Learning what cable to use for an inverter is a vital step in the process of powering your off-grid system, even if it may not initially seem as important as figuring out the right inverter to use or how much battery power you’ll need for your inverters. Finding power inverter cables and power inverter cords that work safely is just as essential.
In fact, it is very important to be sure you are using the appropriate cable size for your inverter and battery, due to safety concerns. Failing to do so could lead to your inverter not supporting full loads and overheating, which is a potential fire hazard. Use this as a guide for choosing the proper cable size, and be sure to contact a professional electrician or our tech team with any additional questions you may have.
1.What size inverter do you have? Noting the size of inverter that you’re using is the first step in finding safe cables. Whether you need to know what size cables for a 2000-watt inverter or what size fuse for a 400-watt inverter, everything comes down to the power you’re producing. The inverter’s size will be located at the front of its product description.
Example: AIMS Power 5000W 24Vdc Power Inverter, model # PWRINV500024W
2. What is the DC voltage of your battery bank? The DC voltage will be a measurement of the total DC voltage produced by your battery bank. If you’re unsure the difference between the power values, you can read our handy guide on how 12-, 24- and 48-volt DC systems differ.
Example below: 8 x 12Vdc batteries wired in series and parallel to make 24Vdc:
3. Now divide the inverter’s wattage by your battery voltage; this will give you the maximum current for your cables. This will provide you with an approximation that you can use to pick out your inverter wire size or inverter cable size.(5000 W)/(24 Vdc) = 208.33 A
**Here, we are just manipulating Ohm’s Law, which tells us that:
Wattage = Voltage * Amperage
4. So, in our example, 208.33 amps is the maximum current that the cable needs to support in order to properly provide the current to the inverter. Use the below chart as a guide to determine which size cable will be best for your application. In our example, we can see that 1/0 AWG cable would be appropriate (#1 AWG has a maximum rating of 211A, which is fairly close to our maximum amperage, so it would be a good idea to go up in size to the next gauge (especially for lengths over 10 feet). By going up to the next size, you avoid risking overheating your system and creating any potential fire hazards. When working with electricity or other potentially hazardous equipment, it is always best to go with the safer option and round up.
*** PLEASE NOTE: For distances over 10 feet, voltage drop over the cables will occur due to resistance through the wiring. If you will need to run cables longer than 10 feet, it is recommended that you increase the cable size in order to compensate for voltage loss. If you are unsure about your application, feel free to give us a call and we will be able to assist you in finding the right cable.
By using this inverter wire size calculator, you’ll learn how to size battery cables, but that’s only one step of the process. Check out the rest of our helpful guides in creating your off-grid power system, from selecting the right inverter to measuring how much battery power you’ll need to produce in order to keep your inverter running and even how to hook up your inverter to your batteries.
hi laura, desthy here from the philippines. I am installing a solar power system in my house and my inverter is a 3kw hybrid 48v system. I computed my max current to be at around 62.5amps and i intend to use awg8 thhn wire as my battery cable since in my location, battery cables are scarce. would this be ok? woule eeally appreciate yoie opinion on this. thanks!
8 AWG cable should be fine but make sure it is good quality and attached securely.
Hello, I am running a 2000w pure sine wave inverter in the back of my car, about 12ft from the 12v battery under the hood, for a mobile office. I am trying to power my Brother laser printer DCP-L5600. I used 4gague wires. The printer powers up for a few seconds, the battery level Indicator on the inverter, goes way down, the warning light and beep goes on, the printer shuts off. It does this over and over. Should I run 0 gauge or what else can I try. Thank You.
For a 2000 Watt 12 Vdc inverter we always recommend at least 1/0 AWG cable.
What size wire & breaker for 5000/10,000 watts max inverter?
We would need to know the DC voltage of your inverter to help answer these questions. Please reach out to us by e-mail, phone, or online chat for help with this question.
Laura, I have 2 100 watt solar panels charging 5 12 volt deep cycle batteries hooked in parallel using 8 agw wire. I want to power a 2000 watt inverter about 10 feet away. What size 12 volt agw wire size do I need?
For a 2000 Watt 12 Vdc inverter we always recommend at least 1/0 AWG cable.
when choosing wire size do you go by the peak inverter wattage of the inverter or the running wattage?
The cable is sized by the max running wattage of the inverter.
