Question for knowledgeable solar experts

CA Traveler wrote:
There are folks here that will help and they have a lot of experience.

That includes me but I don't like the implications of your title. Please edit your first post and change the title. Thanks

deleted

My CPAP draws about 1 amp at 12-VDC. I’m not sure how you could draw 5 amps even at 12-VDC, or about 60 watts, unless you were using a humidifier with the heat turned on.

1) Buy a 12-VDC cord and run your CPAP directly off of 12-VDC. You may need to add a 12-VDC outlet, but that is not difficult or expensive. It is wasteful to run the 12-VDC from the battery through an inverter to make 120-VAC, then have the CPAP convert it back to the 12-VDC that it runs on. You have losses at each step in the conversion, plus the inverter has an overhead of probably about 2 amps even when it has nothing drawing power from it. If you don’t need the inverter for something other than the CPAP, turn it off at night.

2) There is enough humidity in the confined quarters of an RV that you should not need heat with the humidifier. Try leaving it off and you will save a lot of power. (Many heated humidifiers will not work on 12-VDC, but you can use them just fine without the heat.)

Wayne

tvfrfireman wrote:

2oldman wrote:
I'm not sure what this has to do with solar.

We were using our solar system along with an inverter and batteries. Have I posted this in the wrong area?I spent a wad and am just looking for some help 2oldman.

Perhaps your solar isn't working at all. No, you haven't.

Yes, I understand you're looking for help, and the only thing I could add is that I think your batteries are shot.

When dry camped on batteries
The hybrid support mode does not come into play
With near dead batteries, the in rush current on the Magnum will be higher, plus if fridge an other items are on set to ac, they to will cycle on, just too much load for the generator,
Things have to be controlled manually, turned on in stages, to prevent generator over load

Hi At 125 amps of charge the power factor corrected magnum only draws 15 amps @ 120 volts or 1800 watts. I suppose if the generator is not 'warmed up' it might overload.

The hybrid Magnum will charge and invert at the same time. It goes into 'load support' mode so any demands above the shore power input setting will be covered by the battery bank.

His Magnum 2800 is rated at 125A charge rate which is why I said that with discharged batteries the gen could trip.

I am also guessing that the factory installed converter/charger is trying to use inverter power to recharge the battery, but it is actually using up all the battery power.

Another guess is you are using the humidifier, and that is not really a requirement, and will heat all that water to cause it to evaporate, both are not a requirement. I used my CPAP humidifier for about 3 days, and could not stand it anymore, I guess water was getting into the breath tube, so I disconnected that part, and have been find for over a year now.

I live near Portland and work in Lake Oswego, and would be happy to take a free look at your system, and probably provide an answer. My RV has 4 golf cart batteries too, and I installed the Trace M1512 inverter/charger in it, and install air conditioners for a living, so inverters are not a 'new' thing for me. The trace inverter/charger was installed in my then new 1997 Bounder - nearly 20 years ago, and has been running trouble free.

I also own a DC clamp on amp meter. It can be clamped on your 12 volt DC line going to the inverter, and give a fairly accurate reading on the amperage going to the inverter, or returning during the charge mode.

My Trace inverter has a remote control, and it can be programmed for a 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 amp 'shore power input' and will detect the loads going through it, and prevent charge rate + pass through loads from exceeding the set limit.

For instance if you have it set at 10 amps, and are running the 1 amp TV set, 3 amp refrigerator on electric, then it will only use the remaining 6 amps for charging the batteries maximum.

I can also set my charge rate in 10% increments from 7 amps to 70 amps. I normally leave mine set at 50% or 60%, because over 45 amps, the battery will get warm, and I do not like to boil away water when I can just charge it slower.

If you can find these two settings on your inverter remote control, you might be able to make it play nice with your 2000 watt generator. When the Magnum sees 11 volts or less at the batteries, it will go into the fast charge mode, and use a LOT of power. It will attempt to charge at 14.4 volts X whatever it's rated amperage is. So if rated at 100 amps X 14.4 volts, that is 1,440 watts output, or 1,600+ watts input.

Good luck,

Fred.

Is the oem converter disabled?

You have a tremendous drain. So either you have to much plugged in and on or your invertor is bad. Unplug everything from the invertor and get a battery meter and see if there is a drain. Turn on invertor and see if there is a drain with just that. Then slowly plug in each item until you find the source. Could be one of your appliances is bad like your CPAP machine could be pulling to much. You need to isolate and locate through elimination.