Why is my Inverter no longer working?

A good number of Nigerians now use Power inverters and batteries to store and use electricity because they live in a a country where power supply is not 24 hrs guaranteed but not many of them really understand how they work or what it takes to maintain them.

A power inverter system is a power system that works with deep cycle batteries which allow you to store electrical chargers when there is an electricity supply so as to be able to use them when such electricity goes off. They would now be able to tap into the power bank in order to supply electricity stored in Direct current(D.C.) form to your electronic devices in Alternating Current (A.C.) form.

So, a power inverter system is essentially like a power bank but they can't work without being connected to a power source or bank like a battery and a good number fo the reasons why you may be having a problem with your inverter system could be as a result of malfunctioning batteries connected to it.

You may ask why is my inverter not working well again? Why does it not last up to the 4 hrs it used to last when it was initially installed? Why does it only supply a small amount of power?

It's much easier to just invite an Inverter expert to come and take a look at your inverter system to check and confirm what the actual problems really are but if you like working around them yourself, the first place you could look at are the Deep cycle batteries.

One of the main causes of an inverter system not supplying enough power is as a result of inefficient batteries. The batteries may have depreciated after prolonged use and would need a replacement. If you have a replacement battery at hand, you could just replace the old one with a new one so as to see if the problem has been solved.

Deep cycle batteries lose their power and efficiency after a period of usage as they tend to have a lifespan and so would most likely need a replacement. The cost of replacing inverter batteries in Nigeria is about N50,000 for a 12 Volt 200Ah battery and goes higher if you want higher capacities. Considering the cost of replacing your deep cycle or inverter batteries, it's actually better to prevent them from breaking down rather than having to replace them after they've become inefficient.

One of the things you can do to prolong the lifespan of your Inverter battery is to avoid drawing too much power from them. If for instance your inverter power system is designed to power a maximum 300 Watts for 4 hrs before needing a recharge, then you can just decide to lessen the work on them by simply cutting down your power consumption to about 200 Watts or using the 300 Watts for less than 4 hrs e.g. 2 hrs. The more power you use from your Inverter battery, the shorter it's lifespan would be. The more your recharge your Inverter battery, the shorter the lifespan. The more you use it, the shorter it's lifespan. So, treat it like a baby and you are more likely going to keep using it for the longer term. Actually, a good Inverter battery system should last for up to a year or 2 before needing a battery replacement and if your purchased a deep cycle battery that doesn't come with a good warranty, then it won't be wrong to say you've been cheated if after 6 months, the battery and inverter system kicks the bucket.

Another thing you can do to improve the lifespan of your deep cycle battery is by keeping them in a cool place. Don't keep them under the sun or in a hot room. There should be enough ventilation to cool them down. Heat reduces it's lifespan while a cooler temperature helps them to work better and last longer.