Inverter Wiring

[Don Spithaler]

Guys---I want to set a small freezer in one my outside bays. There is
a plug there but how do I wire it to run off the inverter while going
down the road? How would I know if it will run off a 1500 W inverter?
Thanks
Don Spithaler
89 SP 36'
Butler, PA

[Gregory OConnor]

unplug the bus from shore and turn the inverter on.Any hot receptical
found must thenbe inverter powered. ( I have one bb installed bay
receptical that is inverter hot). run a new receptical close to the
new fridge from there.

Watts devided by voltes = amps. W/V=A .1500/120=12.5. 1500 watt
inverter gives 120 volts @12.5 amps max. I bet the fridge has a watt
or amp value advertised.

I found the biggest amp/watt hog appliance is a coffee pot.
Greg94ptCa

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Don Spithaler"
wrote:
>
> Guys---I want to set a small freezer in one my outside bays. There is
> a plug there but how do I wire it to run off the inverter while going
> down the road? How would I know if it will run off a 1500 W inverter?
> Thanks
> Don Spithaler
> 89 SP 36'
> Butler, PA
>

[Donald Spithaler]

Greg
A toaster is a hog to. My coffee pot & toaster can't be on at the same time with the 1500 W

On Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 9:05 PM, Gregory OConnor <"Gregoryoc@aol.com"> wrote:

unplug the bus from shore and turn the inverter on.Any hot receptical

found must thenbe inverter powered. ( I have one bb installed bay

receptical that is inverter hot). run a new receptical close to the

new fridge from there.



Watts devided by voltes = amps. W/V=A .1500/120=12.5. 1500 watt

inverter gives 120 volts @12.5 amps max. I bet the fridge has a watt

or amp value advertised.



I found the biggest amp/watt hog appliance is a coffee pot.

Greg94ptCa



--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Don Spithaler"

wrote:

>

> Guys---I want to set a small freezer in one my outside bays. There is

> a plug there but how do I wire it to run off the inverter while going

> down the road? How would I know if it will run off a 1500 W inverter?

> Thanks

> Don Spithaler

> 89 SP 36'

> Butler, PA

>

[Joyce and Richard Hayden]

Yep - the toaster and the coffee pot takes a lot and so does the vacuum - my heart stops when my wife vacuums the bus and I watch the battery meters...

Dick Hayden - '87 PT 38 - Lake Stevens, WA

----- Original Message -----

From: "dspithaler@gmail.com"

To: "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com"

Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 6:45 PM

Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Inverter Wiring

Greg
A toaster is a hog to. My coffee pot & toaster can't be on at the same time with the 1500 W

On Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 9:05 PM, Gregory OConnor <"Gregoryoc@aol.com"> wrote:

unplug the bus from shore and turn the inverter on.Any hot receptical
found must thenbe inverter powered. ( I have one bb installed bay
receptical that is inverter hot). run a new receptical close to the
new fridge from there.

Watts devided by voltes = amps. W/V=A .1500/120=12.5. 1500 watt
inverter gives 120 volts @12.5 amps max. I bet the fridge has a watt
or amp value advertised.

I found the biggest amp/watt hog appliance is a coffee pot.
Greg94ptCa

--- In "WanderlodgeForum%40yahoogroups.com", "Don Spithaler"

..> wrote:
>
> Guys---I want to set a small freezer in one my outside bays. There is
> a plug there but how do I wire it to run off the inverter while going
> down the road? How would I know if it will run off a 1500 W inverter?
> Thanks
> Don Spithaler
> 89 SP 36'
> Butler, PA
>

[Pete Masterson]

The inverters in a BB are set up with their own distribution wiring
(separate from the main 120 vac panel). So, follow the output wires
from the inverter and you should find a distribution system (possibly
with circuit breakers) somewhere nearby. You can 'join' a new wire
there (or set up an additional circuit breaker) to run to the
location of the freezer.

Load: you first need to determine what the general load on the
inverter is at present. What devices are attached and how many are
used at the same time? It may be that all the available load is
(potentially) used up by the existing appliances.

Appliances almost always have watt or amp ratings on them (usually on
a tag by the manufacturer's name on the back). To ease calculations,
convert all ratings to either watts or amps. (Amps x volts (120) =
watts or Watts divided by volts (120) = amps) So, a 1500 watt
inverter can handle about 12.5 amps in total. You should leave a
couple hundred watts (2 amps or so) "free" to allow for calculation
errors and electrical efficiency. Motors (which don't "like" certain
types of inverters) prefer "true sine wave" power -- something an
older inverter may not provide. Motors (the freezer compressor) also
draw as much at 50 more power at start up than their rating, so
allowance must be made for that, as well.

