Help with inverter wiring

You need something called a transfer switch. Then you figure out what circuit breakers you want to have powered up while on inverter power. Then make SURE the converter is not going to end up plugged into any of those circuits (even if you need to install a new dedicated 120 volt feed to the converter from the main panel.

Lets say that you wanted to connect circuit breaker #2 and #3 to the inverter power output. Disconnect both of those wires from the respective circuit breaker, and lable them as #2 and #3. Then install the transfer switch with the "Gen input" connected to one of those circuit breakers (lets say #2). Output of the transfer switch will go to both wires (#2 and wire #3). You also connect a white wire to the transfer switch input.

To the "Line input" wire of the transfer switch, (it is not going to waste power energizing the transfer switch using up valuable battery power) you connect the output of the inverter black and white wires.

You are done with the high voltage wiring to the inverter.

If the converter has no place to get plugged in, now is a great time to install a new 120 volt receptacle for the converter, and you will have a empty circuit breaker #3. Wire it the normal way. If you don't know how, seek help in completing this project.

Basically you never want to hook up the output of a inverter directly to a energized power source, such as the circuit breaker, but run the power through a transfer switch instead, that will prevent backfeeding power into the inverter, and also prevent it from blowing up.

Good luck,

Fred.

Another question is how many batteries do you have? If you have less than 4, I don't think you will be happy with the installation, as just after making coffee or toast, you will need to spend the next 2 hours recharging the batteries.

My toaster takes 150 amps from my battery bank (4 of them) and it really depletes it. If I was running the engine anyway, it all comes from the alternator and the #2 wire recharges the battery fairly quickly. If it comes from the solar system, it would take about 8 hours of good sun to replace 150 amp hours, or about 2 days with my small 415 rated watt solar system.

I rarely use my built in 1,500 watt inverter. After using the microwave on the inverter a couple of times, less than 5 minutes total, I had to replace it, the cooking speed was very long, due to it cooking very slowly, I think the modified sine wave power damaged it.

For watching TV, it was always much more energy efficient to run the smaller 150 watt or 300 watt portable inverter. With those, I installed a new cirgarette lighter receptacle near the TV set, and did not need to run extension cords or anything, it powered the TV great, and only used about 6.5 amps instead of 10.5 when using the larger inverter to run the 19" tube type TV and Direct TV receiver.

Fred.

I use a 300W pure sine wave to power the tv/dvd. Anything else gets the gen or shore power.

Hi,

I'm not a fan of transfer switches.

I installed a female 30 amp outlet which I power with my inverter.

Turn off the converter, and set the fridge on propane.

All outlets will be powered.

The best option is installing an automatic transfer switch. You can purchase one such as this: Transfer switch.
I initially started out by manually unplugging the inverter prior to running the generator or using shore power until that time I forgot and blew up my inverter. I made my own transfer switch using a relay that I purchased at Grainger.

I'm gonna go with @Golden_HVAC, and suggest that unless you have at least 4 house batteries, you are not going to be happy with that inverter. The coffee maker alone will drain battery power like crazy, and a 1200 watt inverter is way more than you need for the TV. The inverter itself is going to be a large and very inefficient drain when powering just the TV.

I think I'd lose the coffemaker. Get yourself one that uses propane instead, then size the inverter just for the TV. Then you won't NEED a transfer switch, as when you wanna watch the tube on battery, you switch the plug and turn on the inverter instead of just the TV. That's a LOT less work than wiring up the transfer switch, and cheaper to boot.

The default for my converter is unplugged.

When I have only 15 amp power I run the converter to charge the battery bank--and run the rest of my rv from the inverter. It makes life much simpler for me.

I'm ok giving up on the coffee maker.
I also found a better inverter (I think?) it's 1000w pure sine
We just bought this camper and for now I'm only running 2 batteries(1 - 27 dc and 1 - 31dc) the goal is to replace them with 4- 6v golf cart batteries by next year.

I appreciate all your comments!
I want a foul proof system as I can be pretty forgetful and I know that if I have manually flip breakers and switches, I'll be blowing something up at some point...
An automatic transfer switch sounds like the way to go. I should be able to pick 1 up locally at a electrical wholesaler shouldn't I?

Hi,

Which inverter did you find? Link?

12 volt batteries will tolerate a 1200 watt inverter. Six volts may not like it much due to lots of voltage drop.

Why not wire the entertainment center ALWAYS to the inverter, even when on shore power? If boondocking, it will work. If on shore power, it will work and the converter will keep the battery charged. No transfer switches, no plugging/unplugging. Nothing to remember.

Just take the wire powering the entertainment center out of its breaker, and hook it permanently to the inverter.