Hey all, Have a 2011 Prius and plan to use a car fridge and some other appliances via cigarette lighter socket; my car has two. To prevent blowing the fuse, what should I be looking at on appliances, Wattages, anmps, etc. and if so, what’s the limit? And is this limit cumulative amongst the two sockets? Thanks!
We have a 12vdc cooler, it adds a nice feature to living in a vehicle. If you go down the rabbit hole toward maximizing the current that your 12vdc outlets can provide, you are kind of playing with fire. I recommend that the first appliance you get is a portable jump starter, keep it plugged in and charged. Because eventually, you will kill your 12vdc battery.
The per-outlet limit of 120 watts (12 volts at ten amps) should be in white print right on the cover of each outlet. The outlets are off when the car is off. When the car is READY you can use them without draining the 12-volt battery (the car will burn gasoline as needed to keep the battery charged). When the car is in ACC or ON but not READY, the outlets also can be used, but only until the 12-volt battery drains (its capacity is around 500 watthours, less if it is old).
