the owner's manual or manufacturer's website. If not, information technology's a good idea to choose an inverter that can handle three to four times its continuous wattage just to exist on the safety side.

Every bit a reference, the surge power of a microwave can be equally much every bit FOUR times the listed continuous power (so a 1000W microwave may have a acme rating of 4000W).

Ultimately, when you're looking for sine wave inverters, you'll notice on the specs sheet that both continuous and peak capability are listed, and then it should exist easy to tell if it's large enough. To be on the safe side, you should have an inverter with a higher continuous/elevation power rating than that of your microwave (past a factor of about 20%).

The Lesser Line: How To Option The Correct Inverter For Your Microwave (In 4 Piece of cake Steps)

So, if all that was a chip likewise much for you lot to wrap your head effectually, don't worry. We've wrapped information technology upwards in a few, simple steps:

Observe out the actual input power consumption (both continuous and peak rating) of the microwave from the inside label, user manual, or manufacturer'south website.
If you can't find that, then notice out the cooking power. You may estimate it using the 'Fourth dimension-to-Boil' test.
Once yous take cooking power, you lot tin utilise this guide to estimate the power consumption.
Choose a sine moving ridge inverter that fulfills both the 'continuous watt' rating and the 'peak power' rating. Preferably, become for a slightly higher-rated model to ensure smooth performance.

Nosotros recommend getting a good pure sine wave inverter for this purpose, equally it'll maximize the power efficiency of your microwave, keep information technology running smoothly, and forestall any electrical malfunctions from occurring. For more tips to get the about out of your home'due south appliances, cheque out our Homepage.

FAQs

Yeah, a 1500-watt ability inverter should be able to run a 700-watt microwave without whatever problems. To exist sure, check that the surge power rating of the microwave is also within the inverter's limits. Y'all can apply a pure sine wave inverter or modified sine moving ridge inverter, merely the modified sine unit of measurement may cause your microwave to run less efficiently.

You lot can use a modified sine wave inverter or a pure sine wave inverter to run a microwave, as long every bit they take a big enough capacity, aka bombardment power. When you compare pure sine inverters vs modified sine inverters, modified sine models tend to shorten appliances' lives, so that's important to keep in heed. Pure sine wave inverters always offer better performance and efficiency, albeit at a higher cost.

Your inverter is big enough to run your microwave if it can handle its startup surge, and continuous wattage describe while it'south cooking. If your modified sine wave inverter or pure sine wave inverter tin can handle both successfully, yous're all gear up for your next road trip!

To help all this sink in, yous can check out this guide that shows how to size an inverter to run a TV for a similar case.

References

How Do You Determine the Wattage of Your Microwave Oven? Retrieved from: https://ask.usda.gov/s/commodity/how-do-you-determine-the-wattage-of-your-microwave-oven
Physics of the microwave oven. Retrieved from: http://clas.sa.ucsb.edu/docs/default-source/tutor-resources-files/physics_of_microwave_oven.pdf?sfvrsn=17582bfb_2
Microwave Wattage Input or Output – Which Ane Matters?. Retrieved from: https://kitchengearoid.com/microwave-oven/microwave-wattage-input-or-output/
Stove versus Microwave: Which Uses Less Energy to Make Tea? Retrieved from: https://www.scientificamerican.com/commodity/stove-versus-microwave-energy-utilize/