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05-27-2018, 12:29 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 4
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Spiltting a 50amp service for a inverter
I am going to buy Victron Multiplus inverter with load assist. I have 50 amp service in my 5th wheel. My question is about how to wire in the inverter into only one leg of the fuse panel. I have two 50 amp circuit breakers in the middle of the panel. So how do I wire things up so I can still plug my Yamaha generator (2000 watt) into my 50 amp cord so I can have power from the generator and use the power assist to up my useable amp in the trailer.
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05-27-2018, 01:09 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,679
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The normal way to add an Inverter/Charger is to have a circuit breaker in the main panel that connects to the Inverter/Charger input and the output of the Inverter/Charger goes to a sub-panel.
Then circuits that you want on the Inverter are moved from the main panel to the sub-panel.
Unless you are well versed in AC wiring, this is a job for an electrician.
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Dale & Mark Bruss
13 Years Full-Timing Now with a 2016 Bounder 33C
40' Travel Supreme winter residence
Lots of RV Information at www.dmbruss.com
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05-27-2018, 06:39 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 2,091
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You have to add a breaker to feed the inverter on one side of the panel . The output from the inverter will have to go to a separate panel . Then you can transfer the loads you require from the existing panel to the inverter panel. No real easy safe way using your existing panel.
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1993 Tiffin Allegro Bay 32'
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05-27-2018, 06:55 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
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Main panel... branch breaker to inverter to sub panel to TV, Microwave, GFCI and whatever else is on the Inverter.
THis is how it is done.
Things you DO NOT want to power with the Victron are on both legs so do not split the leg off run a branch
Things you DO NOT want to Inverter power
Fridge (RV type)
Water heater
Converter
Air Conditioenrs
Space heaters
The fridge is 300-450 watts depending on make and model, everything else I listed is over 1,000 and these will suck your batteries down faster than you can say "What happneed". so you do not want them sucking inverter power
IN MY CASE add the converter.. When I looked at the "Charger" specs on my inverter and compared them to my Progressive Dynaics Wizard box.. Well I'm still looking for a converter better than the Progressive Dynamics Wizard controlled multi-stage converters. And I do not think I'm ever going to find one. Many "As good" but better is just not happening .
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Home is where I park it!
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05-27-2018, 07:42 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,317
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You can take one hot line, that comes from the shore cord, that goes to one side of the 50 amp dual breaker, and direct it thru the inverter.
On shore power, it will pass power thru like it does now. With no shore power it will power one leg of your breaker panel.
The wrench in the works is the amp capacity of the pass thru switch of the inverter and the rating of the breaker in it. If it can pass 50 amps, your good to go.
Second issue is reconfiguring your breaker panel to have that leg power what you want while on inverter power.
You could install 2 of them.
Edit: Did some research and the inverter transfer (pass thru ) switch is rated for 50 amps. That's good.
They suggest a 50 amp breaker before the inverter, so you will need a small panel that the power cord will go to and then out, with one leg thru the inverter, to the main panel and the other leg, directly on to the main panel.
Your portable generator, and dog bone adaptor, will still power both legs, as it does now, but you will only have the power assist on one leg.
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05-27-2018, 09:23 AM
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#6
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Community Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Between the Oceans
Posts: 8,017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twinboat
You can take one hot line, that comes from the shore cord, that goes to one side of the 50 amp dual breaker, and direct it thru the inverter.
On shore power, it will pass power thru like it does now. With no shore power it will power one leg of your breaker panel.
The wrench in the works is the amp capacity of the pass thru switch of the inverter and the rating of the breaker in it. If it can pass 50 amps, your good to go.
Second issue is reconfiguring your breaker panel to have that leg power what you want while on inverter power.
You could install 2 of them.
Edit: Did some research and the inverter transfer (pass thru ) switch is rated for 50 amps. That's good.
They suggest a 50 amp breaker before the inverter, so you will need a small panel that the power cord will go to and then out, with one leg thru the inverter, to the main panel and the other leg, directly on to the main panel.
Your portable generator, and dog bone adaptor, will still power both legs, as it does now, but you will only have the power assist on one leg.
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op, follow this ^^.
(one thing though - on my magnum 2800w, i laid a romex 10/3 from main panel to inverter, that is with two hot wires. it works great. can't it be done here? )
__________________
Steven & Polly
2000 Country Coach Intrigue 40' ISC 350
2018 Ford Explorer 4WD
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05-27-2018, 09:33 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,679
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The 50 amp input breaker is a dual breaker so that both power leads to the RV are disconnected in an over current situation, together. Splitting before the breaker is not a good idea and probably not even code.
