From the battery to a 2000 watt inverter/charger requires very large cables. 1/0, or 2/0, or some say 4/0.
But, if you have two six volt batteries, what size cable do you use to connect the two batteries together? And, if you add two more six volt batteries (for a total of four), what size cables do you use to tie the two battery banks together???
Seems like the size of the cable would need to be at least the size that is used for the feed to the inverter.
Thoughts???
Jim and Deanna
Tiffin Allegro 35QBA 2007 Carson Trailer 22' Titan TH Trailer Toad
Me, Wife, Boy/10, Boy/7, Girl/5
Faith/Springer
1985 Toyota 4Runner
five quads, three kids, two motorcycles, one wife, one dog, one cat!
Yep! The cables are pretty Big that connect all My Batteries together. I do not know what size! They are Standard Battery Cables available at Auto Zone Etc.
Rob & Jean 90 Southwind John Deere/Oshkosh/Freightliner Class A Ford 460/ Toad 92 Tracker 2 wd 5sp Convert Still running Great!
You only need the size big enough to carry the maximum amps that will be going thru them. The cables connecting 2 banks, will only be carrying 1/2 the total amps of both banks together. The cable connecting 2 6'ers, needs only be 1/2 the size carrying both 6'ers as a bank. If you don't have an inverter, you may not need very large cables at all. An inverter only needs large enough cables for the amps/watts that will be drawn from it. At maximum, running a smaller microwave from a 2500 watt inverter, may only require #2 or even #4 cables.
Having said all that, bigger cables never hurt anything,.....except maybe the finances
Rich
'98 Flair, 454, Onan Microlite 4k, Intel PD 9155 w/ wizard, Sta-power 1500 watt Inv, 2 6v batts, ammeters, KingDome/sat, Oly Catalytic Heat, hauling 2 Bent Bikes and sometimes towing a Tracker F&S boat.
Cable is sized for the load that will be drawn, nuber or types of batteries connected together is irrelevant. The size cable recommended in the inverter installation instructions is what you need to use. Also, if there is a maximun distance specified for the cable length, that needs to be adhered to also. It's put there for a reason. If you don't have the instructions, then use the same size as you already have. Don't believe some of the stuff you read here about it only having to handle a portion of the current, etc. It needs to handle the max load. You also need the appropriate size fuse and a cut-off switch in the positive side feeding the inverter..
Your 2000 watt inverter will draw approx. 190 amps at its 12 VDC input in order to deliver 2000 watts. Refer to a voltage drop table to determine the proper cable size to deliver 190 amps @ 12 VDC to the inverter with no more than a 3% total voltage drop. Required cable size will vary, depending on the total supply circuit length. (battery to inverter and return)
The total 190 amp current is carried by the cable interconnecting two (2) series-connected 6v batteries.
When using two 6v battery pairs (series/parallel connection), the current carried by each battery pair is 1/2 of the total current i.e. 95 amps in your case. Cables connecting the pairs, and the cables interconnecting each 6v pair will all carry 95 amps, and may be sized accordingly. (not the same size as the inverter supply....smaller)
time_to_go_now wrote: From the battery to a 2000 watt inverter/charger requires very large cables. 1/0, or 2/0, or some say 4/0.
But, if you have two six volt batteries, what size cable do you use to connect the two batteries together? And, if you add two more six volt batteries (for a total of four), what size cables do you use to tie the two battery banks together???
Seems like the size of the cable would need to be at least the size that is used for the feed to the inverter.
Thoughts???
Forget the ACTUAL amperage involved..and always use 2/0 welding wire cable instead of battery cable..and you'll never experience any sort of problems ( using crimped on ends of course)
2000 Country Coach Allure; Cummins ISC 330 HP; 71/2 - 8 MPG regardless
2002 Jeep Liberty
Couldn't find heavy enough cables easily, so I doubled my cables, using two #1 cables for all connections. Get threaded rod connectors to extend the posts.
I used 4/0 as recomended by Xantrex for my Prosine 1800. I also have four of the golf batteries as Xantrex recommends 400+ amp hours. The interconnects are 2/0 as they carry half the load.
I had my cables made up by the same place that I bought the inverter. www.jackrabbitmarine.com
2001 F150 SuperCrew 5.4 Lariat Offroad 4x4 Tow Package 4.10 Truetrac
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
12K SuperGlide, KGE3000Ti 2.3kw rated 2.6kw max
Frank's voltage booster, Prosine 1800 powered by 4 GC2 batteries
Offline