Laura and or Chrissy. Im a “TOTAL” solar neo.PLEASE BE GENTLE AS IM LEARNING! Im trying to set up a system for my RV. My power needs are not large as the I will have an efficient DC fridge and L.E.D. lights mostly with an occasional device( Laptop, Small T.V. small stereo etc.) Im going with 100AH x2 AGM’s and 200 Watts of panels.In time I will probably size up to 400W of panels. It will be also tethered to my Diesel Rig (AGM’s x2 )that will have a LVD to prevent taxing the house batteries forstart up. So my question is 1)what size battery cables between the system batteries? 2) what size cable from batteries to 2000W inverter. The inverter will be fairly close to the batteries 2-4 feet.
Thank you for contacting us. We’re happy to help you in your learning process. We recommend running the same size cable for your battery bank and from the bank to the inverter. If you are powering a 2000 Watt inverter at 12 volts DC we recommend 1/0 AWG cable. Sounds like you’ve got a great system started!
Also, what size wire from my Rig (house) batteries back to the camper Batteries. It will, probably be about 12 feet total lenth from the closest battery? I appreciate so much, in advance, your help!! Bob
Shorter distances are best with wiring on the DC side. If you go beyond 12 feet you’ll want to size your cable up to 4/0 AWG across the system.
Hello, I am powering a 3000 watts inverter with four 12volt batteries and nine (9) pv line using 10 awg cable. In a distance between 4feet
We recommend 1/0 AWG cable for a 3000 watt inverter at 12V.
In your example of 8 x 12Vdc batteries wired in series and parallel to make 24Vdc:
What two terminals would you use to connect to the 24 volt inverter?
There is an image in our article titled, “How do I connect multiple 6 Volt batteries in series and parallel for a 12 Volt system?” which clearly shows which terminals to use when connecting to the inverter when connecting multiple batteries in series and parallel. You can find that article here: https://theinverterstore.com/portfolio-items/how-do-i-connect-multiple-6-volt-batteries-in-series-and-parallel-for-a-12-volt-system
Hello. I install a 5000w inverter in my truck and added 2 batteries. I plug 3 food warmers and it works but it drains the batteries in less than 10 mins.. I use 4 gauge cable should i use a thicker cable instead??. Could this be the cause of the batteries draining soo fast??
It’s possible that an undersized cable would create a greater draw on your battery. Using cable that is too small also creates additional heat and can be a fire hazard. Please call us with more information about the DC voltage of your inverter and the watts required by your food warmers for more help trouble shooting this.
I’m installing a 3500 watt inverter in our boat, the installation plan is shore power, 30 amp, to battery charger, batteries, 12v, to inverter, inverter to AC panel. If I install the inverter next to the AC panel the run from the batteries is about 15′. If I install the inverter nearer the batteries then the run would be about 7′ and then 8′ to the AC panel. I planned on using 0 gauge cable to the inverter, is that enough and what size cable to the AC panel
3500 Watts / 12 Volts = 292 amps. We recommend 4/0 AWG cable for that. We do not recommend running that cable longer than 12 feet to avoid voltage drop.
Hi there, I am going to be hooking up 8 105ah batteries in series/ parallel to 24v 3000w controller inverter. My Pv array is 1200w 8x 150w in series/ parallel. What size cables should I use for joining batteries and bank to inverter/ controller.
Thanks so much!
We recommend 4 AWG cable from battery to inverter and for wiring the battery bank together when using a 3000 Watt 24 volt inverter.
I am installing 2 6v batteries in series for a 12v circuit, going to a 1000 w inverter to power a small fridge (draws 1amp @120v) and will probably use the inverter to charge phones as well. The run is approx 10ft, what gauge of wire will work for this?
We recommend 4 AWG cable for a 10 foot run from battery to inverter.
Hello, thank you for the informative site!
What size cable recommended for interconnecting 4 LiFePo batteries (parallel 12 v ) for a 2000 w pure sine inverter (using 4/0 cable from batt bank to inverter.)
We recommend using the same size cable for wiring your battery bank as you do from battery bank to inverter. If you are using 4/0 AWG from battery bank to inverter, we recommend 4/0 AWG for wiring the bank together as well.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have approximately zero experience and I’m starting an off grid wind power system for my father. I currently have a 24v permanent magnet generator, 24v power control dump box, 24v 5k/10k inverter, and 8x 6v/100ah batteries. The distance from pmg to control box is 15ft, from control box to battery bank will be 8 feet, and from battery bank to inverter will be 8 ft.
Question1: will I be using the same gauge wire for all connections?
Question 2: is there a safe way for me to connect all 8 batteries in series and parallel to create one 24v bank with also stacked amp hours?
