Where to put Inverter on a 42 Convertible

[Colwyn D]

My last inverter (xantrex prosine 2) was installed on the aft engine room bulkhead. It failed after two years probably due to it's crappy construction but I also have to consider it may have been it's hot environment.
I plan on replacing it with a Victron 3kW unit. Now, my options appear to be either back in the engine room, lazarette under cockpit deck or in the existing tackle cabinet in the cockpit. The 12v house batteries are under the cockpit so placing the inverter forward in the accommodation would mean pretty long leads, 15' at least.
I'm thinking engine room too hot, lazarette too salty, maybe the cabinet but not ideal for a boxful of electronics.

Any advice please....

 

[bobk]

I had a 2.5 KW Victron inverter charger just forward of the starboard 6V92 (48MY) It ran well for eight years and then died when a mech accidentally switched it off and back on. I did see an over heat light a few times in that period when charging. The new one, 3 kw Victron, went back into the same space. I mostly run a refrigerator/freezer and a small refrigerator on it and probably don't exceed 1/3 of it's capacity, so it shouldn't be getting very hot.

Bobk

 

[fissioneng]

I don't think some of the new electronic chargers/inverters are well suited to engine room heat even if they're not fully loaded. My new charger died prematurely (although it was a Xantrex) I think in part due to ambient heat in the engine room. Look at the specs on the new unit and see what it says for maximum operating temperature. I find that some of them have limits around 120 F but the sustained heat in the engine room after shutdown even if only 110 F, will take it's toll with time if the components aren't designed for that.

When I do replace my charger, it will be located outside the engine room. This is really just my opinion without lots of data to back it up. I just don't want another expensive charger to fail.

The 1510's have considerably more volume in their engine compartments, so it might not be as big an issue. My engine compartment is only 3 feet tall!

 

[magnawake]

I was worried about the same thing with the heat in the ER. I installed mine in a wall and cut some vents so it could breath. This was done like Dan, on 43' "Freedom". He walked me through and sent pics to follow. So far so good. Yeah we dont have room at all for that installation. Crazy huh? Maybe the Sport fish has more ventilated room in the ER.

 

[bobk]

I don't think some of the new electronic chargers/inverters are well suited to engine room heat even if they're not fully loaded. My new charger died prematurely (although it was a Xantrex) I think in part due to ambient heat in the engine room. Look at the specs on the new unit and see what it says for maximum operating temperature. I find that some of them have limits around 120 F but the sustained heat in the engine room after shutdown even if only 110 F, will take it's toll with time if the components aren't designed for that.

When I do replace my charger, it will be located outside the engine room. This is really just my opinion without lots of data to back it up. I just don't want another expensive charger to fail.

The 1510's have considerably more volume in their engine compartments, so it might not be as big an issue. My engine compartment is only 3 feet tall!

Information from Victron on this subject can be seen here. Their units have some safeguards as you can see. I'm comfortable with my setup. My ER is about 5' high, perhaps a bit more as I can walk comfortably with my head bent a bit, and the DD's run at 165 F, but cool to 150 F or so by the time I idle up a creek and get the anchor set. I've never checked the ER temperature shortly after shut down, but in the AM it is usually close to 100 F.

http://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Output rating operating temperature and efficiency.pdf

Bobk

 

[Colwyn D]

Thanks for that Bob. My ER also about 5' but boy does it get hot in the summer, FL and Bahamas. I could run a dedicated hose to the unit from the hull side vents, maybe a 4" hose and some sort of outlet near the inverter fan would help.
Magnawake, which wall?

 

[fissioneng]

Interesting data from Victron. My plan is to buy a Phoenix Charger from them this winter. I've been impressed by their engineering documentation, so maybe they've really designed for hot environments. It is amazing how much the derating is though. When it's hot, that turns your X amp charger into a X/2 amp charger!

I have a temperature logger that I use to track engine room temps, mainly in the winter since we leae the boat in all year. On a normal summer day (90+F), the engine room is about 95-100 F mainly due to the polarization transformer which is warm all the time. My CATS run at 180-190 F and after a run and shutdown, I've recorded temps just under 110 F. The cool down is pretty slow, taking about 12 hours to get back down to just above outside ambient.

FWIW, I have talked to Victron in Maine and they were very helpful about technical questions like this.

 

[magnawake]

Yep, thats the problem with anchoring out in the summer. The catts heat the salon up real toasty, and it takes about a day to cool down. Running all day, then dropping the hook in the summer is brutel without running the genny and A/C. Might as well go to a marina. However, the winter is great for keeping warm. We've traveling between christmas and new years. Nice cruising , sometimes, in the carolinas. At least with my inverter, we dont need to run the genny while motoring. Thats a big advantage.

 

[lorimer]

I have a 1973 42c And my Inverter a 2000 watt. Xantrex is mounted in the wall, Stb. side. On the right side of Elect. panel with louvers in the door. Hope this helps. Alan Lorimer FX 42c