# Ac / Dc System



## ColoradoChip (Jan 21, 2008)

So, I have two 6 volt Trojan T105s and 80 watts of solar that keeps my batteries nice and full. LED lights throughout as well. We do a lot of dry camping, but do also plug in occasionally. I need a new TV, and have been vacillating between an AC TV with an inverter or a DC TV. Then I started wondering if it's possible to install some sort of inverter that would just power the entire AC system. We could turn it on when not plugged in and turn it off when plugged in. It would sure be nice to run the coffee maker and for my wife to be able to dry her hair in the bathroom rather than coming into the kitchedn to plug the 12 volt hair dryer in! Is this feasable and in any way affordable or am I just dreaming?


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## Ridgway-Rangers (Apr 18, 2008)

To answer your question simply, yes. The best route is to install something similar to this Freedom 458 Inverter/Charger 2000 Watt by Xantrex. It replaces your charger/inverter. you do need to mount it closer to the batteries than your currrent charger/inverter. The front pass through is a good spot. From there you would run your 110 to your board and 12 v to the board. They are pricy but the convenience is nice. 
Good luck,

Brian


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## ColoradoChip (Jan 21, 2008)

Gulp! About a grand. Ouch. Thanks fir the advice, Brian.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Don't forget to add the cost of a couple more pairs of trojans. For that kind of service you will need more then 1 set.


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## ColoradoChip (Jan 21, 2008)

LOL, I think I'll just fire up the Honda EU2000 for my electrical needs and get a DC TV. I have read that many of the smaller TVs that have the external computer like power supply can run directly off DC. Anyone have any experience with that? Vizio seems to be a common brand for that.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

ColoradoChip said:


> LOL, I think I'll just fire up the Honda EU2000 for my electrical needs and get a DC TV. I have read that many of the smaller TVs that have the external computer like power supply can run directly off DC. Anyone have any experience with that? Vizio seems to be a common brand for that.


I use a small 150 watt inverter to power my TV and use it to charge cell phones, walkie-talkies and ipods. I would not look at a DC only TV as it will limit your selection.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

ColoradoChip said:


> Gulp! About a grand. Ouch. Thanks fir the advice, Brian.


AC/DC

......_Can you here the money talk_.......


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

I've installed inverters in two of the four trailers we've owned. Hard-wired them in and made them permanent for the most part. You can definitely get by with something less expensive than the Xantrex inverter / charger combo if you just want a basic inverter setup. Xantrex offers the Pro Watt inverters at a pretty reasonable price. I used one of the 1800 watt models for my last install. Something along those lines would run a TV & DVD player easily (the new LED tv's are very energy efficient), and would have enough juice for a small hair dryer or coffee maker. Just make sure to look at the AC wattage of the appliances you plan to use, divide the wattage by 10 and you will have the approximate number of amps you'll be drawing from the batteries. Multiply the number of amps by the amount of time you plan to use the devices, and you will have the number of amp-hours your batteries will need to provide. The rest is pretty straight forward installation stuff, but there are little tricks you can use to avoid installing an extra subpanel for the inverted circuits. Let me know if you would like to have more info.


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

I bought a Naxa AC/DC TV w/DVD in September. I finally got to use it last weekend since I was dry camping. I works well until the batteries start getting low, then when someone flushes the toilet and the water pump activates, the picture flickers for a second or two. But I highly recommend the Naxa TV - great quality.

I've also converted my interior lights to LED's (36 bulbs warm white). I found them on eBay for about $2.25 each with shipping from China. That sure beats some of the prices I've seen elsewhere. The light is phenomenal and the power savings are too!

It's about time I purchased some new Trojan 125's (6v.) again, mine are about 5 years old and I believe that may be at toward the end of their useful life. I will try charging them fully with a real battery charger to see if that brings them back (instead of letting the inverter do it while I'm plugged into shore power).


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

You can install an adequate system for a reasonable amount of money. If you just want to power a TV a coffee pot, hair dryer (small one), you can get by with a 1800 watt inverter. Should cost you around $300 to $400. You will also need a transfer switch, about $75. Some inverters have these already installed.