P.S. please be kind as I am desperately trying to learn more to help my father. Thanks so much in advance.
We can’t comment on several components of your system, as they are outside of our area of expertise. Regarding Question 1, we recommend using the same gauge cable for the battery bank as you do between the inverter and battery. We can not advise for the rest of your system. Regarding Question 2, most batteries can be wired in a design that would put 4 batteries in series (to reach 24 volts DC) and then put each set of 4 batteries in parallel (to increase capacity) You can see an example of a battery bank that is series and parallel here: https://theinverterstore.com/portfolio-items/how-do-i-connect-multiple-6-volt-batteries-in-series-and-parallel-for-a-12-volt-system/?portfolioCats=143%2C140%2C142%2C135
Hello. I am building a mobile battery bank for our cabin. I will be using (2) 12v 100ah batteries in parallel to give me 200ah at 12v. I am powering a 700w/1400w peak inverter. The batteries and inverter are with-in 3 feet each other. My math tells me I should use 1/0 gauge wire for my battery to inverter wire however the inverter came with 6 gauge wire to connect to the battery. What is the proper gauge wire for the battery bank and battery bank to inverter and what size fuse should I use? Thank you for your help.
We recommend using the same size cable for wiring your battery bank as you do from battery bank to inverter. Your peak is 117 amps. Our 6 AWG is rated to 117 amps, or if you use standard cable from another source 4 AWG cable should be fine for both the inverter and batteries.
I’m a newbie and want to build my own solar bank. I have a 3000w pure sine inverter and starting out with (1) car battery and (1) 100w solar panel. Per the diagram and your formula am I correct that a 00 awg guage wire is correct (3000 W)/(12 Vdc)= 250 A. 0 is to low at 245 and 00 is more than enough. Thank you for your help.
Your math is correct, 3000 / 12 = 250 amps. Our 1/0 (0) AWG cable is rated to 284. We recommend our 1/0 AWG cable with the 3000 Watt 12 volt inverters. If you are using cable from another source make sure to check that it is rated to accommodate at least 250 amps, most 1/0 AWG cable from other sources will not meet 250 amps.
I am running a 5000 wide aim inverter off of 36 boats what size wire do I need and fuse thank you
For our AIMS Power 5000 Watt 36 volt inverter we recommend 4 AWG cable and a 150 amp fuse kit.
Hi Laura: I’m installing a new 6000w (220v) sinewave inverter. 48v with 4 x 12v 200Ah batteries. Inverter to battery came with 1 meter 25mm^2 cables. Should I use the same for interconnecting the batteries ? What should be the size of fuse between inverter & batteries? Thanks for your help & great article.
We recommend 4 AWG cable from battery to inverter and across the battery bank. We recommend a 150 amp fuse kit between the battery and inverter.
Hi there. I’m installing a 1000w pure sine wave inverter into a passenger van. I have a 12 V battery and the cables need to travel about 15-20 feet to the rear of the vehicle. Could you please help me with the following questions?
1. What gauge wire or do I need?
2. Do I need to install a fuse in the cable?
3. Do I need to install the ground somewhere?
Thank you very much!
We never recommend installing an inverter more than 15 feet from the battery bank. For a maximum of 15 feet we could recommend 1/0 AWG cable. We do recommend a 150 amp ANL fuse kit. Grounding is dependent on the inverter and installation. Please refer to the users manual or reach out to the technical support team for your inverter for more information about grounding for you specific unit.
Hello I have a 2500 watts inverter and am going to install it on my semi truck. Which gauge would you recommend. Thank you
For a 2500 Watt 12 volt inverter we recommend 1/0 AWG cable and a 300 amp fuse kit.
Is EWCS 1/0 awg cable suitable from 24 volt wall mount battery volthium 200ah within 5 feet of cable length to a 4000 watt inverter that has 1/0 awg terminals ? I keep reading numbers like 4/0 awt cable and like almost 300 amp fuse. My math keeps telling me that 1/0 awg and a 208 amp fuse or as close to above. ? Thanks. New found solar juncky
For our 4000 Watt 24 volt inverters and battery systems attached to them we recommend 1/0 AWG Cable and 200 amp fuse kit. If you are dealing with a different brand of inverter or battery and they are suggesting 4/0 AWG and a larger fuse kit we would recommend reaching out to them to see why they are making that recommendation.
