Car power inverter- enough to run a PC?

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Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Let me run this by you:

I was going to purchase a filtered generator for an extreme emergency to run one or two mail servers and a router a work incase the power went down for more than 3 hours. The storage of generators is a bit too inconvienient for our needs (you can't store gas in it, it can't be ran in the rain, it's heavy and needs to go down three floors to get outside, etc).

I then had an idea about using a car power inverter. If I got this:

1000w power inverter

Would it work? I'm thinking amps would be a problem. Any opinions?

 
NutBucket

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,118
613
126
Yep. My friend runs one off a much smaller inverter (no screen of course its for his MP3 computer).
 
R

redly

Golden Member
Nov 15, 2004
1,159
0
0
My XP2500 PC pulling full load (folding@home) pulls about 130W, plus another ~80W for the 19in Monitor. A 1000W inverter would be way more than enough

I used to run a 900Mhz celeron Machine in my van to play movies and stuff for the kids, using a 600W inverter
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
I'm thinking two servers and a router. 1000w should be more than enough then?
 
N

nwfsnake

Senior member
Feb 28, 2003
697
0
0
I think a UPS is a much better choice. Same idea, only with automated switch over when the power goes out.
 
W

woowoo

Platinum Member
Feb 17, 2003
2,092
1
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Are you going to power it off a running car?
You need 83 amps at 12 vdc if it is running full tilt.
 
L

Looney

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
21,938
5
0
How exactly are you going to run it? Are you going to run a line fom your car to your server? Why not just get some UPSes?
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Originally posted by: Hardcore
How exactly are you going to run it? Are you going to run a line fom your car to your server? Why not just get some UPSes?
Click to expand...

We do have UPS's, but for $2000 we've got about 3-4 hours of runtime. We had an outage last year that lasted 18 hours and I'm looking for an emergency backup method. The idea is to use a car as a generator and run and extension chord up. I'd like to power one T1 router and two mail servers as long as I can. I can run an extension cord from my car up to a window in our server room.
 
D

dman

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 1999
9,110
0
76
How about a failover site, using replication software/redundant hardware?

How about an external generator to the building (homedepot sells them/installs them)?

I don't think a car idleing for 18hrs is going to be happy... and probably isn't the best solution either. Perhaps cheapest upfront cost... ah well. I thought about doing similar during the power outages after the hurricanes last year, just didn't need power that badly. A generator would have been nice though.
 
K

KingNothing

Diamond Member
Apr 6, 2002
7,141
1
0
This is the kind of thing you do at 3 in the morning as a last resort because your $2000 UPS is about to run out of juice, you can't let the server go down, and whaddya know, there's a 24-hour Wal-mart nearby.

This is NOT the kind of thing you plan in advance. An extension cord from YOUR idling car up through the window to the server room? Are you insane?
 
T

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
i have a 140 watt invertor that can run my laptop during wimpy tasks like writing a paper, but chokes when CPU usage climbs. my laptop is a power hog, though. anyway, i'm sure 1000 is plenty for a couple of PC's.
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Originally posted by: KingNothing
This is the kind of thing you do at 3 in the morning as a last resort because your $2000 UPS is about to run out of juice, you can't let the server go down, and whaddya know, there's a 24-hour Wal-mart nearby.

This is NOT the kind of thing you plan in advance. An extension cord from YOUR idling car up through the window to the server room? Are you insane?
Click to expand...

This is one of those things that will probably never be used, but it will save butts if you ever do have to use it. We had an 18 hour outage once in the last 8 years. I just like to be prepared.

Idling your car will not hurt it. It's designed to run. That's like saying if you drive your car for 18 hours it will hurt it.
 
D

dman

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 1999
9,110
0
76
Originally posted by: Fritzo
Originally posted by: KingNothing
This is the kind of thing you do at 3 in the morning as a last resort because your $2000 UPS is about to run out of juice, you can't let the server go down, and whaddya know, there's a 24-hour Wal-mart nearby.

