12-Volt Portable Appliances
The 12-volt appliances are intended for use in automobiles and recreational vehicles. Power is supplied to these devices via a cable connection to the battery or with a plug-in adapter that goes into your vehicles cigarette lighter. A car can supply power to appliances used for lighting, cooking, heating, cooling, personal care, health, and safety.
How is a 12-volt appliance identified?Check for a label or plate that lists the voltage requirements for that device. The label will have the model number, input voltage, and output voltage.
What are the benefits of these appliances?The 12-volt appliances are based on direct current. Direct current is used by most components in a car like the lights. This makes them a good choice for mobile power users. These units use just the power needed to complete the task. Since these appliances are intended for travel, outdoor and mobile use, they are built to be more rugged and durable than similar home units. Using a 12-volt appliance is simple. Simply plug connector into the lighter receptacle.
What are some uses for 12-volt appliances?You can cook a hot meal in a short amount of time. You can use a portable frying pan to fry eggs. A handy portable coffee maker takes 15-20 minutes to make a few cups. Portable units can bring some home luxuries with you on the road or campground.
Can an appliance be used without a lighter receptacle?Yes. Use an adapter with clamps on one end and a socket on the other end. Place the clamps on the correct battery connectors. Then plug in the 12-volt appliance into the other end. In an RV, there are plugs to connect an appliance to the RV's 12-volt power supply. They have two or three prongs, flat or rounded.
What kinds of connections can a car have?A car can have three methods to connect 12-volt appliances. There are hard-wired 12V plugs which are the traditional lighter connectors. Some cars have 12V USB slots. These are useful for laptops and phones to use. Another option is a power inverter. This converts the incoming 12-volt electrical stream into AC (alternating current) power that a normal appliance can use.
Will a unit use a lot of power?A 12V appliance will only use as much energy as it needs for as long as it is operated. Some 12-volt sockets offer the ability to keep an item plugged in but to turn off the charging unit. This avoids the minimal battery use of things like charging lights.