I’m looking to install a 3000 watt or 4000 watt pure sine inverter in the bed of my pickup truck under a cap. The truck is equipped with a dual battery system and 397 amp alternator. I’ll be powering an RV and hope to be able to draw 20 amps of AC power under a constant load. I’m guessing the cable run is about 15-18′ to the bed area. Can this be done and what size cable would I need?
We would need to confirm the DC voltage of your inverter to recommend the correct cable size. No matter the cable size or inverter we do not recommend cable longer than 12 feet from battery to inverter. Please contact us directly with the requested information and we will be happy to help.
Hello, I recently installed a ProWatt 600 watt inverter in my Tacoma truck. I used 6gauge wire and should have used 4 or even 2 gauge because I have the unit installed behind the passenger seat on the floor and the cable run is pretty long.
Rather than ripping it out, buying new 4 or 2 gauge wire and redoing it all over could I just parallel another 6 gauge wire set (that I already have) next to the existing 6gauge already ran? In theory, this should cut my wire resistance in half and improve performance. Is there any reason I should not do this or it would not work well?
Thanks in advance.
That would not be advised. We recommend reaching out to ProWatt to see if they have a solution that would work for you without rewiring.
Hello!
I’m a bit unsure but from what I understand the system should go like this. (Skoolie conversion)
Items
– Aims 3000w puresine inverter
– Aims AC to DC smart charger
– 2 Big Battery Owl Max 2 battery’s
– 4 Renogy 100w solar panels.
– Renogy MPPT smart controller
– 250amp breaker (forgot where to put that)
(About to purchase)
– Busbar (unsure which one)
– 4 to 1 MC4 connectors
– Long runs
– connections for gear to busbar (big questions here)
So… from my understanding everything connects to the busbar and the juice just knows where to go?
That feels wrong. If I have 6guage wire connecting the batts and out dosent it make sense to have 6guage wires everywhere? Or at least to the busbar?
I believe (more hope) that my various items know how to take or give juice. Is that true? I don’t want to fry anything.
Thanks!
Travis
We are happy to assist with technical questions about the products we sell. Unfortunately, we do not sell busbars and can not offer advice on them. If you have questions about your AIMS Power inverter or components from our store we would be happy to help.
Hey I’m installing a 12k w 48v inverter and with 2 sets of 4 series’s 8- total gel cell batteries . What size cable do I need thanks Jim
1/0 AWG up to 15ft.
Hi Chrissy want to know what size of a cable if I’m using 2meters wire from my 24 volt battery (12v in series) connected to 3000kw inverter as well battery to 60a controller? Appreciate your response. Thank you in advance.
We recommend 4 AWG cable for our 3000 Watt 24 volt inverters. We recommend 6 AWG cable for our 60 amp solar charge controller to battery bank.
Hi. I currently have the following batteries and inverter.
2 x 100ah renogy 12v batteries in parallel linked via 35mm cable
1 x 2000 watt 4000 watt peak 12v inverter
What size cable and fuse do you recommend between the inverter and the batteries. Distance is less than 4 feet.
Thanks khris.
We recommend 1/0 AWG cable and a 200 amp fuse kit.
I getting a 3000 watt 24v inverter/charger, what size wire from the ac out to the panel and what size for the ac in on the inverter for a 30amp RV?
Thank you
We recommend 10 AWG wire when connecting to the AC terminal block.
hello im looking to install a 3000w 12v inverter for a mechanics truck, i need the cables to go 12ft, what size should i use?
We recommend 1/0 AWG cable for a 3000 Watt inverter on 12 volt DC for a maximum of 12 feet.
Good days Chrissy..
I’m installing a 5000w power inverter into Back of my GMC sierra. I have a 12 V extra battery.
Kindly direct me for choosing the right cable.
Thanks with best regards
We recommend 4/0 AWG cable with a 5000 Watt 12 volt inverter
Hello perhaps you could help? I have four 100ah LiFePO4 batteries. Wired in series parrelel for 24v. Using a 2000w 24v inverter, I calculated 83.3 so judging by the chart if I’m reading correctly, should I go with 6awg? I have a charge controller that only has 8awg terminals how would I wire my inverter to it? It’s 40amps. Would using 2 bus bars for the positive and negative be a way to get around my inverter having 8awg terminals? So attach my inverter using 6awg or 4awg to the bus bars then from there to the charge controller?
Hi there and thanx for your help. I’ve been reading about the topics addressed above, but to complicate the issue, I’ve also been reading about types of wire – in particular soft core (I think is what it’s called) vs welding type wire. Are your recommendations based on using one of the aforementioned wire, or perhaps some other spec wire. I’m nowhere near an expert on electrical matters and am collecting info prior to installing a 1000 watt inverter powered by a 170 ah lithium battery in a run about 10′ long. Thanx in advance.
