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Specification guide

Backup Power and Inverters for Dumsor: A Ghana Guide

When dumsor cuts the power, an inverter and battery keep the lights, fans and fridge running. Here is how backup power works in Ghana, what a changeover switch does, and how to size a system honestly without overpaying.

Living With Dumsor

Dumsor — Ghana’s recurring power cuts — is not an emergency you can plan around; it is a condition you have to design for. When the supply drops, a properly installed inverter and battery system keeps your lights, fans, router, and fridge running without you touching a thing. Done right, you barely notice the cut. Done wrong, you have an expensive box that trips on the wrong load or kills its own batteries.

This guide explains how backup power actually works in a Ghana home, what a changeover switch does, how to size a system honestly, and where the real costs sit. The aim is a system that fits your house and your load — not the biggest one someone can sell you.

How Backup Power Works

The inverter

The inverter converts the DC power stored in your batteries into the AC power your house runs on. When the grid is up, it passes mains power through and charges the batteries. When dumsor hits, it switches to the batteries — fast enough that your lights stay on.

The batteries

The batteries are where the runtime lives. Lithium batteries last longer and tolerate deeper discharge than older tubular types; the right choice depends on your budget, your daily load, and how long a cut you need to ride out. A real installer sizes the battery to your house, not to a brochure.

The changeover switch

A changeover switch decides what powers your circuits — grid, generator, or inverter — and stops them ever feeding each other, which is both dangerous and damaging. If you also run a generator, a properly installed changeover is what keeps the whole arrangement safe. Generator changeover installation runs indicatively around GH₵300–600 in labour — though the exact figure is confirmed on site, because every board is different.

Sizing a System Honestly

The honest question is not “how big a system can I afford” — it is “what do I actually need to keep running during a cut?”

Decide your essential load

Lights, fans, the router, phone chargers, and the fridge are the usual essentials. AC units and water heaters are heavy loads that change the system size dramatically — be deliberate about whether you want them on backup.

Decide your runtime

A two-hour cut and an all-day outage need very different battery capacity. Sizing for the worst case you will realistically face — not the worst case imaginable — keeps the cost sensible.

Get it sized on survey, not by phone

Inverter and battery units have shelf prices, but the installed system — the right inverter, the right battery, the changeover, the board work — is priced on what your house needs. A real installer surveys your load and your board first. A phone quote on a full system is a guess.

What It Costs — Honestly

ItemIndicativeNote
Generator changeover install (labour)~GH₵300–600confirmed on site
Inverter + battery systemon surveysized to your load
Surge protectionon surveystrongly advised in Ghana

Inverter and battery units sell at shelf prices, but the installed system is scoped to your house. Almost no Ghana electrician publishes a flat installed-system rate, because the right system genuinely depends on your load, your board, and your runtime.

Don’t Forget Surge Protection

When dumsor power is restored, the surge that comes with it is what fries appliances and boards. A backup system protects you from the cut — surge protection protects you from the return. In Ghana, with its ECG voltage swings, the two belong together. We fit surge protection as part of the job so the next surge does not undo the investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size inverter do I need for my house in Ghana?

It depends on your essential load — lights, fans, router and fridge need a far smaller system than one that also runs AC and water heaters. A real installer surveys your load and your board and sizes the system to it, rather than quoting a one-size figure by phone.

How much does it cost to install backup power in Ghana?

Inverter and battery units have shelf prices, but the installed system is priced on survey — it depends on your load, your board, and your runtime. Generator changeover installation runs indicatively around GH₵300–600 in labour, confirmed on site.

Will an inverter run my air conditioner during dumsor?

It can, but AC is a heavy load that increases the inverter and battery size — and cost — significantly. Be deliberate: many homes keep AC off backup and put lights, fans, router and fridge on it instead. We size it to what you actually want running.

Do I still need a changeover switch if I have an inverter?

If you also run a generator, yes — a changeover switch stops the grid, generator, and inverter ever feeding each other, which is dangerous and damaging. It is the part that keeps the whole arrangement safe.

Get a System Sized to Your Home

Electricals Ghana installs inverter and battery backup that actually works through dumsor — sized to your load, with a proper changeover and surge protection, certified, for over 20 years. We survey first, then quote in writing on what your house needs. Call +233 27 000 0866.