I wrote:
> I wish I had a 4 kW inverter but I don't think you can attach that to an > ordinary car battery. > And definitely too much for the Prius battery, which is only rated 12 V * 150 A = 1.8 kW. Not as much as a regular car traction battery. A Prius mechanic told me he thought the 2 kW inverter shouldn't be a problem. I checked the power drawn by the refrigerator and lights, and the pump. These things use remarkable low power: Fridge: 6.5 A = 780 W Pump: 2.2 A = 264 W LED lights = God has to pay *you* The pump and fridge should both be able to run, but I have seen that start-up power can be much higher than sustained power. With the inverter attached to my Geo Metro ordinary car battery, the inverter circuit breaker cuts off when I try to run a microwave, even though that is only rated at 1.2 kW. (That's what it says on the back.) With a refrigerator, the trick is to keep the door closed and run it for 10 minutes every hour. A 2 kW inverter costs about $120. It is the cheapest emergency power you can get. Much cheaper than a gasoline generator. I have used this 2 or 3 times. It has paid for itself already by keeping the food in the fridge from spoiling. - Jed
