Outback 3232 Inverter Installation

[Dreamboat]

To all you inverter experts. I've bought an Outback 3232 Inverter/charger for my 53 MY and would like to install it before next spring launch. Not wanting to re-invent the wheel, did any of you make and or keep a wiring schematic of how the inverter is tied into the boat's electrics. ie. the existing La Marche charger wiring etc. that you might want to share?
Location is another ? as there doesn't seem to be too much room near the batts anywhere.
I've read the pros and cons about using one of the battery banks or both banks and am still on the fence about that, although I'm leaning towards both banks, because the Outback would be able to keep both banks properly charged and the equalization process would be easier when they're hooked up together.
As always, thanks in advance
Gary

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I mounted my 3232 just outboard of my port(house) bank. I normally run it only from the house bank, but I have a 1/2/both switch to tie it to the stbd bank when I need to do so. The equalization function can be performed on either bank independently by switching that switch.

I also kept my charger in the starboard engine room. This way, I have backup or I can charge even faster by utilizing both chargers at the same time.

For the high voltage side, I just ran to a separate breaker next to my generator breaker on my main panel. This has a safety slide so only the gen or inverter can be used at any given time. Some like to subpanel, but I like being able to run anything on the boat with the inverter.

There are as many opinions and different ways to do this as there are different models of Hatteras boats. So, to start off with a simple approach may be best. Just hook to the house bank first. You can always add a switch later to tie in the second bank. Also, I like the "run the whole boat" approach. It saves time by not having to separate out all of the circuits that you want in your subpanel. Leaving your existing charger there also makes for less work.

You'll likely get other opinions, so you'll have to decide which sounds best for your application.

 

[MikeP]

As Sky said, there are a lot of ways to do it. (Be sure you buy the "MATE" remote panel for the OB if you haven't already - otherwise you can't make use of the OBs extensive capability)

I agree with Sky's comment that it's nice to be able to run anything on the inverter. However, I set ours up to run certain specific items/circuits and operate in the totally automatic mode. IOW, the inverter powers certain circuits all the time - either actually inverting from the batteries or as a 30A "pass-through" if there is shore or Genny power. The unit does this totally automatically and once set up that way, you never have to pay any attention to the unit or flip any switches - it just does what it does. For example, if you loose shore power/turn off the Genny, a TV won't even blink as the power shifts from shore/Genny to inverted battery. There is absolutely no indication at all that power has shifted over - no beeps/microwave clocks going to 12:00, nothing.

So you have to figure out what method you prefer. If you do the automatic method, you will have to decide which circuits to place on a sub-buss for the inverter. Ours is inside the panel at the top of our galley stairs, there is plenty of room to add hot and ground buss for the change. ALSO, you have to separate the appropriate breakers so they don't draw power from the master breaker buss. Using the method Sky described, you do not have to do all that and can run anything you want at any time from the inverter, keeping in mind it is limited to a max of 30A. However, making the mods is not as hard as it sounds and the outback manual describes the process.

I have run my batts as one large bank ever since installing the OB in '05 and I really like that method but again, you have to decide if it's the best method for you. I can switch them back to separate but have never done it since installation. But if your Genny uses the boat's main battery bank for starting, I would personally NOT combine the banks because it's theoretically possible that you could exhaust the batts and have no way to recover.

That said, I have never had the batts drop below 80% of full charge while on the hook overnight so although you could cause a problem if you tried, I've found it's essentially impossible in any normal type use. The boat was on the hard for 36 hours with the inverter running the fridge the whole time and when splashed the mains spun/started as rapidly as if the batts had just come off a charging cycle.

 

[GJH]

I went the route described in Mike's second paragraph as far as going with a subpanel, and for the same reasons as he did. I wanted to make it as automatic and fool proof as possible and that approach served us well; the first few years living aboard full time were spent mostly on moorings or at anchor.

Can't comment on the battery set up as I decided to go with a dedicated inverter bank. I like Sky's set up if I were to use existing banks.

A 3200 watt inverter is more like 25 amps, is it not?

 

[MikeP]

Yes, 3200W is around 25-27A depending on the specific voltage. But the OBs pass through uses a 30A breaker (per their spec). I've never had the breaker pop.

It's worth understanding, for those thinking about the OB, that the battery charging capability comes off that total of 30A capability. IOW, let's say the batteries are being charged at full capacity by the OB - that actually won't happen for all that long but let's say it is. If I remember right, the default for that is a total VAC capability of around 19A. You can reset that with the mate if you want. That means that IF you are at max batt charging, you have 11A available for other use with no compromise of anything.

However, if 19A is going to the charger and you then pull 15A from the AC circuits, you are obviously beyond the 30A capability of the unit. So the unit automatically reduces the batt charging amperage accordingly - the VAC draw gets priority. I realize that this may sound like an issue but it never has been for us. The OB can fully recharge the batts from overnight in a fraction of the time the old LaMarche could with no impact at all in the use of other electrical items as far as practical operation is concerned.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Yes, 3200W is around 25-27A depending on the specific voltage. But the OBs pass through uses a 30A breaker (per their spec). I've never had the breaker pop.

It's worth understanding, for those thinking about the OB, that the battery charging capability comes off that total of 30A capability. IOW, let's say the batteries are being charged at full capacity by the OB - that actually won't happen for all that long but let's say it is. If I remember right, the default for that is a total VAC capability of around 19A. You can reset that with the mate if you want. That means that IF you are at max batt charging, you have 11A available for other use with no compromise of anything.