I installed the system you are considering in my trailer. Here is a summary of what you need to do. Mount the inverter as close as you can to the battery. It is most convenient to locate the transfer switch near the breaker panel. Run the 120VAC from the inverter to the transfer switch. Things get a little more tricky from here, tough to explain in words. Your breaker panel in the trailer likely has two circuits powering the outlets. One is used for the general purpose outlets in the trailer, the other is used to power the GFI protected outlets (bathroom, kitchen, outdoors). You need to divert the circuit from the general purpose outlets through the transfer switch. But you need to be careful, you want the shore power to go through the breaker panel first, then to the transfer switch, then back to connect to the outlet circuit. In my case, I had to install another breaker in a spare slot in the panel to isolate the outlet circuit. You can get a spare breaker from any hardware store. I used this extra circuit to send power to the transfer switch. Take the output from the transfer switch and use it to power the circuit that powers your trailer outlets. I provided further explanation and pictures of this connection in a post below.

The transfer switch will now decide which source to use to power the outlets. But you need to be careful here as well. Your transfer switch will likely have two positions, a normally closed position and a "energized" position. The "energized" position will engage a relay and switch to the alternate power source. In a traditional application, you would wire the shore power to the normally closed position as that is the default operating condition. However, the "energized" position requires power to keep the transfer switch engaged. This is not the ideal situation if you are dry camping and want to conserve energy. For this reason, wire the inverter to the default source (non energized) on the transfer switch and the input from the breaker panel to the alternate source. In this manner, you will not be drawing from the battery to keep the transfer switch engaged while dry camping.

Hope this helps. What you want to do is possible for under $500. However, I need to caution that you should not do this mod yourself unless you are familiar with electrical principles and installations. If you do this incorrectly, it is possible to have a completely functional system fed directly from the 30 or 50 amp service at the campground. This is not a good situation as your trailer outlets are wired for 15 amps. It will seem to work just fine, until you overload the circuit and have no adequate protection in place. Then, who knows what might happen..........

DAN


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

TwoElkhounds said:


> You can install an adequate system for a reasonable amount of money. If you just want to power a TV a coffee pot, hair dryer (small one), you can get by with a 1800 watt inverter. Should cost you around $300 to $400. You will also need a transfer switch, about $75. Some inverters have these already installed.
> 
> I installed the system you are considering in my trailer. Here is a summary of what you need to do. Mount the inverter as close as you can to the battery. It is most convenient to locate the transfer switch near the breaker panel. Run the 120VAC from the inverter to the transfer switch. Things get a little more tricky from here, tough to explain in words. Your breaker panel in the trailer likely has two circuits powering the outlets. One is used for the general purpose outlets in the trailer, the other is used to power the GFI protected outlets (bathroom, kitchen, outdoors). You need to divert the circuit from the general purpose outlets to the transfer switch. But you need to be careful, you want the shore power to go through the breaker panel first, then to the inverter, then back to the breaker panel. This means you will need to install another breaker in a spare slot in the panel. You can get a spare breaker from any hardware store. Use this extra circuit to send power to the transfer switch. Take the output from the transfer switch and use it to power the circuit that powers your trailer outlets.
> 
> ...


From your description Dan, I'm not sure how (or if) your inverted circuits have been separated from the trailer's other circuits in the main panel. Did you just remove the inverted circuits wires from their respective breakers and wire nut them to the transfer switch output, or did you use a separate subpanel? Is there any breaker protection for the power that comes from the transfer switch, or does the switch provide its own protection? I've always used inverters with built-in transfer switches, so maybe that's why I'm a little confused.

Here's how I did my installations. Sorry if it's long, but it is a little difficult to describe in words:

The inverter is mounted as close to the batteries as possible. Based on the loads you expect, you need to size the cables to the batteries appropriately. In my case, I used 2/0 cable and kept my total run (to and from the batteries) to less than 10 feet. I included a Perko battery switch and heavy duty fuse to protect the wiring and to be able to turn the inverter off when not in use. My inverters included a built-in transfer switch, and even when it's turned off using the remote on-off switch, it will still be "hunting" for AC loads and use about 25 watts (or less if in power-save mode). The inverter is now ready to provide AC power from the batteries. On to the distribution panel...

At the main power panel for the trailer, I created a separate sub-panel for the inverted circuits. I did this by removing the entire panel, all of the breakers, and made sure to label everything. I removed the hot buss bar and cut it into two sections and removed a bit of metal (about 1/8") to keep the sections well separated. I reinstalled the buss bars in their original locations and put the breakers back in. In the top buss bar, I put breakers that would not be inverted - the 30 amp main, air-conditioner, water heater, and AC-DC converter. I also installed a new 20 amp breaker that would serve to send shore power to the inverter. On the bottom buss bar, I installed breakers for the GFI outlet circuit, the general outlet circuit, and microwave. I also put in a new 20 amp breaker that would serve as the "main" breaker for the newly created subpanel.

