Community Forums

johnnyreno · 09-30-2014, 12:34 PM

Do we need to do anything thats best for the inverters or just let them do their own thing. When hooked up at a park.

brobox · 09-30-2014, 12:44 PM

When hooked up to 50 AMP just be sure the battery chargers are on. Nothing needs to be done to the inverters they go into automatic standby when plugged into shore power.

wrenchead · 09-30-2014, 12:48 PM

After 10 yrs. full-time in 3 coaches w/inverters, we always leave them on when connected to shore power. They do just what they are supposed to do, supply your coach with elec. if the power fails. Also, monitors batteries and charges as needed.

mel s · 09-30-2014, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyreno

Do we need to do anything thats best for the inverters or just let them do their own thing. When hooked up at a park.

johnnyreno
If everything is adjusted, set and working correctly your "inverter/charger" will do it's thing, (or things), automaticaly when you are connected to shore power.
My "Heart, (Xantrex), Freedom 20" does, (and has), for 18 years.
Mel
'96 Safari

johnnyreno · 09-30-2014, 05:49 PM

THX guys

Cruzer · 10-01-2014, 07:09 AM

Just about the only time you'll need to switch off the inverters is when you put the unit in storage or park it for a long time. That will minimize the battery drain when you are not using the coach.

johnnyreno · 10-01-2014, 06:52 PM

That summs that up..

Dawgs · 10-01-2014, 07:30 PM

I keep the inverter on while driving but while on shore power I switch it off. I know I don't need to because it will automatically switch as needed but at one park we lost shore power and the inverter did it's thing. It switched so perfectly that we didn't even notice we were now on battery power. Well after a few hours the control center started to shed appliances to conserve power and the 8 AGM batteries were down to almost 12 volts. I want to know when I loose shore power so I can figure out what went wrong and make a decision before I drain the batteries. I have auto gen start but rarely put that on. Maybe I should to alert me to a lose of shore power.

Cruzer · 10-01-2014, 08:46 PM

If you do use the AGS it will auto-start the generator once the battery voltage drops to the preset threshold but it won't start the instant ashore power goes away. Meanwhile, the inverter will provide power until the batteries get low enough so that nothing gets interrupted.

Curtisgeiger · 10-02-2014, 03:53 AM

I think it would be helpful to have an (optional) buzzer/light that alerted when the shore power is cut off.

I wonder how hard that would be to fabricate?

Curt

Sent from my iPhone

Dawgs · 10-02-2014, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruzer

If you do use the AGS it will auto-start the generator once the battery voltage drops to the preset threshold but it won't start the instant ashore power goes away. Meanwhile, the inverter will provide power until the batteries get low enough so that nothing gets interrupted.

Guess they made changes to the AGS. I can have AGS using various parameters. AGS operates by set time, coach temperature, battery voltage drop and lose of shore power. In my case I'll use it to alert me to lose of shore power.

brobox · 10-02-2014, 06:14 AM

After loosing power last week and the generator started on AGS as we had left it on while we were gone. Turning on AGS has now been added to my check list as soon as we park. I have it why not use it, it was nice having A/C while others were outside in the rain trying to cool off.

Curt, there would be your warning buzzer when loosing power, the generator starts. When tuning on the key to leave the AGS is automatically turned off. However the transformer mod does have to be added for the AGS to work when shore power is lost. I think that has been added to the 2015's?

Cruzer · 10-02-2014, 06:24 AM

It would be easy enough to add a buzzer but as to control it when to buzz, that would be another matter. You can simply add a small relay with a 120 VAC coil to the shore power side of the transfer switch. Then run 12VDC current through the NC contacts to a buzzer, light or alarm of some sort. Whenever shore power was not present the buzzer would sound. The problem is that you also need to have a way to shut it off otherwise it would buzz every time you unplugged your cord when breaking camp or when driving down the road. Adding a rocker switch would take care of that but that's one more manual step you need to do all the time. You could add ignition interlock circuits and delay-on-disconnect timers to help with that but that's getting a bit complex for what is gained.

Personally, as long as the inverter takes over when shore power fails and then the AGS starts the generator should the power outage continue long enough to lower the battery voltage, I really don't need an alarm. I just need the system to provide power via one of the three methods. It will do that automatically - as long as I don't forget to set the AGS, that is.

bamaboy473 · 10-02-2014, 06:36 AM

What's the shedding sequence, and is it adjustable? If so, having a night-light on the first or second shed point would make for a good alert.

Are shut-down sequences able to be adjusted to do that?