Transfer Switch Install

Thanks! That's the one I have. Chino

Chinolbz wrote:
My thought was I don't want my inverter running the battery charger. To stop that I will need to spilt off, so to speak the charging portion and tie it into the transfer switch so it only works on shore-power or generator. Right? Chino

You are correct. The converter needs to get power before the inverter.

There are transfer switches made specifically to break out the converter such as Go Power.

http://gpelectric.com/products/30-amp-transfer-switch

My thought was I don't want my inverter running the battery charger. To stop that I will need to spilt off, so to speak the charging portion and tie it into the transfer switch so it only works on shore-power or generator. Right? Chino

IT's just a block diagram showing how components are tied together and their relationship..not a full schematic.

Agree, his written description is what I was referring to.

The graphic represents just one way an inverter could be wired (and one I would never use).

Again, we need the OP to let us know if his inverter has an internal transfer switch/pass through feature so we can intelligently address the issue. There will also be other things that he will NOT want to be able to power from the inverter in addition to charger/converter such as A/C, water heater electric element, etc, as they would either overload the inverter and/or deplete batteries very quickly.

Again, more information on exactly what equipment you have and what you want to be able to do would get you better answers.

wolfe10 wrote:
The answer is that we need more info to go past the excellent post by Old Biscuit.

I don't disagree with his post, but the graphic in that post is of limited usefulness. For example, it shows the inverter directly feeding the AC Breaker Box. That implies everything the breaker box feeds gets powered by the inverter, which is almost never true. It should show that it only feeds some of the circuits in that box and not the air conditioner and Converter/Charger in a normal install.

The graphic shows the AC Breaker Box feeding the Converter/Charger. There's a note saying that the link between those two is broken if there's no AC power from the pedestal or generator, but it would have been better to show *how* that link is broken - with an ATS, which can be separate or built into the inverter. I would prefer a graphic that has the inverter located after the breaker box and an ATS between the two. I'd also prefer that it divide up the "AC Appliances" and "AC Outlets" into those appliances/outlets driven by the inverter and those, like the air conditioner, Converter/Charger and (usually) the propane/AC refrigerator that are not (in a conventional installation).

You might want to take at look at Jack Meyer's web site HERE and HERE

He has a lot of good info that addresses your question.

The answer is that we need more info to go past the excellent post by Old Biscuit.

That is how inverter wiring interfaces.

IF the inverter or inverter/charger has an internal transfer switch (which most higher-end pieces do) then its 120 VAC wiring would be from a breaker on the main 120 VAC panel TO the inverter 120 VAC IN and from inverter OUT terminal either to a sub-panel that powers only things which can be run off the inverter OR directly to those circuits that can be powered by the inverter. When an inverter such as this sees 120 VAC from the main breaker box (either generator or shore power) it merely "passes through" 120 VAC to those circuits downstream. And, if an inverter/charger, also activates the charger section.

If no built-in transfer switch than a second ATS is needed.

I have seen coaches/inverters wired both ways-- depends on the inverter.

john&bet wrote:
I think he is wanting info for battery/inverter/tranfer sw. load center only, no genny involved.

It's also not quite clear to me what he's asking. If it helps - my setup uses two transfer switches. One TS is positioned before the AC breaker panel and selects between gen and shore to provide 120 VAC to all breakers. The second TS is positioned after the breaker panel on a single branch circuit and selects between 120VAC in (fed by the breaker panel for that branch) and the inverter. That branch circuit feeds most AC receptacles, but not the air conditioner, fridge or converter/charger.

I think he is wanting info for battery/inverter/tranfer sw. load center only, no genny involved.