PLEASE HELP!

lmelanie · Jun 17, 2007

Ok, I have a question that I am dying to straighten out. I have a location photo shoot next saturday and my hair stylist needs to use a flat iron on the model. She has an iron that plugs into an outlet so I was thinking of getting one of those power inverters for the car that uses the cigarette lighter for the power source. The only question I have is that because I'm using it for something that is generating heat will it work? It says that it can power small appliances but things that generate heat are always different somehow..

Thanks again for any insight!!

motcon · Jun 17, 2007

open the hood of the car, then use the hot engine block and a piece of slate

Mike_E · Jun 17, 2007

You need to compare the output of the inverter and the requirements in watts for the iron. Make sure that the inverter will handle the max output for long enough to finish her hair. You also will need to know what the load limit is on the power point (lighter).

mike

lmelanie · Jun 17, 2007

ok thanks for the reply....the stylist said that the iron takes 220 watts and im looking at the 375 watt output and it says that it holds up for continuous power at 375 watts...

maybe im ok? im going to a batter place tomorrow just to make sure...but i was just wondering if anyone here had done it before..

hyakuhei · Jun 18, 2007

So long as the sustained power output is more than the drain of the Iron you should be fine.

You may find the inverter useful in the future.

jstuedle · Jun 21, 2007

Something to take into account, the amount of amps the inverter will draw when delivering 225 watts. Watts is volts X amps = watts. If you need 225 watts, devide the 12 volts of your cars battery into the # of watts and you will find the inverter will draw about 18.75 amps. I say about because the inverter itself is not 100% efficient. I would think the total draw will be close to 20 amps. If the inverter is plugged into the cig. lighter outlet, that will most likely exceed the fuse capacity for that outlet. For example, my cars fuse to that outlet is only 15 amps. Don't just put a larger fuse in it, the wireing will only handle the load it is fused for. If the inverter has an option to clamp it directly to the cars battery terminal, do so. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run.