How it all works:

When connected to shore power, the top buss bar is powered as it normally is, providing electricity to the air-conditioner, water heater and AC-DC converter. In addition, the new 20 amp breaker sends power to the "input" side of the inverter. The transfer switch knows that this electricity is from shore power and simply passes it through to the "output" side of the inverter. It goes back to the new 20 amp breaker on the lower buss bar, which is now acting as the main breaker for the "sub-panel". Power is then distributed to the inverted circuits (outlets and microwave). When shore power is interrupted, the inverter kicks in (if it's turned on) and automatically provides power from the batteries to the "sub-panel". No breakers to switch off, and no worries about accidentally providing power to circuits that may overload the system.

Here's a couple photos of the installation:


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Insomniak said:


> From your description Dan, I'm not sure how (or if) your inverted circuits have been separated from the trailer's other circuits in the main panel. Did you just remove the inverted circuits wires from their respective breakers and wire nut them to the transfer switch output, or did you use a separate subpanel? Is there any breaker protection for the power that comes from the transfer switch, or does the switch provide its own protection? I've always used inverters with built-in transfer switches, so maybe that's why I'm a little confused.


Ahhh... You are correct, my description has a flaw. I wrote it from memory in an airport lounge and was under under great time pressure, my plane was about to leave. You do not run the output from the inverter back to the panel as this would power all the trailer loads. I did not do this, I fed the outlet circuits from the transfer switch.

I am going to install my new converter this weekend and will take a few pictures to show what I did.

DAN


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

TwoElkhounds said:


> From your description Dan, I'm not sure how (or if) your inverted circuits have been separated from the trailer's other circuits in the main panel. Did you just remove the inverted circuits wires from their respective breakers and wire nut them to the transfer switch output, or did you use a separate subpanel? Is there any breaker protection for the power that comes from the transfer switch, or does the switch provide its own protection? I've always used inverters with built-in transfer switches, so maybe that's why I'm a little confused.


Ahhh... You are correct, my description has a flaw. I wrote it from memory in an airport lounge and was under under great time pressure, my plane was about to leave. You do not run the output from the inverter back to the panel as this would power all the trailer loads. I did not do this, I fed the outlet circuits from the transfer switch.

I am going to install my new converter this weekend and will take a few pictures to show what I did.

DAN
[/quote]
You're gonna like that new converter!


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Here are some pictures of what I did on my inverter installation. My description above was basically correct, I just got my breakers mixed up. First, I installed the inverter in the basement on the wall opposite the batteries.










I ran the 120VAC inverter output to the transfer switch mounted behind the breaker panel.










The breaker serving the outlets in my trailer panel was dedicated to the outlets only, with the exception that the converter was fed as a pigtail from the breaker. I cut out the converter pigtail and fed this directly from the existing breaker in the panel. The wire to the outlet cicuit was left unconnected to a breaker. I installed a second breaker and used this to divert shore power to the transfer switch. I then routed the output from the transfer switch back to the breaker panel and connected it directly to the wires from the trailer outlets circuit. The feed goes back through the breaker panel, but it does not go through another breaker. Picture below shows the breaker panel, the wire nut at the bottom of the picture is the connection of the transfer switch to the outlet circuit, no breaker connection. The larger, single cicuit 15 amp breaker on the bottom of the breaker lineup is the breaker I added to feed the transfer switch.










So, the trailer outlets will be fed from either the inverter or from shore power, depending on which source the transfer switch selects. If only inverter power is available, only the outlets will be fed as the breaker panel is not energized.

Thanks to Insomniak for noticing my description above had an error. Nice to see people are paying attention out there!!! I will modify the previous post to ensure it is correct and accurately describes what needs to be done.

DAN


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Insomniak said:


> From your description Dan, I'm not sure how (or if) your inverted circuits have been separated from the trailer's other circuits in the main panel. Did you just remove the inverted circuits wires from their respective breakers and wire nut them to the transfer switch output, or did you use a separate subpanel? Is there any breaker protection for the power that comes from the transfer switch, or does the switch provide its own protection? I've always used inverters with built-in transfer switches, so maybe that's why I'm a little confused.


