An inverter trolley is an inverter and a battery in one box on wheels. You charge it from a plug point, roll it to where you need it, and plug the TV, lamps, wifi or a laptop into its sockets when the power goes. Nothing is wired into the house, so there is no electrician and no CoC. This page covers what a trolley can run, lithium versus lead acid, charging, sizes and inverter trolley prices in South Africa. Send one free, no-obligation request and suppliers quote you directly.
What an inverter trolley can run
Most trolleys give about 1 kW of output, some less and some more. That covers light loads well:
- the wifi router and fibre box
- a TV and decoder
- a couple of LED lamps on an extension lead
- laptops and phone chargers
- a small fridge, on larger pure sine trolleys
It will not run a kettle, heater, microwave, hair dryer or geyser. Check the continuous and surge ratings, and choose pure sine wave output if you plan to run a fridge or anything with a motor; modified sine units can make some appliances hum or run hot.
Lithium versus lead acid trolleys
Older and cheaper trolleys carry one or two sealed lead acid batteries. They are heavy, and to last they should not be run below about half their capacity, so the usable energy is small. An inverter trolley with a lithium battery is lighter, can use more of its capacity and is rated for more cycles, which is why most trolleys sold now are lithium. Compare the battery size in Ah or Wh, the cycle rating and the warranty in writing. For more stored energy in a carry box, see portable power stations.
Charging and safe use
A trolley charges from an ordinary plug point between outages, and many switch over automatically when the power goes if you leave appliances plugged into them. Charge time depends on the battery size and the charger. Keep it in a cool, ventilated spot, not in a sunny window or a closed cupboard. Never wire a trolley into the DB board or back-feed the house through a plug point with a double-ended lead: it is dangerous to you and to anyone working on the lines. If you outgrow a trolley, a fixed home battery backup is the next step.
Sizes and prices
About R5,000 to R28,000 buys an inverter trolley with a lithium battery, depending on the size; a published guide puts most at about R12,000 to R25,000. The price follows the battery capacity and the inverter rating. A small unit for wifi and lights sits at the low end; a large pure sine trolley that can take a fridge costs more. Ask about the warranty, spare parts and whether the battery can be replaced later. For a smaller setup you build yourself, 12V lithium batteries with a power inverter are an option.
What to include in your request
- List what you want to run
- Say how many hours you need
- Say lithium or lead acid
- Ask for pure sine output
- Ask about delivery and warranty
Inverter Trolleys for different clients
- Homeowners: a lithium trolley rolled into the lounge for the TV, wifi and lamps
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: a trolley for a rented flat where the landlord or body corporate allows no wiring
- Offices and home offices: a trolley beside a small office desk running the router, laptop and a lamp
- Shops, restaurants and salons: a trolley behind the counter keeping the card machine, till and router powered
- Farms and smallholdings: a trolley moved between the farmhouse and cottage for lights, wifi and phones
- Clinics, surgeries and care homes: a pure sine trolley for small home medical devices, checked against their power needs
- Factories, warehouses, schools and churches: trolleys for guard huts, site offices and reception desks with light loads
- Electricians, installers and security companies: battery shops and dealers stocking trolleys and re-batterying old lead acid units
Frequently asked questions
How long will an inverter trolley run a TV and wifi?
Is an inverter trolley with lithium battery worth the extra?
Do I need an electrician for an inverter trolley?
Where can I find an inverter trolley for sale near me?
Inverter Trolleys by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg