inverter hook up

[hwginc]

Purchased a 3500 /7000 watt converter to operate my frige,icemaker,freezer and tv while underway to avoid running the genset until arrival or anchor the inverter has 4 110 outlets how would you hook this up would you run one to the main breaker turning off the circuits that you are not using or all 4 to the main .would there be a problem of backfeed
thanks

 

[luckydave215]

Rtfm..........

 

[SKYCHENEY]

If you try to feed the whole panel, you need a lockout device to prevent backfeed. This can be a rotary switch or a couple of breakers with the slides over them that prevent more than one being turned on at once.

Is this a marine rated unit? I don't know if I have seen any that large with outlet plugs.

 

[hwginc]

they stated it was for marine, rv etc talked to their teck support he said that one outlet would put out 3500 or all four would does not matter stated wire to disconnect to eliminate any chance of back feed when shore or gen is used even though it has remote shutoff

 

[hwginc]

Rtfm..........

what does that mean

 

[Avenger]

Read The Manual... or something similar.

 

[TedZ]

You need to do some research.

What is 3500/7000? Are the plugs all 110 VAC?


Any manufacturer that says you can draw 3500 watts from one outlet should be very suspect. Plugs in most instances are 15 amps. Some of the ones with a cross female insert are 20 amps. That still means you are limited to around 2200 watts. You will melt the plug if you attempt to feed a panel from one outlet and draw 3500 watts, and maybe cause a fire.

If you don't want to feed the whole boat, you need to shut off individual breakers (a pain). You have to avoid backfeed and without a relay or a switch when you are on inverter, it can be tricky.

Do your batteries have the capacity for this load? Alternators?

Fridge, icemaker, freezer!! All rotational loads. You sure you have this figured out???

Ted

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

Something doesen't sound right.

What is the make and model of this new inverter you are installing?

I think a lot of us can render better advice if give us this info.

 

[garyd]

That lucky dave guy could be up for an "old salt award" lol.

Be careful with this it can bite you. If ya don't know what your doing don't start with an inverter. There is a bunch of stuff to get correct. It is no big deal if you think it through but I feel it has to be fool proof.

If it is not easy to get right or easy to get wrong don't hook it up until the admiral can turn all kind of breakers and not burn something up or shock herself.

I would hook the inverter to the appliances you want to run and completely disconnect them from the ship or genny 115v. Have a dedicated battery for the inverter. The inverter will charge the battery and pass through the power from the ship or shore when power is available.

Worse case senario is battery dies when you ain't paying attention. You loose what's ever in the fridge. Your monitor will let the yard know if you loose 115v power. The only time I've lost power at the boat is when the Hurricanes came through. Then I could of easily went out and just let the battery run the fridge and while I was there checking on it run the genny to charge the battery.

This is a very safe way to hook it up. My kids and admiral have learned to turn whatever they need on and off and throw the breakers to get it done. They and even myself have thrown the x breaker when we really wanted the y breaker. This here way they can't hurt themselves.

garyd

 

[Pascal]

large marine inverters dont' have plugs, are you sure this is a marine unit? it's going to be hard to pull full power out of those plugs in a fixed isntallation.

one way is to use a 4 position rotary (gen - inverter - shore -off) on the panel leg you want to power with the inverter and manually disconnect the breakers you dont' want to power, typically water heater, battery charger, etc...

or... a pair of dual pole breakers with safety slide but whatever you do, you must make sure that there is no back feeding risk.

inverter instal isn't rocket science but make sure you follow all instructions about wire size, wire run, etc...

 

[luckydave215]

It's not my intention to be an "Old Salt" with my reply, just a smartass
Hooking up an inverter is something I don't feel comfortable advising someone on "how to do it" on the net, it's too easy to kill yourself if it's not done exactly right. Even then, it's possible.
If this job is outside anyone's skills/knowledge, (be honest with yourself) it should be left to qualified personnel.

 

[Boss Lady]

I have a buddy who almost killed himself playing with solar panels, batteries and an inverter. I have been doing electronics and electrical stuff for 30+ years, and I can do all the calculations necessary to design and engineer this stuff, and you won't catch me doing anything without having a drawing of what I want to hook up. Even the pros make mistakes doing wiring. Electricity is not a forgiving entity. You "have" to know what you are doing. I would recommend that you have an electrician pull the circuits you intend to power with the inverter off the main panel and connect them in a sub-panel with a disconnector switch that will allow you to run them either from mains power or inverter power. They would be isolated from the rest of the circuits when switched to inverter power and should you forget to turn off the inverter before running the generator or connecting shore power you cannot back feed anything. You need to calculate the different loads you want to connect, both their running current and starting current draw to make sure that your inverter will not be overloaded. Your electrical panel comes equiped with either a rotary switch or an interlock switch to prevent you from accidentally connecting two sources at the same time. You will need the same type of interlock or rotary switching to prevent problems for your inverter.