In all probability, the inverter on your coach is already wired up to
use most of its maximum rated power for the appliances already
attached. I expect, depending on the size of the freezer, that you
will find that it draws anywhere from 6 to 8 amps up to around 10
amps. (Remember to add for the brief overload for motor start up.)

So, the solution(s) are (1) upgrade the existing inverter from a 1500
watt unit to a 2500 watt, true sine wave unit or (2) add a second
inverter of about 1000-1500 watts (depending on the size of your
freezer) to handle only the freezer circuit.

Keep in mind that the additional 'juice' required for the inverter
will come at the expense of the batteries. If you only use the
freezer/inverter while on the road, the engine alternator should be
replenishing the house batteries to offset the load, but while
parked, the house batteries will need to provide the inverter power,
and I know from personal experience (I have a home-style 22 cu ft
side-by-side refrigerator-freezer) that refrigeration can draw down
batteries rather quickly. You may need to consider adding additional
house batteries (or otherwise increasing the available amp-hours) to
compensate for the additional demand.

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
aeonix1@...
On the road at Edinburg, VA



On Oct 20, 2008, at 8:42 PM, Don Spithaler wrote:

> Guys---I want to set a small freezer in one my outside bays. There is
> a plug there but how do I wire it to run off the inverter while going
> down the road? How would I know if it will run off a 1500 W inverter?
> Thanks
> Don Spithaler
> 89 SP 36'
> Butler, PA
>

[Gregory OConnor]

Pete, there is a group of switches that stand between the 120V
electric panel and the receptical/appliance. when you power on the
inverter I believe the inverter sends 12volts to the On On switch
and removes shore/gen 120v (what ever the transfer switch is sending)
and paths the power from the inverter.ON1= shore/gen ON2=inverter.
If the switch fails one of the inverterpowered paths wont switch
between the two choices

Wierd thing is I cant seem to understand how the
receptical/appliance is then protected. The power no longer rus thru
the houshhold style pandnel breaker box but goes directly from the
inverter total output source. I guess any leg once powered by
inverter then has the ability to draw 12.5 amps (or 30 amps if the
individual inverter is a 3600watt). would be good to understand the
protection of circuit wires when you add a larger inverter and more
demand.
Greg94ptCa

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Pete Masterson
wrote:
>
> The inverters in a BB are set up with their own distribution
wiring
> (separate from the main 120 vac panel). So, follow the output
wires
> from the inverter and you should find a distribution system
(possibly
> with circuit breakers) somewhere nearby. You can 'join' a new
wire
> there (or set up an additional circuit breaker) to run to the
> location of the freezer.
>
> Load: you first need to determine what the general load on the
> inverter is at present. What devices are attached and how many
are
> used at the same time? It may be that all the available load is
> (potentially) used up by the existing appliances.
>
> Appliances almost always have watt or amp ratings on them (usually
on
> a tag by the manufacturer's name on the back). To ease
calculations,
> convert all ratings to either watts or amps. (Amps x volts (120)
=
> watts or Watts divided by volts (120) = amps) So, a 1500 watt
> inverter can handle about 12.5 amps in total. You should leave a
> couple hundred watts (2 amps or so) "free" to allow for
calculation
> errors and electrical efficiency. Motors (which don't "like"
certain
> types of inverters) prefer "true sine wave" power -- something an
> older inverter may not provide. Motors (the freezer compressor)
also
> draw as much at 50 more power at start up than their rating, so
> allowance must be made for that, as well.
>
> In all probability, the inverter on your coach is already wired up
to
> use most of its maximum rated power for the appliances already
> attached. I expect, depending on the size of the freezer, that
you
> will find that it draws anywhere from 6 to 8 amps up to around 10
> amps. (Remember to add for the brief overload for motor start up.)
>
> So, the solution(s) are (1) upgrade the existing inverter from a
1500
> watt unit to a 2500 watt, true sine wave unit or (2) add a second
> inverter of about 1000-1500 watts (depending on the size of your
> freezer) to handle only the freezer circuit.
>
> Keep in mind that the additional 'juice' required for the
inverter
> will come at the expense of the batteries. If you only use the
> freezer/inverter while on the road, the engine alternator should
be
> replenishing the house batteries to offset the load, but while
> parked, the house batteries will need to provide the inverter
power,
> and I know from personal experience (I have a home-style 22 cu ft
> side-by-side refrigerator-freezer) that refrigeration can draw
down
> batteries rather quickly. You may need to consider adding
additional
> house batteries (or otherwise increasing the available amp-hours)
to
> compensate for the additional demand.
>
> Pete Masterson
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> aeonix1@...
> On the road at Edinburg, VA
>
>
>
> On Oct 20, 2008, at 8:42 PM, Don Spithaler wrote:
>
> > Guys---I want to set a small freezer in one my outside bays.
There is
> > a plug there but how do I wire it to run off the inverter while
going
> > down the road? How would I know if it will run off a 1500 W
inverter?
> > Thanks
> > Don Spithaler
> > 89 SP 36'
> > Butler, PA
> >
>

[erniecarpet@...]