Flipping the 50 amp input breaker would leave the input to the Inverter/Charger live.
__________________
Dale & Mark Bruss
13 Years Full-Timing Now with a 2016 Bounder 33C
40' Travel Supreme winter residence
Lots of RV Information at www.dmbruss.com
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05-27-2018, 09:35 AM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 4
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Now how do I ground the panel
If I split the breaker panel in two, how do I spilt the grounds being a 4 wire system? With 50 amp service it is easy to split it because I have 2 50amp breakers, but common grounds. I was told I had to do something in the panel to make it work , but forgot was that step was.
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05-27-2018, 09:45 AM
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#9
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Community Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Between the Oceans
Posts: 8,017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Litzfam
If I split the breaker panel in two, how do I spilt the grounds being a 4 wire system? With 50 amp service it is easy to split it because I have 2 50amp breakers, but common grounds. I was told I had to do something in the panel to make it work , but forgot was that step was.
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if you do my way, on the main panel you will install a dual 50 or dual 30a breaker (on/off together) for inverter. think how romex 10/3 looks like - connect neutral to neutral, ground to ground and two hot to two hot. on your inverter, the same respectively...
now, tricky thing is - how far is your inverter to the main panel? you will need another romex to route back to the area close to main panel so you can bring over the wires for interior/microwave...
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Steven & Polly
2000 Country Coach Intrigue 40' ISC 350
2018 Ford Explorer 4WD
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05-27-2018, 09:51 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,679
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Litzfam
If I split the breaker panel in two, how do I spilt the grounds being a 4 wire system? With 50 amp service it is easy to split it because I have 2 50amp breakers, but common grounds. I was told I had to do something in the panel to make it work , but forgot was that step was.
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Starting with the dual breaker needs to be the input to the RV, if you check the main panel, there are two buses that run across the back each bus connecting to alternate line breakers.
You could carefully cut one of the buses after the dual pole breaker leaving one line breaker to feed the Inverter/Charger. The output of the Inverter/Charger would be fed into the remainder of the bus using another breaker. The line breakers on that bus would be driver by the Inverter/Charger.
This is very tricky and the far superior option is to install a sub-panel. But a sub-panel is often very hard finding available space.
The Neutral Bus is common to both split buses. Likewise the Ground bus. If a sub-panel is used, a Neutral from the sub-panel would go to the Neutral of the Main Panel. Likewise a separate Ground would be run from the sub-panel to Main Panel Ground.
Neutral is tied to the Ground (Safety Ground) outside the RV, at the power pole or more preferably at the Park Power Panel.
Some drawings to explain.
__________________
Dale & Mark Bruss
13 Years Full-Timing Now with a 2016 Bounder 33C
40' Travel Supreme winter residence
Lots of RV Information at www.dmbruss.com
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05-27-2018, 09:58 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 4
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The great thing about this inverter; is, it is a pass though inverter, so I can run the main wires though it.
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05-27-2018, 10:02 AM
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#12
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Community Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Between the Oceans
Posts: 8,017
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what i said was a dual-in/dual-out vs others' single-in/dual-out (or /single-out). what i did was on my magnum ms2812. i have to admit that i have no knowledge about victron's, whether it can be done or not you'll have to read the installation guide on the manaul.
__________________
Steven & Polly
2000 Country Coach Intrigue 40' ISC 350
2018 Ford Explorer 4WD
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05-27-2018, 12:40 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,317
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That is why I suggested a new small, dual breaker panel, in the shore cord line, before the new inverter. That still gives you a dual breaker before the inverter.
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05-28-2018, 01:26 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 374
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Litzfam
I am going to buy Victron Multiplus inverter with load assist. I have 50 amp service in my 5th wheel. My question is about how to wire in the inverter into only one leg of the fuse panel. I have two 50 amp circuit breakers in the middle of the panel. So how do I wire things up so I can still plug my Yamaha generator (2000 watt) into my 50 amp cord so I can have power from the generator and use the power assist to up my useable amp in the trailer.
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Was pretty simple, just pull one leg (line) out of your existing two pole 50 amp and plug it in your inverter, then run it out of inverter and into a 50A single pole subpanel. I pretty much pulled all the lines from the converter that I wanted to run on solar. Only thing remaining on L1 of my original 50A is my two AC units, my water heater, the converter box, and Washer/Dryer outlet (which we dont have). 50Amp service is very easy to wire, especially if you sleep in a Holiday Inn Express the night prior.
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