Help with inverter wiring
I am installing an inverter in my 5th wheel. smallish one, 1200watts. basically only used to fire up the entertainment system on rainy days and coffee maker in the morning.... I have it hooked up to ...
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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.
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.
