Power Inverter Sine Waves Explained

Modified Sine Wave Vs Pure Sine Wave

To gain a better idea of the difference between Pure Sine Wave Inverters and Modified Sine Wave Inverters we have added the below diagram of Sine Wave output.  In short, it is a reference to how closely the inverter replicates the wave pattern of AC Mains power.  A modified sine wave inverter, when converting 12 Volt power into 240 Volt power, tends to mimic the sine wave pattern in a blockish format allowing you to power a myriad of appliances depending on the output size of the inerter.  In general, a modified sine wave inverter will power most items that you would tend to use in a vehicle or while camping.

A Pure (True) Sine Wave Inverter when outputting 12V power converted to 240V will more closely align the power wave to what is outputted by household AC mains power as shown in the diagram below.  This is important for those items that are highly sensitive to the power flow such as medical devices, or finely tuned hi tech devices such as used in underground mining.

Keep in mind that most appliances work very well with a Modified Sine Wave Inverter, and that Pure Sine Wave are quite a lot more expensive due to the internal technology to not only convert the 12 volt power, but to output it in a replicated AC Mains wave.

Please note that Power inverters are not an efficient way to run appliances that require very high power requirements eg: Air Conditioners, Stoves and electric heaters. The reason is that these appliances require a high current draw and will therefore promote rapid battery depletion unless you are using a battery bank (a bank of batteries either sharing the current draw, or are alligned to switch from one battery to another as power is lost).

For actual product specifications refer to either our Modified Sine Wave Power Inverters or our Pure Sine Wave Power Inverters.  We also recommend reading our 8ZED Power Inverter Manual.