AC to DC Amperage Conversion Calculator: How to Convert AC Amps to DC Amps Through an Inverter

FAQs about DC and AC Conversions

How does DC work?

DC power flows is unidirectional, meaning electrons only flow in one direction through the wire to the device it is powering. Once at the device, the DC power is used and will then continue through the device and complete the circuit.

How does AC work?

The electrical current in AC power works by periodically changing direction in a circuit at regular intervals. It’s the most common form of electrical power used for creating and distributing electricity to supply houses and businesses.

How to convert DC to AC?

DC to AC conversion involves using a device called an inverter to convert DC voltage to AC voltage. Inverters consist of switches, transistors, and other components to regulate the flow of the current.

What are the differences between DC and AC?

In DC, the electric current flows solely in one direction, whereas in AC the power changes direction.

Do I need a DC to AC Inverter

For homes or businesses that are off-grid and are powered via solar power, or you need to use an appliance that requires AC power but is not connected to the electric grid (e.g., you rely on batteries or power banks), you will need a DC to AC inverter.

What inverters convert DC to AC the best?

Battery Stuff offers a large selection of exceptional DC to AC converters, including highly rated pure sine wave power inverters, which help to prevent short circuits, overloads, and overheating.

Can all DC to AC Inverters convert AC to DC if used in reverse?

Unfortunately, No. In a DC-to-AC inverter, the energy only flows one way. If you want to convert AC-to-DC, then you would need a charger or a charger converter/power supply. A battery charger takes the AC voltage and converts it to DC and chargers a battery or battery pack. For those trying to run a load with or without batteries, they will need a charger converter/power-supply. Converters are popular in RVs and boats, where you plug into AC shore power to charge a battery pack while at the same time running a DC load, such as your water pump, fan, or other accessories.

Where can you buy a DC-to-AC converter?

We offer an extensive selection of top-grade DC to AC converters — and unlike some of our competitors, we stock all major brands in our state-of-the-art 14,000-square-foot facility. Browse our collection.

Find Your Battery     Choose Your Inverter

Walkthrough

Example	AC Voltage - Many applications will have a range of Input AC Voltage. In the US it can be anywhere from 100-125 VAC. In Europe, it's usually 200-240 VAC. For these examples, we'll use the US standard of 120 Volts AC (240 can be entered in the calculator for the inversion).
Example	AC Amperage - Input Amperage (AH) is how much current the application draws from the AC power. Most applications have this listed on the AC power brick. This number is usually rated in Amps, if the current is rated in milliamps (mAh) you can convert it to Amps by dividing the number by 1000. For instance, our example application draws 300 milliamps, which is the same as 0.3 Amps.
Example	Wattage - Wattage is the total amount of power the application uses. It's calculated by multiplying voltage by amperage. Therefore the 120 VAC x 0.3 Amps equals 36 Watts.
Example	DC Voltage - Output Voltage is rating of your battery system, usually a single 12 volt battery. We use 12.5 volts for 12 volt battery systems.
Example	DC Amperage - Now we know that our application uses 36 watts of total power. If you take this power from a 12.5 VDC source, then the total amperage required increases to 3.31 Amps (or 3,310 mAH). Since batteries have a limited capacity (or amp hours) it's important to size a battery large enough to handle the amperage demand for your application.