This is NOT the kind of thing you plan in advance. An extension cord from YOUR idling car up through the window to the server room? Are you insane?
Click to expand...

This is one of those things that will probably never be used, but it will save butts if you ever do have to use it. We had an 18 hour outage once in the last 8 years. I just like to be prepared.

Idling your car will not hurt it. It's designed to run. That's like saying if you drive your car for 18 hours it will hurt it.
Click to expand...

No it's not. Idleing you don't get good airflow over the moving parts. Yes, your fans pull some air through the radiator and to the engine but you get more heat build up than actual driving. Taxis and Cop Cars may idle a lot of hours during the day but they also have transmission coolers and oil coolers and heavy duty alternators to extend life and deal with the extra load of stop/go traffic and abuse. Not that I care, just wouldn't volunteer my car for the job.

Edit: As pointed out below, CarTalk says it's ok to idle as long as you want. I still wouldn't volunteer my car(s). Here's another response to the same question. Interesting.



 
ultimatebob

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
No way in hell would I run a computer off the power coming out of a DC to AC inverter. The voltage is going to be fluctuating all over the place, and probably damage the equipment if you left it running for more than a few hours. Not that inverter would last that long anyway... most of them aren't designed to be run constantly like that.
 
V

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
136
Originally posted by: Freejack2
Will your car even be able to handle a 1000watt inverter?
Click to expand...

Not through the lighter, but wired directly off the battery it shouldn't be a problem.

Hope you have a good battery & alternator though.

Viper GTS
 
Fritzo

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
Originally posted by: dman
Originally posted by: Fritzo
Originally posted by: KingNothing
This is the kind of thing you do at 3 in the morning as a last resort because your $2000 UPS is about to run out of juice, you can't let the server go down, and whaddya know, there's a 24-hour Wal-mart nearby.

This is NOT the kind of thing you plan in advance. An extension cord from YOUR idling car up through the window to the server room? Are you insane?
Click to expand...

This is one of those things that will probably never be used, but it will save butts if you ever do have to use it. We had an 18 hour outage once in the last 8 years. I just like to be prepared.

Idling your car will not hurt it. It's designed to run. That's like saying if you drive your car for 18 hours it will hurt it.
Click to expand...

No it's not. Idleing you don't get good airflow over the moving parts. Yes, your fans pull some air through the radiator and to the engine but you get more heat build up than actual driving. Taxis and Cop Cars may idle a lot of hours during the day but they also have transmission coolers and oil coolers and heavy duty alternators to extend life and deal with the extra load of stop/go traffic and abuse. Not that I care, just wouldn't volunteer my car for the job.
Click to expand...

Wrong on both counts. This question was just posted on Car Talk (national radio show). They responded that your car can idle until the sun stops shining if you wanted it to. The only problem is keeping gas in it. If the car is properly tuned there is no problem. Their website is Cartalk, but I'm short on time so I didn't see the question right off the bat.

Second my wife is a police officer and at times brings her cruiser home when she has police/school functions. They have larger altinators to accomodate the lights/computer/other gadgets they have in the car. Transmissions are basically unmodified trannys from a Corevette (no coolers on them).

Anyway, I did a field test and our electrician did checking with a multimeter. We drew 350w from the inverter over three hours and everything worked pefectly. We have the servers ready to move to our new data center (with a proper diesel generator) at the end of the year, so all bases are covered. Thanks for the help!
 
E

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
8
81
Originally posted by: ultimatebob
No way in hell would I run a computer off the power coming out of a DC to AC inverter. The voltage is going to be fluctuating all over the place, and probably damage the equipment if you left it running for more than a few hours. Not that inverter would last that long anyway... most of them aren't designed to be run constantly like that.
Click to expand...
Uh, lol...

Next time, know something about which you speak, before you open your mouth. :p
 
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