Adding an Inverter

[HMXDave]

Our Simba did not come with an inverter. It has 2 - 2200aH 6 volt house batts and I have upgraded the front TV to an LCD. We do not have any home theater-type systems...just the TV speakers are fine. There is a DVD player and a satt reciever up there as well we would like to use. I added the "Charge Wizard" to our Converter so I don't need a charger. We would like to be able to watch TV for limited periods without running the genny. We have no need to run the AC or microwave or anything else "large" and will be content to run the genny if we need these devices.

I noticed that the breaker panel in the back lists "front plugs, front TV, and rear TV" all on the same circuit...this is ideally the circuit I would like to have an Inverter installed. Our 12v fuse panel is right beside the 120v breaker panel and there is a "knock out panel" to the left of both where I'm betting an Inverter would mount just nicely. I was looking at a Xantrex XM1000 Pro Series Inverter with built-in transfer switch. Is the installation going to be as simple as it appears? Or is there a nighmare of wiring in my future? Is the Xantrex modified sine wave OK for TV's and DVD palyers or should I go with a sine wave deal? I found a Samlex 1000w with transfer switch that appears to fit that category. Anybody done a set-up like this?

[Max Hubrich]

Just finished mine today----

I went through 3 iterations of inverters- . I started out just trying to run a small 120v fridge/freezer in a basement bay.

#1- Zantex 1500w modified sine wave inverter. It ruined the fridge/freezer and ruined itself. It was kinda funny because the box that the inverter came in showed a fridge/freezer just like I have. It was tied directly into a dedicated freezer outlet.

#2- Then I installed a 1000w pure sine wave Cotek (Samplex) inverter. It ran the freezer well.

Then I decided to tie the inverter into one house circuit that would power up the TV's, the computer, and the fridge/freezer. When shore power was applied it would trip the GFCI inverter load side receptacle. The Samplex engineer said it had something to do with the motor home neutrals. This would always require me to turn on/turn off the inverter before/after shore power was applied. The engineer suggested I bypass the GFCI and hot wire it- I said "NOPE". I asked- What do you have that has no GFCI load output?-Hence, a 2000w Coket pure sine wave inverter which can be wired directly into my additional Automatic Transfer Switch and to the TV circuit.

#3- Just installed the SK2000-112 Cotek. Everything is working normally, and well now.

It's only taken 2+ years to get this far and a heck of a lot of aggrevation.

Why don't they install pure sine wave inverters in all motor homes at the factory-- Heck, forget it- I know the answer to that one .

Samplex service is surperb- If your interested the phone number is 604-525-3836. They are in Coquitlam BC. I only paid the difference between the 1000 and the 2000 at the 2 year point .

I only have two 6 volt golf cart batteries (as you do), in series, and no room for more. The 1000w inverter would have sufficed okay if it wasn't for the tripping of the inverter GFCI load receptacle. I fortunately had wired the first inverters with 2/0 gauge wire so the switch to the new (today) 2000 watt inverter was a piece of cake. I also installed a remote switch (CR-8) in the bedroom so that I don't have to go to the bay to turn it on/off.

I guess you know what I suggest/recommend you do-start where I ended up today .

Oh, they want the inverter mounted no more than 6 feet from your battery power supply.

[Rickochet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Hubrich Just finished mine today---- I went through 3 iterations of inverters- . I started out just trying to run a small 120v fridge/freezer in a basement bay. #1- Zantex 1500w modified sine wave inverter. It ruined the fridge/freezer and ruined itself. It was kinda funny because the box that the inverter came in showed a fridge/freezer just like I have. It was tied directly into a dedicated freezer outlet.

So what was the problem with the Xantrex? Most everything I read about them is positive.

[wa8yxm]

First decide if the only things you want to run are the Entainerment... Or if you'd like pop corn (microwave) with that movie.

now.. A single pair of U-2200's is the proper battery size for up to about 1,000 watts of inverter.. It can run a 2,000 watt inverter but at full load... Not for long (they like at least 2 pair of GC-2 size (U_2200) batteries)

Mount the inverter in the compartment NEAREST the batteries.. heavy duty 12 volt cable is expensive and you want to use as little as possible to minimize voltage drop.

now.... Run 120 volt wire to either a handy switch point (And install either a manual or automatic switch) or directly to the devices you wish to power

A TRUE SINE WAVE inverter will perform about the same as an MSW. however the Television, radio, sat receiver and such may (I stress MAY but OFTEN also fits) work better with a True Sine wave inverter MSW's can cause interference.

Likewise microwaves usually work better with TSW

Connect direct to the batteries via a proper fuse as instructed in the inverter owner/installation manual.. DO NOT use your existing 12 volt house wiring to the inverter.

[Max Hubrich]

Rickochet,

As I understand this MSW product-- Some electric motors don't like that form of power. My freezer/fridge, didn't . It ruined both the freezer and the inverter.

A MSW is about half the cost of an equal, in Watts, PSW inverter. The PSW gives you clean AC power, as on the commericial power poles.

I'm just telling you what happened to me. A fellow parked next to me recently told me about his factory installed MSW reading 160 volts on his voltmeter. He said that was okay since the "peaks" were gone on that form of electricity.

[Clay L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Hubrich Rickochet, Snip A fellow parked next to me recently told me about his factory installed MSW reading 160 volts on his voltmeter. He said that was okay since the "peaks" were gone on that form of electricity.

Two things.
As you probably know, his volt meter which is designed to read sine wave ac will not correctly measure read the modified square wave output from a "modified sine wave" inverted. (The output is a heck of a lot more like a modified square wave but that's marketing ballyhoo for you).
He would have to have a true RMS meter to get a good reading.

I don't know where he got the peaks being removed idea. Maybe something to do with the fact that the peak voltage of a 120 volt sine wave is 1.414 times 120 or about 170 volts.

[HMXDave]

Thanks for the tips gang. Sounds like a bunch of re-wiring. I thought, being as I only need about 300 watts (with two TVs , the DVD, and the Satt running) I could put an inverter in the same utility area in the bedroom as the existing wiring. Run the inverter tying into the feed to the 12v panel (it's fed with what looks like a 00 wire)...then take the feed from the one breaker that powers front plugs and both TVs and run those from the "out" on the inverter....then feed from that breaker to the "in" side of the inverter to run if there is shore power/generator present.(auto transfer switch) But if I have to locate the Inverter down below, then run 120 wires all over the darn place to get there....I think I'll just annoy the neighbors and run the genny.