Ahhh... You are correct, my description has a flaw. I wrote it from memory in an airport lounge and was under under great time pressure, my plane was about to leave. You do not run the output from the inverter back to the panel as this would power all the trailer loads. I did not do this, I fed the outlet circuits from the transfer switch.

I am going to install my new converter this weekend and will take a few pictures to show what I did.

DAN
[/quote]
You're gonna like that new converter!
[/quote]

I finished the install today!! I have high hopes that I this converter will make a big difference in charging our batteries while dry camping.

DAN


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

I get it now. You only have one circuit being powered by the inverter. Maybe I'm missing something, but is there any breaker protection for the power that's produced by the inverter? Maybe something at the inverter itself? I see you have shore power from the panel to the inverter that's on a breaker, but what about from the inverter to the circuit?


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

The inverter has its own protection. No different than if you plugged somenthing directly into the inverter.

DAN


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

The inverters I've used in the past have been hardwire versions and I don't remember if they had any kind of AC output protection. Kinda makes sense that they would though. I actually have a Xantrex Prosine 1800 watt inverter sitting in the garage that was supposed to go into our old 28RSDS. Well, that never happened, and I'm debating about installing it in the 301BQ. We just don't dry camp anymore, so it probably wouldn't get used much. Dan, did you also install that watt-minder, or whatever it's called?


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

The questions becomes, "When does someone reach the point of diminishing returns."

The price of some of these inverter systems, their installation and then the additional batteries (mixed with the loss of storage space to hold more batteries) may be approaching this.

Somewhere along this line a roof top solar system may become feasible.

As for me, I went the generator route. A 4300 watt relatively quiet ic generator to run just about everything cost me about $1200. Add to that the additional $700 I paid to have my OB's rear bumper extended by 3 feet, which was then offset by my selling of my Honda 2000 watt generator.

No additional wiring, I just plug my trailer cord into the generator. Pretty simple.

Sure there are campsites that never allow the use of generators, but they're few and far between, and I usually make it a rule to avoid them. But I can stay off the electrical grid for at least 3 days if necessary with my twin 6v Trojan batteries and LED lights throughout the OB.

Am I missing something obvious?

Oh yeah, I do have a pair of $100 solar panels that seem to recharge my batteries enough to extend my stays if necessary, but I've haven't used them in a few years.


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

My inverter is a small unit designed to power small electronics. We use it to charge computers or watch a movie at night. I routed it through the trailer circuits primarily for convenience. I can plug in everything like I normally would, just have to make sure the load remains within the inverter capacity. The inverter cost about $200, the transfer switch was $70. I have two 6volt batteries to power the system. So in my case, the inverter system I installed was fairly reasonable and designed for a specific purpose, to keep my kids happy by ensuring their electronic gadgets are up and running at all times!!









Of course there is always the excuse of doing mods just for the sake of doing them. It is a bit of a hobby and gives me something productive to do.









DAN


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Insomniak said:


> The inverters I've used in the past have been hardwire versions and I don't remember if they had any kind of AC output protection. Kinda makes sense that they would though. I actually have a Xantrex Prosine 1800 watt inverter sitting in the garage that was supposed to go into our old 28RSDS. Well, that never happened, and I'm debating about installing it in the 301BQ. We just don't dry camp anymore, so it probably wouldn't get used much. Dan, did you also install that watt-minder, or whatever it's called?


I think any decent inverter would have protection to prevent overload. I know that if my inverter gets overloaded by even a small amount, it will shut down. It also has fuse protection. My inverter is actually design to just plug equipment into directly, there is no hard wiring connection at all.

Yes I did install the volt-minder. I put it in the sink cabinet. I will take a picture of it when I get a chance. It is actually a fairly simple device, basically a volt meter with a low voltage alarm. It will be nice to be able to see the voltage level, much better than the battery level indicator that came with the trailer. However, the overall look and feel of it was a bit cheap, I must say. But I guess I only paid $25 for it so I should not expect much.

