Running LED TV on Inverter: What Power Inverter Do I Need?
Not everything runs on DC power. When you have those products that don’t, you will need an inverter to help change the power from DC to AC. The issue with buying an inverter is getting the right size. Size does matter even in electronics and getting the wrong size means not being able to run those products as you want.
What size power inverter do I need to run a TV? A 370-watt inverter will run any television set measuring up to 75 inches and needs up to 270 watts to run correctly. Some people will tell you to go larger if you want to run more than your television set off the same device.
To learn more about which inverter you need to use, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to know about. While you can go larger, it may not be necessary and that is a decision you have to contend with.
LED TV on Inverter 101
What Size Inverter do I Need for a TV?
There is a simple equation you can use to determine the size of the inverter you will need. You take the television wattage requirement, for example, a small 45-inch TV will use 80 watts. Then you add in 20 to 25% of that total which gives you a grand total of 100 watts approx.
That will be the size of your inverter - 100 watts. Those figures are for a lower-end TV but if you have a higher version, LED or LCD, then you are looking at 120 watts for the television set. Add in your 25%, and it makes sense to use the higher percentage figure just in case, and you will need a 150-watt inverter.
Also, the 25% figure is flexible. It is the smallest figure to use to remain on the safe side of the operation. You can go 50% or even 100% if you want. That extra wattage allows you room to add in other electronic devices.
These figures are just for the TV alone. When you add in other devices your inverter size will go up as well.
Quick Comparison Chart
This chart will provide examples only to guide your calculations and help you figure out which size of inverter you will need**. Remember you can always go larger but you can’t go smaller.
| TV size | LED | LCD | Inverter size |
| 30 inches | 50 watts | 60 watts | 75 watts |
| 42 to 45 inches | 80 “ | 120 “ | 150 “ |
| 50 inches | 100 “ | 150 “ | 200 “ |
| 65 inches | 65 “ | 100 to 200watts | 250 “ |
| 75 inches | 175 watts | 200 to 270 watts | 350 watts or larger |
How Many Watts to Run a TV and DVD Player?
Before we get to the exact information for this topic, you should be careful about which type of inverter you buy. When you are running just these two devices you do not need an over-priced inverter that is made to run a fridge or your heating systems.
You need to buy the appropriate one for the number of devices you need to operate and produce more than the total of the combined wattage needed by both devices. All you have to do is add up the amount of wattage your TV needs with the amount your DVD player needs and then add 25%.
The equation would look something like 120 + 40 = 160 x 25% = 200 watts. That would be the minimum amount of inverter wattage you would need. If you think you will be needing to add other devices in the future, then you can always buy a larger wattage-producing inverter when they are on sale.
Wattage Comparison Chart
This chart will give you the approximate wattage of different devices. Your exact amount of watts for each device will be up to the model, quality, and size of the device you actually buy. This chart is just to help you estimate the size of the inverter you will need.***
| Appliance | Watts | Appliance | Watts |
| Laptop | 100 | Cell phone charger | 15 |
| Incandescent light bulb | 40 to100 | Satellite t.v. | 30 |
| Printer | 50 | Radio | 40 |
| Radiator | 2000 | DVD player | 30 |
| Hair dryer | 2200 | 42 inch HDTV | 120 |
| Game console | 100 to 200 | Washing machine | 2200 |
| Toaster | 1500+ | Dryer | 2500 |
| Dishwasher | 2200 | Iron | 2800 |
| Microwave | 1000 | Vacuum cleaner | 2000 |
Inverter for TV and Wifi
This is probably going to be the easiest calculation you will have to make on this topic. The reason we say this is because the amount of wattage needed by the majority of wifi modems is negligible. They do not use a lot of power for the most part.
What that means is that the 25% you add-in for the television set should cover the amount of wattage your wifi will need. If your system takes a lot of wattage then just follow the equation already given above and don’t forget to add in the 25%.
The key thing to remember about inverters is that they are not energy producers. They simply convert power from one source to another. How long your devices or television set will run will depend on the amount of power in your battery system.
It will also depend on the type of battery system you use. You will need a good battery system to contain a lot of power for your devices to run for a long period. Then you have to have a system to recharge those batteries as well.
Some people go solar to save on energy costs.
