Converter hums when Inverter is turned on?

[BadBoy]

I have just been turning the converter off at the fuse panel which seems to be working. Just worried I might be causing some sort of damage by
a) turning off the converter?
b) letting it humm?

Any thoughts?

Also quick battery bank question. I only have the one house battery hooked up to my generator. I'm redoing the bank tray to fit more. Is there any real benefit to going to 3 batteries (all 12 volt) or is just 2 enough?

As of now I have 2 CAT transport batteries and a deep cycle Interstate battery. The battery store seemed to think they would be okay together.

[JimM68]

I don't think it will hurt anything. The converter is your battery charger. If it is on shore power when you use the inverter, it will see a heavier load and work harder, odd to actually hear it humming, but still ok. It will have overload protection, and most also have variable speed fans to help em stay cool under heavy loads.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Is the inverter actually producing power when this happens? Or just turned on but in stand-by mode?

The converter/charger should not be running when the inverter is producing power, i.e. the converter should not be powered by the inverter. That's just a waste - you can't re-charge the battery from the inverter output without a net loss of battery power. And if it's a modified sine wave inverter, the converter probably doesn't like the input power anyway.

If there is shore power for the converter/charger, then there is no need to run the inverter.

[wa8yxm]

You say the converter hums when the inverter is one.. Now.. Some questions

IS the inverter a properly INSTALLED unit or are you plugging your entire rig into it?

A proper install you have your main breaker panel (Where you find the breaker you turn off for the converter) then you have a large breaker in that box that feeds either A: A transfer switch or B: A combination inverter/converter with built in transfer.. (The inverter feeds the other side of the transfer switch if A, The inverter feeds the shore power side, shore power feeds the generator side)

This transfer switch or inverter then feeds a 2nd breaker box, called a SUB panel (It has no main breaker) which feeds whatever is hungry for electricity... Televisions, and such, Microwave, Usually the outlets in the kitchen and bath and patio.

So.. IF the converter is humming....

Are you turning on the inverter when you have SHORE POWER (NOTE: I do do that on occasion) If so it's simply responding to the additional load the inverter is pulling and that is 100% normal.. I would expect the converter to hum if the batteries were low enough as well.

Or.. Is the inverter feeding, among other things, the circuit that the inverter is on?

This... Is just plain wrong. If it is you need to re-do the inverter install.

NOTE: there is a 3rd option.. I can see someone simply plugging the shore power cord into the inverter's outlet when there is no shore power (Stand alone inverter like a Xantrex X-Power) If that's what you are doing,, Then your only option is to drop some red nail polish on selected breakers and TURN THEM OFF when using inverter

Converter
Water heater
Fridge
Air Conditioner(s)

Those are the big ones..

[medical09]

I have a new 2010 Fleetwood Bounder with workhorse chassis, loud humming when plugged to shore power. Do not know where anything is on this new RV. medical109

[wa8yxm]

Well.. Converters are not long on lyrics so they often just HUM along... (Ok bad pun)

The problem is there are two places they put the converters

ONe is the back side of the fuse/breaker panel (in this case the fuse box and breaker box will be one hunk of metal) The other is "Just about anywhere they please" and the only way to find it is to search it out.