 

[luckydave215]

I would recommend that you have an electrician pull the circuits you intend to power with the inverter off the main panel and connect them in a sub-panel with a disconnector switch that will allow you to run them either from mains power or inverter power.

Another possibility is to buy an inverter that includes a "smart" auto switching feature, with a control panel that shows where the power is flowing to/from.
You must remember, just because you turned off the shore power and the generator it doesn't nessessarily mean everything's dead, some circuits may still be live because the inverter may be powering them, and if you forget this little fact, it can kill you.

 

[Trojan]

Why switch it at all? Why not dedicate the 4 units you want to power to the inverter and run them full time off the inverter. That's what I do. It's a whole lot easier and cheaper. Your charger should easley keep up with the batteries. Nothing runs 100% of the time and none of the units are a heavy draw. Keep it simple. 3500 Watts is not a big unit. Inverters are always rated in watts same as generators.


BILL

 

[Pascal]

one issue is that most marine electricians might not want to install a non marine inverter in a boat. if anything goes wrong... they're responsible !

 

[hwginc]

I have a buddy who almost killed himself playing with solar panels, batteries and an inverter. I have been doing electronics and electrical stuff for 30+ years, and I can do all the calculations necessary to design and engineer this stuff, and you won't catch me doing anything without having a drawing of what I want to hook up. Even the pros make mistakes doing wiring. Electricity is not a forgiving entity. You "have" to know what you are doing. I would recommend that you have an electrician pull the circuits you intend to power with the inverter off the main panel and connect them in a sub-panel with a disconnector switch that will allow you to run them either from mains power or inverter power. They would be isolated from the rest of the circuits when switched to inverter power and should you forget to turn off the inverter before running the generator or connecting shore power you cannot back feed anything. You need to calculate the different loads you want to connect, both their running current and starting current draw to make sure that your inverter will not be overloaded. Your electrical panel comes equiped with either a rotary switch or an interlock switch to prevent you from accidentally connecting two sources at the same time. You will need the same type of interlock or rotary switching to prevent problems for your inverter.

Thanks Chris I am going to use a disconnect and run it off the main panel to the 4 circuits

 

[Boatsb]

The inverter should to be on a selector switch just like the Shore/generator. You can get a 3 way switch or add another 2 way switch on the generator circuit. I put mine where the Generator was and when I add the new genny I will add a second switch that selects generator/Inverter. Thereby no way to backfeed.

Its simple and will require less redesign of the electrical system.

Inverters are about 85% efficient although they state more. Charges are about the same. Using the inverter to always power the circuits leaves you open to 2 issues.

1) Its a waste of power and creates heat as a byproduct.

2) The inverter and charger do not need to be excersized regularly in fact the heavier use will not lenghten their lives but probably shorten them..

As for the safety issue with electricity I agree use an electrician if you are not comfortable doing it. Use only marine grade tinned wire ( do not tin it yourself as that causes it to become brittle) and install it in a neat, orderly, well markes and supported manner.

 

[Trojan]

Boatsb I disagree with both of your issues. Of course he can wire it any way he wants and in many different ways safely. I use a battery disconnect and run AC power direct to my units. It runs 24/7 producing little heat. The battery charger also ran 24/7 before the inverter. A 3500 watt solid state inverter is not large and is not something that is going to WARE out from use. They will last a long tine unless you constantly overload it. Hooked up direct you have NO CHANCE of a back feed. What could be safer and more worry free? How much is a rotary switch? $300. Plus you need the DC disconnect. Where are you going to find a convenient place to mount these switches. Not many boats have room in the electrical panel. Plus the amount wiring needed to connect everything. Sounds like a job for an electrician and how many boat bucks. I believe in the KISS system. Why over complicate a simple system.
I care less how you choose to wire it, just do it safely.

BILL

 

[34Hatt]

You must remember, just because you turned off the shore power and the generator it doesn't nessessarily mean everything's dead, some circuits may still be live because the inverter may be powering them, and if you forget this little fact, it can kill you.

This is a Important recommendation it happens a lot I even came CLOSE, Luckily I always check with a meter boat is unplugged not genny running I was going to skip the check but at work here they drill it into us to check every circuit. So should have seen my face when the meter showed 120 volts Then it was why look over and there is the Invertor switch on...
Don't forget about it!!!!!!!!!!!! And always double check!!!!!!!!!

 

[Boatsb]

The rotary switches will allow you to disconnect the inverter without cutting the DC and not have a dangerous situation. I could pull out a 1 x 2 and install a 1 x 3 in the space I have.

Also I disagree with the statement that electronics do not wear out. They do. Capacitors lose oil by evaporation due to use and heat. Resistors start to vary from their values as they get older. Just like an engine they life of the chargers and the inverters will get "used up". Batteries also wear out and should be considered as part of that chain.

FWIW I would not depend on that inverter/charger system for my refrigerator and such because if the system goes down how would I switch to the genny or shore power?