bogen2
Edmonton
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I tried hooking my 1000w inverter directly to the shore power cable this weekend. The goal is to feed all of the 120v receptacles using the inverter power. Knowing that I need to disconnect the converter at the breaker before doing this, I first explored how all my circuits are connected. What I found was the converter hot line was connected directly to one of the receptacle circuits with a wire nut right next to the breakers. And these receptacles are the ones that I use to power my TV which is one of the things we were trying to run off the inverter.
So, when I connect the inverter to shore power and turn off that breaker, I get no power to my TV. Sigh. I don't really want to run an extension cord to the TV from the inverter so thought I might change how the circuits are connected.
I have the following breakers:
30A: main
20A: microwave
20A: A/C
15A: water heater
15A: converter, bedroom tv plug, kitchen tv plug
15A: fridge and all other plugs
I was thinking either to move the converter over to the water heater circuit or to add the 2 TV plugs over to the "fridge" circuit (which already has 3 other receptacles on it). There is an empty slot so I suppose I could add another breaker for just the converter as well. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
2006 Ford F150 Supercab
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smkettner
Southern California
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Joined: 03/21/2005
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Add the breaker.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
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2oldman
Winchester WA
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Install an spst switch in the converter feed wires.
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donn0128
Pronounced Ore-gun
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You are making more work for yourself than necessary. Why not simply run dedicated lines from the invertet to the TV. There is no way it can work for the whole house.
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2oldman
Winchester WA
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donn0128 wrote: There is no way it can work for the whole house. Why not?
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shooted
Vancouver
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Joined: 06/17/2011
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As already mentioned, add a switch to the converter feed wires, or add another breaker. Technically you are limited to a quantity of 5 total, 15 and 20 amp breakers in your panel per the NEC. If you are concerned with that your only option would be to install a switch after the circuit breaker to interupt power to the converter.
* This post was
edited 04/23/12 04:17pm by shooted *
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Joined: 02/15/2006
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The extra breaker is the way to go. Take one of the 15a breakers with you to get the same exact type. One RV store here has those Conneticut ones that go in Parallax panels. Not sure if any stick house ones like at Home Depot are the same or if they even have to be..
You can swap the shared converter black wire over to a different breaker to share with. I tried that, but could not figure what would be too much for the breaker if both the converter going at full blast and the other thing(s) were on together while on shore power.
In the end it was simple to just take the converter's black wire and insert a stick house wall type light switch with longer wires to extend as required before it got to the receptacles' breaker. A nearby cabinet made a good place to mount the wall switch so it looks ok and wires in the cabinet to the breaker are out of sight.
So now I just remember (sometimes!) to turn off the converter with the wall switch when the inverter has the shore cable plugged into it. This allows the receptacle/converter breaker to stay on. Ta da!
In real life, after setting up camp with everything all done I sit down and hear a funny noise. It's the converter's fan! Rats, I forgot again. Good thing that fan comes on before I lose any AH that matter 
Another thing for that is to set the Trimetric on amps. Then you wonder why all the amps? Then you think, converter? Yep, forgot again!
Eventually, you can have that well-earned beer while you try to think what else you have forgotten.
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Jackthewonderdog
United States
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I'm confused. If you have shore power, why are you using an invertor?
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Hi,
Add the breaker or add a switch. Both will accomplish what you wish.
I took a different path and added an extra shore power cord for "just" the converter. This allows the greatest possible flexibility.
Regards, Don
Kustom Koach Class C 28'5" 256 watts Unisolar, 875 amp hours in two battery banks 12 volt batteries, 2500 MSW watt inverter.
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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PT , you aren't there yet for max flex Close though.
I now have two inverters up front by the batteries with the shore power cord into the 1000w to run the entertainment centre etc, and an extension cord into the 2000w which runs outside the trailer beside the shore cord to the back and in where the shore power cord comes from, which I can get to from inside the trailer and pull the extension cord into the kitchen where the microwave plugs in.
So now the MW, toaster, and kettle get plugged into that extension cord from the 2000w the few times they are needed, and the little stuff gets the "whole house" (meaning just the receptacles and one 120v CFL lamp in real life) from the 1000w.
To make it tidy, I should put a wall receptacle in the kitchen for that, which is fed from that extension cord behind the wall out of sight.
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