DAN


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

I have two 135 watt Kyocera solar panels that I used to take with me when I went stargazing in the desert. Those panels, along with a Honda 1000 watt generator would give me the ability to stay out there until I ran out of food and water, if I wanted to. Sometimes you may not even be in a campground, but running the generator isn't real practical or neighborly. I'm a late night person and it's pretty nice to be able to flip on the inverter at midnight and watch some TV or a movie and make some microwave popcorn. Running outside in 20 degree weather to turn on/off a generator can get a little chilly. I've never felt the need to add extra batteries, and have done systems with both 12 volt group 27 batteries, as well as two Trojan 105's. They both work well, and with the solar panels, I wake up in the morning and the batteries are already half charged. My last setup probably ran $500-$600.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

TwoElkhounds said:


> The inverters I've used in the past have been hardwire versions and I don't remember if they had any kind of AC output protection. Kinda makes sense that they would though. I actually have a Xantrex Prosine 1800 watt inverter sitting in the garage that was supposed to go into our old 28RSDS. Well, that never happened, and I'm debating about installing it in the 301BQ. We just don't dry camp anymore, so it probably wouldn't get used much. Dan, did you also install that watt-minder, or whatever it's called?


I think any decent inverter would have protection to prevent overload. I know that if my inverter gets overloaded by even a small amount, it will shut down. It also has fuse protection. My inverter is actually design to just plug equipment into directly, there is no hard wiring connection at all.

Yes I did install the volt-minder. I put it in the sink cabinet. I will take a picture of it when I get a chance. It is actually a fairly simple device, basically a volt meter with a low voltage alarm. It will be nice to be able to see the voltage level, much better than the battery level indicator that came with the trailer. However, the overall look and feel of it was a bit cheap, I must say. But I guess I only paid $25 for it so I should not expect much.

DAN
[/quote]
Just looked at the Xantrex and the manual says that there is overload protection, but it's automatic and there's no reset button or anything. Funny that even with that built-in protection, they still say the AC output must be breaker or fuse protected. I just worked night shifts on Fri & Sat, so everything will probably seem a bit fuzzy for the next couple of days. As Danny Glover said, "i'm getting too old for this.....", lol.


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## TwoElkhounds (Mar 11, 2007)

Insomniak said:


> The inverters I've used in the past have been hardwire versions and I don't remember if they had any kind of AC output protection. Kinda makes sense that they would though. I actually have a Xantrex Prosine 1800 watt inverter sitting in the garage that was supposed to go into our old 28RSDS. Well, that never happened, and I'm debating about installing it in the 301BQ. We just don't dry camp anymore, so it probably wouldn't get used much. Dan, did you also install that watt-minder, or whatever it's called?


I think any decent inverter would have protection to prevent overload. I know that if my inverter gets overloaded by even a small amount, it will shut down. It also has fuse protection. My inverter is actually design to just plug equipment into directly, there is no hard wiring connection at all.

Yes I did install the volt-minder. I put it in the sink cabinet. I will take a picture of it when I get a chance. It is actually a fairly simple device, basically a volt meter with a low voltage alarm. It will be nice to be able to see the voltage level, much better than the battery level indicator that came with the trailer. However, the overall look and feel of it was a bit cheap, I must say. But I guess I only paid $25 for it so I should not expect much.

DAN
[/quote]
Just looked at the Xantrex and the manual says that there is overload protection, but it's automatic and there's no reset button or anything. Funny that even with that built-in protection, they still say the AC output must be breaker or fuse protected. I just worked night shifts on Fri & Sat, so everything will probably seem a bit fuzzy for the next couple of days. As Danny Glover said, "i'm getting too old for this.....", lol.
[/quote]

Your inverter must be hard wired? It must be if they are requiring that you add a breaker. My inverter actually has four outlets that you just plug your load into. I just attached a plug to romex wire and plugged it into one of the inverter outlets, then ran it to the transfer switch. Really no different than running an extension cord from the inverter to the loads (which is what I used to do). I was thinking of upgrading my inverter so we could run a Keurig coffee maker in the morning without having to go out and fire up the generator. Need about 1500 Watts from what I have seen. I will need to keep all this in mind when I am out looking for the new unit.

Insomniak - Do you use your setup to run the coffee pot in the morning?

DAN


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

TwoElkhounds said:


> The inverters I've used in the past have been hardwire versions and I don't remember if they had any kind of AC output protection. Kinda makes sense that they would though. I actually have a Xantrex Prosine 1800 watt inverter sitting in the garage that was supposed to go into our old 28RSDS. Well, that never happened, and I'm debating about installing it in the 301BQ. We just don't dry camp anymore, so it probably wouldn't get used much. Dan, did you also install that watt-minder, or whatever it's called?