Don, with my house type refer, I can and do drive 4 hours and when I stop for lunch, start the generator, run that for an hour and all is well till I stop for the nite. Worked like that for 3 years, now.

Ernie Ekberg
83PT40
Weatherford, Texas

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[erniecarpet@...]

since I don't have an inverter, that was my solution

Ernie Ekberg
83PT40
Weatherford, Texas

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[Donald Spithaler]

Pete
The freezer that I'm looking at is small. It is 115V / 95W so it would be drawing under 1 amp. Is that right? I would be only using the inverter while going down the road. We don't dry camp any. On the road the only thing on the inverter would be the TV & my laptop. I'm not ready to upgrade the inverter at this time & I don't want to get into that unless I have to.

Don Spithaler
89 SP 36'
Butler, PA

On Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 10:52 AM, Pete Masterson <"aeonix1@mac.com"> wrote

The inverters in a BB are set up with their own distribution wiring

(separate from the main 120 vac panel). So, follow the output wires

from the inverter and you should find a distribution system (possibly

with circuit breakers) somewhere nearby. You can 'join' a new wire

there (or set up an additional circuit breaker) to run to the

location of the freezer.



Load: you first need to determine what the general load on the

inverter is at present. What devices are attached and how many are

used at the same time? It may be that all the available load is

(potentially) used up by the existing appliances.



Appliances almost always have watt or amp ratings on them (usually on

a tag by the manufacturer's name on the back). To ease calculations,

convert all ratings to either watts or amps. (Amps x volts (120) =

watts or Watts divided by volts (120) = amps) So, a 1500 watt

inverter can handle about 12.5 amps in total. You should leave a

couple hundred watts (2 amps or so) "free" to allow for calculation

errors and electrical efficiency. Motors (which don't "like" certain

types of inverters) prefer "true sine wave" power -- something an

older inverter may not provide. Motors (the freezer compressor) also

draw as much at 50 more power at start up than their rating, so

allowance must be made for that, as well.



In all probability, the inverter on your coach is already wired up to

use most of its maximum rated power for the appliances already

attached. I expect, depending on the size of the freezer, that you

will find that it draws anywhere from 6 to 8 amps up to around 10

amps. (Remember to add for the brief overload for motor start up.)



So, the solution(s) are (1) upgrade the existing inverter from a 1500

watt unit to a 2500 watt, true sine wave unit or (2) add a second

inverter of about 1000-1500 watts (depending on the size of your

freezer) to handle only the freezer circuit.



Keep in mind that the additional 'juice' required for the inverter

will come at the expense of the batteries. If you only use the

freezer/inverter while on the road, the engine alternator should be

replenishing the house batteries to offset the load, but while

parked, the house batteries will need to provide the inverter power,

and I know from personal experience (I have a home-style 22 cu ft

side-by-side refrigerator-freezer) that refrigeration can draw down

batteries rather quickly. You may need to consider adding additional

house batteries (or otherwise increasing the available amp-hours) to

compensate for the additional demand.



Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

"aeonix1%40mac.com"

On the road at Edinburg, VA

On Oct 20, 2008, at 8:42 PM, Don Spithaler wrote:



> Guys---I want to set a small freezer in one my outside bays. There is

> a plug there but how do I wire it to run off the inverter while going

> down the road? How would I know if it will run off a 1500 W inverter?

> Thanks

> Don Spithaler

> 89 SP 36'

> Butler, PA

>

[Donald Spithaler]

Ernie
That what I'll be doing too. I run the genny at night.
Don Spithaler
89 SP 36'
Butler, PA

On Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 7:10 PM, <"erniecarpet@aol.com"> wrote:

Don, with my house type refer, I can and do drive 4 hours and when I stop for lunch, start the generator, run that for an hour and all is well till I stop for the nite. Worked like that for 3 years, now.

Ernie Ekberg
83PT40
Weatherford, Texas

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