However, if 19A is going to the charger and you then pull 15A from the AC circuits, you are obviously beyond the 30A capability of the unit. So the unit automatically reduces the batt charging amperage accordingly - the VAC draw gets priority. I realize that this may sound like an issue but it never has been for us. The OB can fully recharge the batts from overnight in a fraction of the time the old LaMarche could with no impact at all in the use of other electrical items as far as practical operation is concerned.

If you don't use the "pass-through", you get the full 30amps of charging all of the time. That's one more reason not to go that route.

 

[MikeP]

True though you don't get 30A of charging UNLESS you program the unit to do that. From the factory it comes set with 19A allocated for charging.

After running the inverter overnight, typically the charger runs up to 19A initially but within 30-40 minutes it has dropped automatically down to 8-9 and by two hours the charging is complete. IOW, it doesn't really need any more than the default charging capability for our use. The OB will fully charge all the batts (our banks are combined) in 2 hours or less and most of that time is at considerably less than the 19A "default full power" so there is a lot more than 11A available without charging being reduced.

Obviously if your use draws the batteries down much more than we do, then it would probably be better to have more power for charging. But it's never been an issue for us.

And Heck, nowadays, that they are practically giving gas away...we'll see about diesel...we might go back to 24/7 on the Genny while cruising and never bother with an inverter at all!

That's the only reason we bought the OB in the first place. When we purchased our 53, our intention was to turn the Gen on, switch off of shore power, leave the dock, and not turn the genny off until we got back to our slip. But it got too expensive to do that.

 

[Dan Mapes]

Freedom has only one 250V 50A shore power connection. Since we have a single phase water heater it forced some phase balancing if we wanted hot water and recharging at the same time. So if possible and/or required based on loads consider which phase you apply the VAC line to the inverter charger.
The great thing about programming them is you can reduce the breaker value if you want. We have dual shore power inputs 250V/50A and 120V/30A. Some times we pull in or are on the hard and having the ability to knock the breaker down to something like 5A is very handy.
The remote monitor controller is without question something that will improve your experience. So will a battery monitor like the LinkPro.
As far as using both banks is concerned, I do not because I consider them to be too far apart. I can via a couple of switches tap into either the port or stbd starting 8D in parallel with the house bank but I prefer to use only either one for the house while underway. Under those conditions the house bank only drives the inverter.

 

[Dreamboat]

Thanks all for the advice. I did purchase the remote control with the unit.
I won't be able to install the unit on the outboard side of my port battery bank like Sky did. My GM Head pump is in the way there. I'll have to study the situation a bit more.

 

[MikeP]

I installed our 3232 forward of the starboard batteries between the forward-most batt box and the bulkhead separating the gen room from the bow compartment. There was a perfect spot for it there - quite accessible for any wiring or other work.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Thanks all for the advice. I did purchase the remote control with the unit.
I won't be able to install the unit on the outboard side of my port battery bank like Sky did. My GM Head pump is in the way there. I'll have to study the situation a bit more.

Yeah, I mounted mine right where that head pump was. I pulled the Galleymaids and went with Raritan Atlantes, so I ended up with more room there.

 

[Seas the Moment]

To echo Mike and Sky's input, I too installed an outback and have it feeding the entire boat with a 1/2/all switch. I have always had it set to "all" with no issues. I agree with Mike's suggestion of including the Mate.

I also installed a generator start control module from Atkinson that integrates with the mate. It will monitor battery level and at a preset cut-in level start the genny and charge the batteries to a preset cut-out level. I have a northern lights genny on a 12V battery and it will also monitor that battery to start the genny if it somehow drops below a certain level. This gives me complete peace of mind. The GSCM also monitors over/under hertz and shuts down in either condition. I also have the ability to bypass the GSCM and go completely manual start/stop.

http://atkinsonelectronics.com/manufacturing/product_pdfs/GSCM.pdf

I really like the set-up. I have 2 double frig/freezer drawers in galley, ice maker, oven/micro and have yet to not make it through a complete night with the genny kicking on. Note, I will run genny manually prior to turning in for the night to bring batteries up, but during the day on the hook, I don'teven pay attention to it and it will cycle as needed.

 

[MikeP]

Loran, I have often thought about the auto-genny start capability and think it would really be neat. As you say, it would make the whole inverter/battery/generator thing completely automatic.

You have inspired me to look into it further...

 

[Seas the Moment]

Mike, it really completes the battery charger/inverter/genny system.

But I have to use this segway to share with all probably one of the neatest upgrades to my boat. I installed an automatic battery watering system that I absolutely love. I replaced all the caps on the batteries with autofill caps that all interconnect to one another with hose and I ran the hose from each bank to a common point. I now can simply insert the end of a hose in my distilled water and squeeze a syphon bulb until the bulb becomes firm. Done. No removing batter covers, distorting my body to fill each cell with a watering can, or shock myself when I hit one of the hot lugs. I literally can fill both banks in about 4 minutes time standing at the bottom of my ladder to the genny room. If my wife goes to the boat in between my visits, she fills them with no issue. Very slick system and I have had no issues.

here's a video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1tDLiNArIU

here's a link to site where I purchased:
http://www.janwp.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=JANWP&Category_Code=BWS

 

[TROUBLE]

Loran,
I installed the same battery watering system in my boat and believe me, its one of the best things i ever did. I understand you can also set that up to gravity feed.

Art

 

[Seas the Moment]

Art, it gets even better, here is a pic of an pressure actuated pump to keep batteries full. A bit overkill if you ask me, but pretty cool none the less!

 

[MikeP]

Hmmm- auto battery filling...more coolness; I like it!