Circuit breakers on Inverter.

[draboo]

Every time I overload a circuit,one of the two on the front of inverter kicks out. I was wondering why one of the breakers in the service panel doesnt snap first?

It becomes a PITA when it's raining buckets, and I have to dance outside, unlock the cubby door to reset the breaker. 🙂

[JimM68]

draboo wrote:
I have a 2002 Holiday Rambler Neptune DP with a 1500 watt inverter.

I m guessing that if I m not plugged into shore power and am running the generator, the breaker panel in the bedroom will be powering the microwave and outlets?

No, not true at all.

The genny supplies shore power to the RV through the main transfer switch, exactly the same as shore power.

Again, running the genny changes nothing, except the source of shore power.

I sure wish this forum provided an easy way to upload pictures...
This is a case where a picture could be worth many words.

We are talking about a DP rig with a "whole house factory installed inverter"

Shore power or genny go into the main transfer switch.

The transfer switch goes into the "main" breakers in the panel.

The output breakers in the panel go to the powered circuits, A/C, fireplace, washer/dryer, inverter (inverter/charger in this case) all the things that ONLY work when plugged into shore power (or running genny, which is electrically the same)

The inverter charger is fed by the "inverter" fuse in the main A/C panel, as well as by the coach battery bank.

This inverter charger will contain it's own transfer switch. If plugged into shore power, OR if the genny is running (same same see above...)the inverter will pass the A/C thru, if not the inverter function will provide 110 a/c (120AC to the anal among us...)

The inverter has 2 output circuits, fused with pushbutton breakers on the inverter itself, not connected to the rigs main a/c breaker panel in any way.

This all does get somewhat complicated as you(I) type it.

[dons2346]

draboo wrote:
I have a 2002 Holiday Rambler Neptune DP with a 1500 watt inverter.

I m guessing that if I m not plugged into shore power and am running the generator, the breaker panel in the bedroom will be powering the microwave and outlets?

Look at the breaker panel and see if there is a breaker for the microwave. That will remove all doubt.

[wa8yxm]

Why does the breaker in the inverter trip instead of the breaker in the service panel.. Simple.

Panel--30 amp breaker---_Inverter---15 amp breaker---20 amp load

This is what you get for having a cheap inverter install (NOTE: I am referring only to the install, not to the inverter here).

My coach

30 amp breaker--Inverter---Sub panel--15 amp breakers INSIDE THE RV---Loads.

More expensive but I do not have to go out in the rain and reset.

As for the comment on the "Cheep inverter install" My inverter, since it does not contain the sub panel, is actually cheaper than yours, but the install is more expensive (Due to the added box needed).

[draboo]

I have a 2002 Holiday Rambler Neptune DP with a 1500 watt inverter.

I m guessing that if I m not plugged into shore power and am running the generator, the breaker panel in the bedroom will be powering the microwave and outlets?

[dons2346]

The breakers on the inverter trip because those are the breakers for the circuit you overload. They do not go through the breaker panel in the coach. Think of the breakers on the inverter as a remote circuit breaker panel

[Golden_HVAC]

I think that you already figured out that if you use the microwave and toaster oven at the same time that it will trip the circuit breaker. Same with toaster and coffee maker, or coffee maker and microwave.

If you figure out what is 'not' on the microwave circuit, then you can plug in the toaster oven to the non-microwave receptacle, and then run both at the same time.

Or have a electrician install a new receptacle powered directly from your 50 amp electrical panel that is not on the inverter circuits.

The inverter normally is powered by a 1 pole 30 amp breaker. It will use power to run both inverter output circuits as well as charge the battery.

Battery charging normally will only take 2-4 amps. More is used to run the 15 or 20 amp outputs that 'pass through' the inverter wiring to the receptacles on the RV. Tripping the 30 amp inverter circuit breaker should be rare!


Have fun camping!

Fred.

[msturtz]

What rig do you have? Year make and model would help.

[OnaQuest]

draboo wrote:
We are plugged into 50A shorepower when this happens. It's happened maybe 6 times in 7 months (while using the microwave and toaster oven at the same time, for example.) The left/right sides of the rig are split between the two breakers on the inverter.

thank you all for responding!

Brad

It would be helpful to know what make and model inverter you have. If it's a Magnum ME2000 model "B", the circuit breakers that are tripping are feeding the "overloaded" circuits directly, and NOT through any breakers in your panels. That's normal for that model.

[rgatijnet1]

Your inverter has what is known as "pass thru" current. In other words, it is the TOTAL amount of current that can run through the inverter and it cannot be exceeded. The output from your inverter is fed to several different 15 and 20 amp circuits. Some, like mine, power the microwave also.
In any case, you have two circuit breakers on your inverter and they are each equal to 1/2 of your TOTAL pass thru current. One of these two circuit breakers could easily be tripped if your TOTAL draw from several different outlets fed by your inverter exceeds 1/2 of the "pass thru" capacity.

[draboo]

We are plugged into 50A shorepower when this happens. It's happened maybe 6 times in 7 months (while using the microwave and toaster oven at the same time, for example.) The left/right sides of the rig are split between the two breakers on the inverter.

thank you all for responding!

Brad

[JimM68]

The inside panel breakers and the inverter breakers are actually totally different circuits.

The invertor has a transfer switch in it. When you are plugged in to shore power (or running the genny), power is supplied to the invertor from the inside breaker panel (30 amp on ours) Inside the invertor, this powers the battery charger and (on ours) a pair of circuits with pushbutton breakers on the magnum inverter itself.

Unplugged, the inverter powers those circuits from the battery bank.

There will be outlets in your RV that are not on one of the inverter circuits, you just need to go looking.
With the inverter ON, shore power unplugged, look for outlets that don't have power. Those will be the ones not running thru the inverter.

[ScottG]

Just a note, your going to kill your inverter by overloading on a regular basis.

[Ivylog]

Different size breakers... you may have two items on that one circuit and sum of those two breakers inside are greater than the one on the inverter. Stop overloading or buy a bigger inverter.

[2oldman]

Inverter breakers are more sensitive. Don't overload it.