I just got an 800w inverter. Not installed yet but I clamped it onto the battery. Just for kicks I plugged the trailer power cord into it, the inverter said it was sucking 700w from the trailer and nothing in the trailer was on, lights, etc.... I went inside and I could hear the converter running, (charging the battery, I assume). I thought, what was the load?? So I went into the converter/battery charger panel and turned off a breaker that was marked "General". The noise stopped and the inverter said 0 volts being pulled from the inverter. I turned on all the 12v lights, the shower fan and the range fan. Still 0 watts on the inverter. All the outlets worked (120v) and I plugged a drill into a 120v receptacle and turned it on, the inverter showed 235 watts. Also the fridge switched to propane. I am assuming that all the 12v accessories were running directly from the battery, and the 120v plugs are running from the inverter. I am kind of confused!! Has anyone done this? Is this NOT the "Proper" way to utilize an inverter?? Damage to the electrical system? It sure beats running an extension cord from the inverter in the basement to the bathroom for her curlers and things. Thanks in advance for your input!!
Just one point. 800 watt inverter should put out just under 7 amps at 120 VAC. I think curling irons often take LOTS more current than that. So IMO what you are doing is ok, but be careful not to exceed current rating. I assume you fused it.
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I do exactly the same thing. I mounted a 1500W inverter just inside the front pass-through and hard wired it with #4 through the floor to the batteries through a 200A fuse and a cut off switch. I set up a 30A outlet for the trailer shore cord to plug into. I make sure that the refer and Water heater are on LP and the converter is switched off. Long after quiet hours, I have 110v for the flat screen, DVD and anything else I choose. It will run the microwave for a short time, but that is a power hog. Upgraded to a pair of 6v batteries and a PD9260 to charge them up with my Honda and I have all the power I need for any situation.
When you had the converter breaker still on; you were sucking power from the batteries, through the inverter, to the converter, to charge the batteries that you were sucking the power out of to use the inverter to run the converter to charge the batteries that ran the ........
A big loop, with big losses in every step
Now, let's discuss time travel conundrums
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JTMO wrote: When you had the converter breaker still on; you were sucking power from the batteries, through the inverter, to the converter, to charge the batteries that you were sucking the power out of to use the inverter to run the converter to charge the batteries that ran the ........
A big loop, with big losses in every step
Now, let's discuss time travel conundrums
Loop is one way to waste the energy, but converters are known for doing this well alone. I just purchased Kill a Watt meter and played with it. The old converter in my trailer/ plugged into the shore power takes 70W with nothing turned on.
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