To Invert or Not to Invert - That is the question!

[Carefree]

The only time my inverter gets turned off is when the coach goes in for service. I also turn off the salesman switch. The fridge is empty then. This happens usually once a year when the coach goes to Freightliner for annual maintenance.

[Spikester]

I only turn my inverter on when I need it, but I do not have a residential refrigerator. Inverters are not the most efficient animals on the planet, takes about 6 amp DC to make 1 amp AC, when on they suck up power from whatever the source is just waiting to start making AC when needed which creates heat, heat and electronics are not good bed fellows. So mine stays off most of the time. I do not need all my electronics powered up when traveling down the road, not using them for anything
I will run some experiments when we take delivery of our Dutch Star to see whether I will leave the inverter on when traveling, or parked with shore power just in case power is lost. I would hope that if power is lost, or when traveling that the refrigerator/freezer would stay cold for quite some time if power is lost as long as you are not opening and closing the doors often. I know my household refrigerator/freezer does.

[Dutch Star Don]

"Spikester".....your statement of how the inverter works and how you intend to use it, is a little off base. When boondocking and while driving, your inverter will convert DC to AC. In both cases, you'll need the inverter to operate your residential refer and other electronics inside the coach.

Your Magnum inverter has what is called a "Pass Thru" component. When parked at a campground and connected to shore power, your inverter "passes" the power through the unit and DOES NOT invert power. Leaving it on or turning it off has no affect on the inverter when connected to shore power.

Unless you're winterizing the coach and storing it, there is no reason to turn the inverter off, its not "eating" power when there is shore power. It also provides for a smooth transition if there is a power failure.

[Stealth01]

Just out of curiosity, most of the posts refer to the Inverter Settings as “On” or “Off”... I use the “Standby” setting. When Line voltage is lost the Inverter turns “On”.

[Chasfarner]

If you have 6v batteries and charge them on 12v; does it ruin your batteries?
What do you set the battery charger on, to charge
4 (6v), batteries?

[twinboat]

[QUOTE=Spikester;5025961 Inverters are not the most efficient animals on the planet, takes about 6 amp DC to make 1 amp AC, .[/QUOTE]

Actually inverters use 10 times the amps @12 volts to create 120 volts.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Chasfarner

If you have 6v batteries and charge them on 12v; does it ruin your batteries?
What do you set the battery charger on, to charge
4 (6v), batteries?

Your 4, 6 volt batteries are wired as 2, 12 volt batteries and are charged as 12 volt batteries.

[GaryKD]

Leave mine on all the time. Unless doing a battery change.

[tacksondeck]

I believe there is a difference between DP and gas Newmars RVs. Gas coaches use Xantrex inverters that don't charge the batteries when connected to AC (separate charger). They are not as integrated to the AC system as the Magnum chargers. In my Baystar I have 2 Xantrex inverters, 1 to power the residential refrigerator and another to power TVs and a couple of plugs. I leave them off in not using them.

[Squerly]

Question for those of you who never turn your inverters off. Assuming your inverter is wired directly to the breaker box, how do you keep it from trying to run the air conditioners when you've left for town and the shore power goes out?

[twinboat]

Factory installed inverters are typically not wired before or directly to the main breaker box.
They are fed from a breaker in the box and then to a sub panel or sub section of the main breaker panel.

That way high draw items like A/C's, water heaters, gas / electric fridges, electric fireplaces and heaters, ...... are not powered by them.

[HJLowell]

I have never ? Or seldom heard of inverters being wired to run the air conditioning units.
Thats sudden death in most most situations.

I never turn mine off unless its in for service.

Pictured is a 4000 wat on my boat built 19 years ago.
Its only been off when new batteries are installed. ON 24/7 for 19 years Residential Refrigerator.

Both Inverters have chargers built in that maintain the coach and inverter batteries.
On float most of the time.

Both are wired for a few outlets. Kitchen and bath usually?
Fans
TV's
Refrigerator, rv or residential fridge.
And microwave.
Thats it.

The air conditioning and the balance of AC 120 outlets, additional refrigerators, AC Air compressor are shore power or generator powered only.

So basically, mine are on 95 percent all the time in the RV's.

Boat On - 100 percent

[BrokeDown]

I spoke to Magnum Support about this. They basically said to leave it on.

"When connected to shore power, it will continually maintain your batteries off the charger so there is no need to turn anything off. If you push the inverter on/off button and the INV green LED turns off that means if your coach loses shore power it won’t transfer and continue inverting off the batteries. If the INV green LED is lit and the charge light is active that means that the inverter is ready to switch to inverting off the batteries if shore is lost."

-B

[Tizbad]

Originally Posted by HJLowell

I have never ? Or seldom heard of inverters being wired to run the air conditioning units.
Thats sudden death in most most situations.

I never turn mine off unless its in for service.

Pictured is a 4000 wat on my boat built 19 years ago.
Its only been off when new batteries are installed. ON 24/7 for 19 years Residential Refrigerator.

Both Inverters have chargers built in that maintain the coach and inverter batteries.
On float most of the time.

Both are wired for a few outlets. Kitchen and bath usually?
Fans
TV's
Refrigerator, rv or residential fridge.
And microwave.
Thats it.

The air conditioning and the balance of AC 120 outlets, additional refrigerators, AC Air compressor are shore power or generator powered only.

So basically, mine are on 95 percent all the time in the RV's.

Boat On - 100 percent

Attachment 266205

I met a guy with a King Aire and he can run his front A/C on the batteries. I think it had (16) 6-volt batteries. Don't know if this is standard equipment or not?