can voltage from a dc/AC inverter be. fatal\harmful ?

Excuse my electronic ignorance. I don't plan to put an output lead on
my tonge or anything, but i'm thinking of accidents and so on. The
inverter has a 12 v input and 240 v output 50hz. It gives output power
at up to 150w, and I would run a very small appliance on it using only
< 10w. I would have it all connected professionally of course but am a
little concerned about what would happen in the event of an unforeseen
accident\shorting out\moisture and so on. Can anyone tell me whether
it would give the same type of kick as 240 volt supply in the home, in
which case I abandon my project right here!! or whether it might be
less harmful because of the relatively low power involved??

peter

 

It's still 240 volts and the current required to interfere with your heart is
readily available.

I'm in the US and regularly use a 12 volt DC to 120 volt AC inverter to test
computer gear from my truck - just not in the rain ;-)

Give the outlet the same respect as the one in the wall and you'll be OK.

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Fatal voltages are present in the spark plugs of your car,
which is powered by a 12V battery, so I don't see any reason why
a converter could not have a similar result.

 

Treated properly, it will be no more or less dangerous than the same
voltage/amperage supplied by a wall-socket. Anything that would make the
wall-socket dangerous will also make the inverter dangerous, and
likewise, anything that will make the inverter dangerous would also make
the wall socket dangerous. When you get right down to where the rubber
meets the road, 150 watts of 240 @ 50Hz is 150 watts of 240 @ 50Hz,
whether it comes out of a battery-powered inverter, a wall socket, a
portable generator, or some kind of hand-cranked "black box" device.

 

Hi Don,

Except there is no phase-to-earth risk if isolated from the car chassis
(which it should be), so you would have to touch both leads (phase and
return) to get hurt.

 

Absolutely... a deadly kick.
With 150W available output, there is many times the amount of current
needed to kill you. Forget what is actually being used and think of
what it can deliver if it wants to - into your body.
Regardless of the source, 240v is 240v, and it is high enough to put a
lethal current through your body.

150 Watts may not be enough for an electric heater, but it is far
from "low" power. Any supply that is of use to run mains equipment will
supply enough current to kill.

Any moisture getting into a high voltage circuit will be a serious danger,
not just the danger of shock, but also fire. As for short circuit problems,
I would hope that the inverter is well protected against such events causing
serious damage.

Another issue is with the low voltage into the inverter. Vehicle batteries
can deliver large amounts of current, and shorting them can be very serious
indeed.

Unless you really know what you are doing, I would recommend that you either
abandon the project or get help from someone who does.