Best way to use Inverter

[devildog1971]

When you arrive at a national park campground there no hookups the inverter on my 02 Monaco has two switches like off and on There is a circuit breaker labeled inverter. if you are not using the inverter to invert 12volts up to 120 vac just listening to a TV that plugs into a cigarette lighter plug what is the best thing to do turn off inverter circuit breaker. If you turn the two switches off on the inverter itself what would work anything? I know I am asking a lot of questions but my female companion wants to strike out for Oregon which would be no problem I still had the truck camper I had it figured out this is somewhat different at least a lot of questions different

[DSDP_Don]

"devildog1971".....I owned a 2005 Diplomat and only turned the inverter on when I wanted/needed to run something on 110volts. Since that coach really only had a microwave and TV that needed the inverter, I would only turn it on for the TV. I was never a fan of running the microwave on the inverter (older coaches and inverters). As stated, if you leave it on, it will take some power for it to idle.

I later added a residential refer to the Diplomat. I still didn't want to run the inverter all the time (2000 Watt Magnum), so I added a second 600 Watt Magnum inverter that ran just the refer. When I wanted to watch TV, which included powering the TV and DirecTV receiver, I would turn on the big inverter.

Fast forward, my new coach is all electric, has a bigger inverter and more batteries. It was really designed to have the inverter on all the time. I never turn mine off.

On yours, just turn it on when needed.

[wa8yxm]

MRUSA wrote:
Use inverter only if you need to power 110 volt items. At other times switch it off because it uses some power from your batteries even when it is at rest.

I would have to know the labeling on the switches to give more accurate info than the above
Prosine 2.0 for example has 3 switches. two on/off type inside (plus a 3rd one for the display) and a main OFF/ON (Big red switch) on the device itself. If I have no need this switch shuts off EVERYTHING including the parasitic load for the inverter.

[pianotuna]

The answer is "it depends".

If the make and model is available then a real answer is possible.

I chose to add heavy duty switches for the DC input to the inverter. Then I KNOW it is not drawing any power.

It may be best practise to have the inverter off except when it is needed for powering a device.

[coolmom42]

Seems to me the switch on the inverter should be adequate. Every inverter I've ever dealt with will be slightly warm when the switch is on, even if nothing is plugged into it. If the switch is off, the inverter is at ambient temperature, which says to me it is not using any electricity.

[MRUSA]

Use inverter only if you need to power 110 volt items. At other times switch it off because it uses some power from your batteries even when it is at rest.