Inverter to Panel Wiring

Hi,

I loved doing double conversion when I had a stand alone inverter.

Now that I have a hybrid inverter charger, that does load support, I merely "dial down" the input to 15 amps and the RV still behaves as if it were on 30 amps.

Unfortunately load support is not voltage support, so with some help from a Mexico visitor I'll be adding a Sola Basic boost/buck unit this summer. (translation, no more low voltage).

christopherglenn wrote:
There are times (at the in laws) that I have a 15 amp plug, a long distance away, the voltage drop was excessive. By tripping the breaker of the sub panel powering the main panel, and leaving the ac's & electric water heater off, I can use the small aux charger to keep the batteries up, and the inverter runs all loads off them. I can use the microwave, toaster, and coffee pot at the same time off the inverter without tripping the 15 amp at the house. Over the next few minutes the aux charger puts back into the batteries what the inverter took out.

I put in a sub panel, and moved the loads I don't want powered to it. I relocated the main incoming power to the sub panel, and put in a breaker off it to power the main panel. My inverter/charger has a built in transfer switch, so it just went between both panels. If yours doesn't, put a transfer switch between the panels, and attach the inverter to it. I have the electric water heater, aux charger, and ac's of the sub panel. Everything else has power 100% of the time. Either generator, or shore power will start the AC's, and recharge the batteries. There are times (at the in laws) that I have a 15 amp plug, a long distance away, the voltage drop was excessive. By tripping the breaker of the sub panel powering the main panel, and leaving the ac's & electric water heater off, I can use the small aux charger to keep the batteries up, and the inverter runs all loads off them. I can use the microwave, toaster, and coffee pot at the same time off the inverter without tripping the 15 amp at the house. Over the next few minutes the aux charger puts back into the batteries what the inverter took out.

It is indeed just an inverter. I'm going to pull the circuits I want to power into a sub-panel which will be fed by power coming from an automatic transfer switch which is has shore power as a main and inverter power as the alternate power supplies. The transfer switch will be directly grounded to the frame. I'll leave the A/C, frig, and water heater on the main panel.

I take it that this is a straight inverter, not an inverter charger combo unit.

Bowebow- an automatic transfer switch is an electronic device that you purchase, for RV's either 30 amp or 50 amp depending upon your RV. Some are mechanical, I prefer, or solid state. I use the mechanical device which can be hard wired, not plugged into.

Now as to the issue of grounding your inverter and the common ground....

I intended to use the GP TS-30. Between the TS-30 and TS-50 manuals there's enough information to work with. Pretty simple actually.

For dedicated several circuits in sub panel
A 30 amp transfer switch
When wired inverter as default, the relay portion will not use any power
Power used when switching will be when mains power is used
Aka shore or genset

Go Power TS-50 transfer switch Installation and operational manual. Page #6 of this manual has illustrations and block diagrams of the circuits needed.

What amperage is this going to need? 3 way light switch is 1 in 2 out with switch.or 2 in 1 out with switch. 15a or 20a.

djgodden wrote:

MrWizard wrote:
The most technical but fool proof way is with a sub panel
Circuits you want to power get moved to the sub panel
A transfer switch goes between the sub panel and the main panel and the inverter
The transfer switch , changes between main panel or inverter
When using Shore lower or generator
Power flows main panel -ts -sub panel

When there is no external power shore or genset
Power flows inverter -ts -sub panel

This costs the most
But is totally automatic
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A manual switch inside is no different than using the shore cord plugged into the inverter
You have to remember to turn off certain items, run then on l.p.
Etc..

I like the idea of a sub panel. One question, when you say, "A transfer switch goes between the sub panel and the main panel and the inverter"... I'm not sure where you mean. Three things are listed and "between" suggests a location between 2 things. Ya, I know I'm being anal about detail. I'd really like to find a diagram of this.

its called a transfer switch
because it switches BETWEEN (2) different input power sources, to feed (1) output
in other words, it will select either "mains power" or inverter power
it would be wired as inverter as default (normally closed/connected) and switch over too Mains power when available