We always recommend this stranded braided copper cable like the cables that we sell. Welding type wire is similar, but not as good. Solid core is not recommended for inverters.
Hi. I want to install a 12v 720w inverter and have 2 x 100ah 12v LiFiPo batteries in parallel to increase the storage and runtime. What size cable would you recommend?
Thank you
720 Watts / 12 Volts = 60 Amps. Our 8 AWG cable is a good match for loads of 87 amps or less. https://theinverterstore.com/product-category/cab/8-awg/
Hi what size of cable should I use with my inverter and battery? I will have a battery bank 48V 8 of 12v 250ah agm each. What size wire should I use between batteries? Between batteries and inverter? Inverter size is 5000 watt. I use maybe 2500 watt. What size wire should I use between batteries? Between batteries and inverter? Please let me know which product I should order. Thank you.Bob
For battery bank cable and cables from battery to inverter on a 48 volt system using a 5000 Watt inverter we recommend our 4 AWG cable.
Hi, I have a 2kw true sinewave inverter/charger and two 200ah lifepo4 batteries in parallel. What size fuses at the battery end, and what size wire? Thank you
For a 2000 Watt 12 volt DC inverter we recommend 1/0 cables and a 200 amp fuse kit.
I am curious as to why all the wire size recommendations are well below the size wire the NEC calls for in the three conductor 75 degree C column of table 310-16. I seems to me that the wire would be operating at very high temperatures and even if the insulation on them can withstand these temperatures, the surrounding items in contact with the cables may not be able to withstand these temperatures.
All of our cable recommendations are based on recommendations from the AIMS Power technical support team. For further information about why they have made the recommendation that they offer please reach out to them at 775-359-6703 option 2.
Hi, I have 1200 watts on the roof going to a breaker,8awg going from breaker to cc,8awg from cc to batteries(3-24 volt 100 amp hour lithium)can i connect the rest of the system with 1/0 gauge,batteries to buss bar to 2000 watt inverter? thanks
We would need to know the model of the inverter you are using to recommend the cable size from battery to inverter. Please e-mail [email protected] with the AIMS Power inverter you are using and we will be happy to help with that recommendation.
Hello,
I want to run a 3000 watt inverter about 12’ from the 12VDC Battery source. I plan on running two # 4 gauge wire to the hook up location. I will only be powering up a small TV and a Cable box for about 6-8 hours. What wire size should I use and should I fuse it?
We recommend 1/0 AWG cable and a 300 amp fuse kit for use with our 3000 Watt 12 volt inverters.
Hi, thank you for supporting the community!!
I have a single 12 v battery 120amp. Will connect a 1000w inverter to help recharge ebike batteries. I what is the least cable size I need over a run of 4 metre (12feet)? Can I use 130 amp Anderson plug? Can I connect direct to battery terminals via alligator clips and have 1 m run (3ft)?
For a maximum of 12 feet we recommend 4 AWG cable to connect our 1000 Watt 12 volt inverters to battery. Our inverters are not designed for use with Anderson plugs. Alligators clamps are fine for short term use, but for long term use we recommend a standard connection to battery.
Is it possible to use 4 6v batteries with my inverter?
We don’t have enough information about your inverter and use to answer this question. Please e-mail [email protected] with your question including the model of your inverter, and if possible your expected power draw and how long you plan to power that draw from battery.
3000W / 24V inverter connected to 2 x 12V 100ah AGM batteries. Can I connect the batteries in series with 4 AWG wire and from batteries to inverter with 2 AWG wire. Copper / Aluminium wire. Thank you, keep up the good work.
We always recommend that you use the same gauge cable for the battery bank as you do from the battery bank to the inverter. For our 3000 Watt 24 volt inverters, we recommend our 4 AWG cable.
Planning to wire a 12V 200ah LiFePO4 to a 2000W inverter using short wires. I will have 2ft max b/w inverter to bus bar to battery, shorter if possible. Max discharge current for battery is spec’d at 250A. I will put a 300a terminal fuse on the battery. Wire size recommendations I’ve found range from 4 to 4/0. Wire is expensive but problems are more expensive. Can you recommend wire size for this application? Any other comments on what I’ve outlined? Thanks!
We recommend 1/0 AWG cable for a system using a 2000 Watt 12 volt inverter.