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Question of the Day: Will you be subscribing to the new Disney+ R49 streaming package?
Terencek
Expert Member
My home runs on solar power so I have had lots of good and bad experiences with inverters. Not sure if KZN has a branch of the electronics components specialists Communica, but if so they do a good solid line of inverters at reasonable prices under the Samlex brand.
Whatever you do, do NOT be seduced by displays of the Autogear inverter range in the nationwide Midas car accessories chain -- total rubbish and I have had three die in short succession. Outdoor stores like Cape Union and Trappers Trading sometimes carry inverters but are generally not very knowledgeable about them. The AC-DC chain also carries inverters, though they tend to be a bit pricey.
If you really want cheap and cheerful, many shops (often Asian or Chinese-run) selling electronics to the African market often have good ranges, but you get what you pay for and the technology is often outdated.
You are no doubt aware of the difference between a modified sine wave and a pure sine wave inverter, with the 'pure' type being far more expensive and often superfluous for most general needs. Ideally you should aim for the current technology where inverters automatically go into low-power hibernation until they sense an output load; a good one will draw less than half an ampere in this 'sleep' mode, and there's no noise from the fan.
Whatever you do, do NOT be seduced by displays of the Autogear inverter range in the nationwide Midas car accessories chain -- total rubbish and I have had three die in short succession. Outdoor stores like Cape Union and Trappers Trading sometimes carry inverters but are generally not very knowledgeable about them. The AC-DC chain also carries inverters, though they tend to be a bit pricey.
If you really want cheap and cheerful, many shops (often Asian or Chinese-run) selling electronics to the African market often have good ranges, but you get what you pay for and the technology is often outdated.
You are no doubt aware of the difference between a modified sine wave and a pure sine wave inverter, with the 'pure' type being far more expensive and often superfluous for most general needs. Ideally you should aim for the current technology where inverters automatically go into low-power hibernation until they sense an output load; a good one will draw less than half an ampere in this 'sleep' mode, and there's no noise from the fan.
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