Choosing and installing an inverter

CJW8 - I have been doing the same thing for a couple of years now. Picked up a couple of these POWERWARE 5125RM 1500WATTS UPS unit. I think EATON owns POWERWARE now...


They are great and my 2KW Generator hookup to the OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer charges them back up just great.

There a ext BATTERY receptacle on the back on the case. I haven't looked into it yet what batteries I can use. Hopefully it is 12VDC...POPUP

This gives me a good quality fast switching 120VAC and runs my Emergency Radio Monitor Console and computer setup and monitors and all for a good couple of hours.

Once I get the use of my trailer battery bank tie in this will really be a great addition for me...

Roy Ken

Padlin wrote:
.. all power related equip under the rear dinette seat. 2-6V Interstate GC batteries

I take it this means you have LA batteries in the seat, in the living area? Got ventilation? I wouldn't care for that. AGMs maybe, not LA's.

It's also not recommended to have sensitive equipment in the same space with LA batteries.

CJW8 wrote:

RJsfishin wrote:
I got so sic and tired of the blips from the ATS clicking off the tv,......never again.
:(

Me too and not just the TV but the satellite receiver had to do a complete reboot. I solved it by buying a small UPS like you would use for a computer and all of my entertainment system is plugged into it. Now when the switch is done the TV/satellite never miss a beat.

You can use a good quality PSW inverter (properly sized), as a UPS, simply by leaving it ON all the time for those sensitive circuits.

I have mine installed so that it feeds all circuits AFTER the air units and the feed to the converter. I simply trip the input breaker to the inverter and let the output feed those circuits while the converter is charging the batteries. Plus, I still have use of the ac if I need it.

All power outages/blips go completely unnoticed by the TV and satellite receivers.

Some other thoughts:
I have the Xantrex 2K PSW and it runs the microwave just fine. It does have a high idle current so I only turn it on when I need it and I have the remote switch. No personal experience but most of the consensus on here is that the controls on electric blankets DO NOT like MSW inverters. Your electric blanket probable only needs a 400-600 Watt inverter but it needs to be PSW.

RJsfishin wrote:
I got so sic and tired of the blips from the ATS clicking off the tv,......never again.
:(

Me too and not just the TV but the satellite receiver had to do a complete reboot. I solved it by buying a small UPS like you would use for a computer and all of my entertainment system is plugged into it. Now when the switch is done the TV/satellite never miss a beat.

The electronics in the average electric blanket (not the actual heating element) will quite possibly require you to have a PSW inverter. Selecting a blanket or pad that specifies that it does NOT require PSW ahead of time would be wise.

A quality inverter/ATS combo, in a whole house configuration (minus the ac of course), works just fine.

Your WFCO converter is fine, as long as it remains operational. It's just that WFCO has a poor longevity reputation. I would suggest a PD9260 when replacement is required.

Padlin,

Sounds like you are well on your way to a sweet set-up.

Here are a few thoughts that may, or may not, be of help:
- To run a microwave for more than just a few seconds (and only when the batteries are 100% full), you will need more battery capacity. I suggest a minimum of four 6 volt GC batteries. (we frequently run ours with our four batteries)
- To run a microwave, the inverter will need to be connected to the battery with large diameter wires that are short (in length).
- Some devices don't fair well with MSW inverters. I never had problems (other than buzzing noises) before I switched to a PSW inverter, but I know people who have had their devices destroyed by MSW inverters.
- If you really don't need automatic switching (who really does?), an alternative (not cheaper though) to the transfer relay is simply a 30 Amp DPDT center OFF switch. One advantage of such a switch is that you can switch your entire rig with it allowing the inverter to power everything (of course, can't run the AC)...this is what I do. Another advantage is that by manual switching past a center OFF position, there is less likelihood of burning the contacts.
- I believe you get what you pay for with inverters. The Xantrex is a good quality consumer quality unit that should be fine for occasional use (I have the same inverter you are looking at), but it is not of industrial quality (something I would want if I lived in my trailer full time).
- I (or should I say my wife) really likes the remote switch. She doesn't have to do anything other than just push a button to fire up the microwave to heat up lunch.
- Another consideration that I think should be taken into account when shopping for inverters is their Standby Power consumption. Lower is better (you will find the Xantrex fairly low for a sine wave inverter in this price range). THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) is another factor that might be of importance, esp. if running high quality audio gear is important to you. One source for inverters that you may want to check into is Don Rowe
- You are right in thinking of replacing your converter with a better battery charger. There are lots to choose from and probably all do a reasonable job. Just remember to check on the wire size between the charger and battery as it is likely too small for the distance. Better yet, why not put the inverter and charger right next to each other and run the same SHORT and FAT wires to them both.
Because I use my trailer for winter (snow) camping, temperature compensation was important to me. So I choose the Xantrex TrueCharge 2. This is not a recommendation, just what and why I chose what I did. You may find, as I have, that with solar (I have 300 watts) you really won't need the battery charger very often Yes, I have a generator....just haven't yet needed it.

I suggest you continue to do as you are and consider the whole package (inverter, charger, solar, transfer switch) as you design the system. This doesn't mean you have to do it all at once, but at least plan for it.

Hope this rambling helps,
Steve

I went down the "whole house 1500 watt w/ ATS" road long ago, never again.
My now 400 watt Cobra on a dedicated circuits works great. I got so sic and tired of the blips from the ATS clicking off the tv,......never again.

I now try to find a reason to switch to a PSW, and can't find any, so if it ain't broke, it'll stay just like it is,...kiss ! I love it.

Not to say, that my 1500 watt MSW, ruined a microwave before I believed those who said it would :(

Double post

I installed a Xantrex ProSeries 1800, which is a modified sine wave inverter with a built in transfer switch. We have a similar setup - 200 watts of solar, 2 12V batteries. So far, seems to work really well.

I wanted a pure sine inverter, but cost won out. I had also been using a cheap 400W portable inverter, and it ran everything fine, so I went with the modified sine with the built in because the cost difference was so big. I really wanted a built in transfer switch, so I picked this one.

I haven't tried it, but based on the calculations, running the microwave on the inverter just didn't seem reasonable with 2 batteries (we don't have a generator). And since we are trying to get 4-5 days at a time on the batteries, I also ruled out anything like a toaster, coffee pot, or hair dryer. We really just use it for the TV and computer.

Our microwave is on its own circuit, and all the 110V receptacles are on another circuit with the refrigerator. I wired it basically as you were considering. I spliced into the Romex coming out of the 15A breaker and ran from the breaker into the inverter. Then the output of the inverter gets connected back into the feed to circuit. Its the same concept as using a sub-panel, but you don't actually need the sub-panel since its only powering one circuit. I like this method because with the transfer switch, its automatic. Nothing to change or switch you just always have 110V power to the outlets. I just need to switch the fridge to gas manually so it doesn't run off the inverter. I could have separated it and added a breaker in the panel, but I can live with that one extra step.

Whatever you select, I would definitely recommend a transfer switch and remote panel. A 2000 watt PS inverter/charger with full 4 stage charging is the ultimate setup, but its pretty pricey. For a fraction of that, we've been pretty happy with the modified sine. Having the built in inverter is really nice.