Inverter Question

[Tex Bigfoot]

History :

 

A couple of years ago I installed a new Haler refrigerator and 2000-watt pure sinewave inverter.

At the same time, I installed a 4-gang box and wired 2 plugs for the inverter and 2 for shore power, more or less a poor man’s power switchover.

Works great and no problems at all.

Now my question. The inverter is only powering the Haler, is it necessary or advised to change from the inverter to shore power?

​Not that it is big deal but was just curious.

​Edit: After a comment by Dale regarding charging with only the converter ......... I'm am using the converter to charge the batteries and have 2 Group 27 marine batteries.

[Darryl&Rita]

We don't. Inverter 24/7.

[Dale P]

We leave our inverter on 24/7.

Also have 6 (6Vdc) batteries along with 1000 w of solar. So can you leave it on?

Yes, as long as you know what your system can handle.

How the batteries are charged and not just using a converter.

Understand that if you loose shore power your batteries will last many hours.

[oldjohnt]

Hey there Tx, looks like I will be spending Thanksgiving in your great state in the RV

 

You ask "Now my question. The inverter is only powering the Haler, is it necessary or advised to change from the inverter to shore power." NOTE YOU SAY ONLY THE FRIDGE AND IM BASING MY ANSWER ON THAT!!!!

 

Here's how I do it: I also have a Haier fridge and a 2 KW PSW Inverter. Say I'm mainly on the road, maybe an occasional night in a full hook up park, and/or long term dry camping OF COURDSE WELL DUH I leave it on the Inverter and don't switch if plugged in ONLY a day or two.

 

HOWEVER if I stay a week or more plugged in at a park OF COURSE I run the fridge on utility power to save heat losses and wear and tear and use of the EACH INEFFICIENT Inverter,,,,,,,,,, and Batteries,,,,,,,,,,,, and Charger,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and NOT pay for or suffer from all those wasted heat losses and equipment use. Why run the Inverter if at a park a week or a month when its more energy efficient to just plug it into 120 VAC utility VERSUS draw off the Batteries and Charger and Inverter ALL HAVING TO WORK WHEN NOT NEEDED (FOR THE FRIDGE AT LEAST) THATS A TRIPLE (Batteries, Charger, Inverter) INEFFICIENT WHAMMY LOL.

 

Before anyone flames YES I'm aware the charger and batteries are still in use HOWEVER if the fridge is one of the loads, that's more use of Batteries PLUS Inverter PLUS Charger that isn't needed "as much" if the fridge is on utility power. AND IN THIS CASE THE INVERTER IS SETTING THERE RUNNING INEFFICIENT ONLYYYYYYYYY FOR THE FRIDGE!!! Wasting that energy and running an inefficient Inverter 24/7 when N OT needed makes no energy sense, but sure it will work if that's your choice and if the power goes out turn it back to Inverter

 

BUT sure there are advantages and disadvantages either way so do as you please, but using energy robbing all inefficient batteries and charger and inverter when you can simply plug the fridge to utility if there a long time makes no energy wise at least sense. It costs MORE to use the charger and inverter then if plugged in to utility to run the fridge WELL DUH

 

John T Do as yall like its your choice and fine by me. It would be a boring world if we all did the same lol or ONLY because it saved money and wear and tear on our equipment

[Smitty77_7]

We do leave our MS2812 Inverter on 24/7. Wanted it in case of power failure.

 

One "Duh!" moment we had this trip, was when we were not told about a planned power outage... (A good portion of the town of Fork, WA had a 6 hours planned power outage for some electrical work.) We did not know about it, and since it was in the mid 40's overnight, I left a electric heater set on medium on all night. We have a residential fridge, and frankly we are not very 'lean' in other power robbing parasites!!! Woke up in the AM to the Microwave flashing. (The power came back on before we got up. Heard the noise of the ATS kicking in, but thought it was our dog making a noise in a dream, like she does from time to time.)

 

Our battery bank had already started recharging, I suspect for about 60-75 minutes, before I got up and found out about the power outage. We were at that time up to 66% SOC. The MS2812 Low Power Cut Off of the Inverter, saved the batteries from being drawn down any further.

 

Morale of this story, was we've bought a Audible Alarm to alert us of Power Outages... Will need to wire one outlet to be off of the inverter, which I have not yet done.

 

Best to you, and all,

Smitty

[skp51443]

We just added an outlet near where we wanted our heater, that let us use a high quality outlet and heavier wire as well as having the heater outlet on its own breaker, one not powered by the inverter. Looked at just moving an existing outlet off the inverter but we'd have had to move a whole string of outlets.

[Yarome]

One "Duh!" moment we had this trip

 

I don't know why you would call that a "duh" moment. You've got some decent gear and everything performed exactly as it should. You had heat, no harm no foul to your battery bank, you had a comfortable uninterrupted night of sleep. It's not a daily occurrence so sounds like a "win" to me.

 

Given the same situation, personally, I would take heat over a deeper discharge.. and I wouldn't want to know about it till morning anyway.

[Tex Bigfoot]

Thanks everyone

 

John the way you explained made good sense .

i have been pluging to shore power everytime but caught myself forgetting a couple of nights this trip and was a little concerned about wear on the equipment .

[Smitty77_7]

Yarome - If I had known the power was off, I would have just run with the Hydro Hot heating unit... Suspect it would have consumed close to 1 gallon over the night, as we set the thermostat pretty low overnight. (Electric heater has a 1-10 scale setting to auto shut off too, and we keep that a bit lower.)

 

And yes, the gear did work as it should have. And I posted here, at first I thought I had the wrong settings, turns out I ended up putting it very close to where it was to start with:)! (Good info sharing about low voltage cutoff, and wondering why Magnum does not use SOC for this feature:)!)

 

I do 'exercise' out battery bank, but also try to protect too much usage of the Life Cycles available to this bank. Use when we need it, and draw down to at 80-85% SOC at least once a month, just to keep things exercised, even when on longer periods of shore power.

 

Stanley - I like the idea of running a more substantial gauge and wire, and have several hospital grade outlets left over from when we were building three different entertainment and hifi zones in our house. I can use one of those that I have. And I do have room for two more circuit breakers in my current coach box. 20A is the way we'll go for the wiring and outlet feed.

 

Best to all,

Smitty