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Old 08-31-2018, 09:53 AM   #1
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Inverter

When plugged into shore power should my inverter be on or off Thanks in advance
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Old 08-31-2018, 09:57 AM   #2
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Old 08-31-2018, 10:54 AM   #3
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I think on... My inverter also contains the house battery charger. So my inverter needs to be on in order to charge house batteries. It has a automatic transfer switch. That choose what going on. I guess it will make a decision turn on/off automatically. I'm not quite sure how it works. Check your inverter manual.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:01 AM   #4
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I turn mine off when traveling or when out of the coach to preserve battery charge. I leave it on when tethered to shore power at night so DW and I don't lose power to our APAPs in case of a power outage while we are sleeping. We don't sleep with the generator on at night as the batteries can handle the APAPs and 2 fans all night.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:06 AM   #5
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In my past I have installed many inverters. They had to be on to keep the batteries charged. They have a automatic circuit that allows the 110 volts to go through the inverter to the outlets. The inverter itself is not changing 12 volts to 120 volts when plugged in to 120 volts.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:19 AM   #6
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I think it's going to depend on your inverter and how it's set up.
I leave mine off all the time, and it passes 120 volt through to the outlets and the converter (battery charger).
Likely the only way to know for sure about YOUR rig is to turn off the inverter and then check to make sure you've got 120 everywhere you should.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:37 AM   #7
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Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Had I not read all the replies I would have likely said "off". I hadn't thought about the inverter charging the house batteries on some rigs. I have never left mine on when connected to shore power and the house batteries have stayed charged.

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:46 AM   #8
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I leave mine off and the house batteries still get charged when on shore power.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:54 AM   #9
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It is an "it depends" situation. If you have a combination Inverter/Converter and you are plugged in you need part of it turned on to keep your battery charged. If you have a stand alone Inverter it gets turned off unless you have an appliance that is wired to always run off the Inverter. That happens with some refrigerator setups. The only way to tell with your specific setup is to test the various functions and/or find a manual that tells you what is going on. I'd test anyway as experience has shown the manuals are not always correct.

The other thing you need to understand is whether you need to leave your storage relay on to charge your batteries if you are in plugged in storage. Some setups connect the converter to the house side of the relay and some to the battery side.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:55 AM   #10
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As you can see by the responses ( off and on ) It depends on the inverter. I would say that most if not all Inverter/chargers would be on and go into charging and pass thru mode.
If it's just an inverter it would likely be able to be off unless it powers an outlet that is not powered by the gen or shore power.
I suggest you find the model number and read the manual. This is always the best resource.
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Old 08-31-2018, 12:58 PM   #11
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The answer is YES. If you leave it on, it is on standby and ready to take over if there is a power failure. If you leave it Off, you need to be there to switch it on. There i no right or wrong - just your preference on how to handle it.
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Old 09-01-2018, 12:32 AM   #12
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Welcome to the forum!
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Old 09-01-2018, 06:46 AM   #13
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Don't forget the need to power the 12VDC items - like the lights. Since the inverter passes the 120VAC through, provides 12VDC, keeps the batteries charged, and inverts in the case of a shore power outage, I don't see a need to shut the thing off. I turn the inverter on when we begin loading for the journey, and don't turn it off until locking up upon return. But - depends on your equipment.
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Old 09-01-2018, 10:19 AM   #14
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Speaking of inverters. I've recently had an issue with my Onan 7000 Gen.it wouldn't run and stay running so I had to replace the control board. Testing things out, The Gen ran for a few minutes then it seems the starter stayed engaged, so I quickly shut things down to prevent further damage.
Now when I plug into off shore electrical, nothing works. No 120 V power comes into the motorhome, there's no familiar humming coming from my inverter unit and for the life of me, I can't find out how to makes things work again.
Any suggestions would be so much appreciated.

Thanks a million miles of your travels.
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