I think any decent inverter would have protection to prevent overload. I know that if my inverter gets overloaded by even a small amount, it will shut down. It also has fuse protection. My inverter is actually design to just plug equipment into directly, there is no hard wiring connection at all.

Yes I did install the volt-minder. I put it in the sink cabinet. I will take a picture of it when I get a chance. It is actually a fairly simple device, basically a volt meter with a low voltage alarm. It will be nice to be able to see the voltage level, much better than the battery level indicator that came with the trailer. However, the overall look and feel of it was a bit cheap, I must say. But I guess I only paid $25 for it so I should not expect much.

DAN
[/quote]
Just looked at the Xantrex and the manual says that there is overload protection, but it's automatic and there's no reset button or anything. Funny that even with that built-in protection, they still say the AC output must be breaker or fuse protected. I just worked night shifts on Fri & Sat, so everything will probably seem a bit fuzzy for the next couple of days. As Danny Glover said, "i'm getting too old for this.....", lol.
[/quote]

Your inverter must be hard wired? It must be if they are requiring that you add a breaker. My inverter actually has four outlets that you just plug your load into. I just attached a plug to romex wire and plugged it into one of the inverter outlets, then ran it to the transfer switch. Really no different than running an extension cord from the inverter to the loads (which is what I used to do). I was thinking of upgrading my inverter so we could run a Keurig coffee maker in the morning without having to go out and fire up the generator. Need about 1500 Watts from what I have seen. I will need to keep all this in mind when I am out looking for the new unit.

Insomniak - Do you use your setup to run the coffee pot in the morning?

DAN
[/quote]
Yeah, the particular Xantrex Prosine I have is a hardwired model with transfer switch. It comes in a few different flavors, including those with GFCI outlet and no transfer switch. I've seen a bunch of guys do what you did, by just plugging into the inverter and either running the output to the panel, or just throwing in a couple of new outlets dedicated to the inverter. Extension cord powered and no need to worry about messing with the main panel, sub-panels or anything like that. A pretty ingenious and less labor intensive approach for sure. Me, I'm too compulsive and detail oriented to do anything the easy way.

It's been a while, but we definitely have used a coffee maker and several other appliances with inverter power. I think the coffee maker was a small 600 watt, 4 cup model. The microwave is 1000 watts. Be careful with microwaves though, because there's a difference between input and output power ratings. The Xantrex 1800 watt inverter surges to 2,900 watts, so it handles most loads I throw at it. My last install used a Xantrex Pro series 1800 watt inverter. It was modified sine wave, and had a built-in transfer switch. The television buzzed, but the inverter cost a few hundred bucks compared to something like $1,100 for the true sine wave version. Got the Prosine on Ebay and the Pro Series at West Marine.


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## Santa Fe TX Bob (Oct 30, 2011)

It occurs to me that if one would dedicate a circuit to an inverter it could be always run from the inverter. Whenever the house is plugged in the converter would keep the batteries up. An 1800 watt inverter would produce 15 amps of 120v service. The outlet circuits as installed by Keystone are 15 amp circuits. I am going to install one that I had removed from my 18 wheeler when she retired. My plan is to disconnect the breaker in the panel and tie off the line then backfeed that circuit to the outlet nearest my inverter installation. That way I will not have the problems of installing transfer switches nor will I be worried about blowing out the inverter when the water heater or a/c kick on while on inverter power. My unit is a Cobra 1800 watt inverter that I bought at a truck stop several years ago. It works nicely for running the tv, charging the cell phone and charging the laptop.


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

Santa Fe TX Bob said:


> It occurs to me that if one would dedicate a circuit to an inverter it could be always run from the inverter. Whenever the house is plugged in the converter would keep the batteries up. An 1800 watt inverter would produce 15 amps of 120v service. The outlet circuits as installed by Keystone are 15 amp circuits. I am going to install one that I had removed from my 18 wheeler when she retired. My plan is to disconnect the breaker in the panel and tie off the line then backfeed that circuit to the outlet nearest my inverter installation. That way I will not have the problems of installing transfer switches nor will I be worried about blowing out the inverter when the water heater or a/c kick on while on inverter power. My unit is a Cobra 1800 watt inverter that I bought at a truck stop several years ago. It works nicely for running the tv, charging the cell phone and charging the laptop.


Well, not the most elegant of solutions, but that would work I guess. You would be missing breaker protection unless the inverter has something built in. You would also never be able to use that circuit on shore power if anything ever goes wrong with the converter or the inverter.


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