One large inverter or 2-3 small ones?
So as I get closer to adding solar (or at least a larger battery bank) to my RV, I have more questions than I started with! Big thanks to the folks who have helped me along so far. I found a great...
Forum Discussion
This link is 5W 12v and 5W 24v - http://www.heatline.com/pdfs/kompensator_5watt.pdf
According to the chart, I could get about 15' of 12v on a 15A fuse and be good at -20F. That would probably be enough for the .5" freshwater lines outside the rig that I need to heat.
For the drain pipes I might need more...just a guess but let's say 20' for the 3" pipes. I would need a 25A circuit.
That's 35' by 6W/ft at 0F...210W at 12v is 17.5A. Round it off to 20A, and assume it's running nonstop for 12 hours of darkness in winter...240amp-hours. Ouch...but still *doable* on a 690AH bank. I'd just need to fully charged at sundown and check it again when we wake up. We'll still have the genny just in case.
That's probably a worst-case scenario because I could just winterize if I expect a drop below zero....still not sure it's worth it. I'll look into the recirculator and see if it's worth depending on propane for temps that low.
I did notice the grundfos pump says it may not work with on-demand heaters b/c the low volume of water recirculated may not be enough trigger the heater...they say to call and ask before you purchase. Is it the valve size or the pump that actually controls the volume of recirculation?
According to the chart, I could get about 15' of 12v on a 15A fuse and be good at -20F. That would probably be enough for the .5" freshwater lines outside the rig that I need to heat.
For the drain pipes I might need more...just a guess but let's say 20' for the 3" pipes. I would need a 25A circuit.
That's 35' by 6W/ft at 0F...210W at 12v is 17.5A. Round it off to 20A, and assume it's running nonstop for 12 hours of darkness in winter...240amp-hours. Ouch...but still *doable* on a 690AH bank. I'd just need to fully charged at sundown and check it again when we wake up. We'll still have the genny just in case.
That's probably a worst-case scenario because I could just winterize if I expect a drop below zero....still not sure it's worth it. I'll look into the recirculator and see if it's worth depending on propane for temps that low.
I did notice the grundfos pump says it may not work with on-demand heaters b/c the low volume of water recirculated may not be enough trigger the heater...they say to call and ask before you purchase. Is it the valve size or the pump that actually controls the volume of recirculation?