Inverter for TV and Fan
A ceiling fan would need about 75 to 120 watts to run effectively. Depending on the size of your TV, your inverter would have to be fairly large to handle the electrical needs of both devices.
The equation would look something like this: 100 ceiling fan + 120 LCD 45” TV = 220 x 25% = 270 to 300 watt inverter. As you know the size of the inverter will change up or down depending on the wattage needed by both devices.
If you want to use a regular fan, that will depend on the size of the fan, if it is a floor model, desktop size, or box fan. Then you just replace the ceiling fan wattage in the equation with the watts needed by your specific fan and do your calculation.
All you will need is basic math skills to get the right size of inverter for this pairing of devices. Again, you can go larger but never smaller. Going larger provides you options in case you want to add other devices to the inverter.
Inverter for TV and PS4 or Xbox
When you look at the second chart above, you will see that these gaming consoles require a lot of power. Depending on the make, model, and brand, you are looking at powering an extra 100 to 200 watts.
Add that in with an LCD t.v. and you are not looking at using a small inverter. If you happen to have a 65” LCD television set that is another 100 to 200 watts of power you will need. The inverter you buy will have to be capable of producing between 250 to 500 watts.
Then you have to have a good size battery storage system to handle that much power. Plus, you have to have a good recharging system to make sure the batteries get the power they need to produce that high wattage.
Some research will be needed to get the right system for your needs. Of course, when you have that system, you can run other devices when not using the TV or gaming console.
Is it Safe to Run LED TV On An Inverter?
Yes, it is safe to use an inverter with an LED TV Either the modified or the pure sine wave inverter will work but you may have a little trouble when the bright colors appear on your screen.
It seems that the benefit of having great color means you are using a little more energy than you thought. The key will be in getting the right size. If you want to run your TV and a laptop at the same time, you may need an inverter that is capable of producing 400 watts or more.
The size you actually need will depend on the size of your television set. Some people have used a 300-watt inverter with an 80 watt LED with little trouble. Just the beeping we mentioned earlier when the bright colors appeared.
Can Inverter Damage TV?
According to our research, the modified sine wave inverter may damage some electronic devices over time. However, that is the exception, not the rule. By that, it is meant that you should not have too much trouble using this type of inverter for your TV set.
The type of devices that would be ruined by a modified inverter are appliances that use an AC motor to operate and delicate medical instruments. With those, you would need to use a pure sine wave inverter.
However, people use the modified option because they are cheaper than the pure sine wave models. That will be a decision you will have to make. You are not running a big risk with damaging electronic devices using a modified sine wave inverter.
Just do not use them on bigger appliances and make sure to follow any instructions from the manufacturer including any warnings they provide.
How Long Can I Run a TV On An Inverter?
There are a few factors involved in this formula. How long you watch television, how large are the batteries, their discharge rate if you plug other devices into the same inverter, and so on.
The thing is it is not the inverter that determines the length of your television viewing. Those devices do not produce any power. The length of your relaxation time in front of your television will depend on your battery storage system and how good your recharge system is.
The inverter efficiency rating will play a role and at 85% efficiency and good batteries, you can watch TV for between 5 to 6 hours. That is using a 100ah 12 volt battery and a 100 to a 150-watt television set.
If you combine a solar power recharging system with the grid system, then there is no time limit to your television watching. The solar system can back up the grid so you have continuous power when the electricity to the grid stops.
How to Use the Inverter for TV
The way to use an inverter with a television set or vice versa is to buy a model that converts DC power to AC. The reverse will not help you. Then, all you have to do is attach the inverter to a good 12-volt battery and then plug the television set into the inverter.
The key here is to make sure the outlet on the inverter matches the plug in your television set. If they do not match up, then you will need to buy an adaptor. Then, you need to have some sort of recharge system in place, which can be the grid system or solar power.
You have to recharge the battery in order for you to use the inverter continuously. If you use the grid system, you would have to hook up a traditional battery charger and plug it into a 110- 120 volt outlet.
Some Final Words
Inverters are handy devices when you are out boondocking and have no power source other than your batteries. You get to catch your favorite television shows which helps make those nights shorter. Plus, you can power other devices when you need to use them.
**figures taken from this website https://www.portablesolarexpert.com/what-size-inverter-do-i-need-to-run-a-tv/
***figures taken from this website https://www.invertpro.co/what-size-power-inverter/
