Learning about inverters

[mitch5252]

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I found this online, talking about inverters:

Cheapies, ie 500-600 watters which by the way wont even do microwave popcorn (7 min for popcorn) will consume way more than that little inverter can handle. I have a Xantrex 1000 which is a 2000 watt surge, and it can run a 1000 watt microwave, but at that heat, it would run a group 27 battery totally dead in 28 minutes from fully charged.

And that's totally dead - not to the 50% max you're supposed to do.

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[Olive600]

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I found this online, talking about inverters:

Cheapies, ie 500-600 watters which by the way wont even do microwave popcorn (7 min for popcorn) will consume way more than that little inverter can handle. I have a Xantrex 1000 which is a 2000 watt surge, and it can run a 1000 watt microwave, but at that heat, it would run a group 27 battery totally dead in 28 minutes from fully charged.

And that's totally dead - not to the 50% max you're supposed to do.

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This sounds like very bad news.

[mitch5252]

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Here's an electrical converter I use all the time.
Just plug in 120 V and the watts taken from the back off your appliance.
Calculate. There are the the amps needed to run that particular appliance.

http://www.supercircuits.com/resources/tools/volts-watts-amps-converter

I certainly don't have near the experience of most of the ladies here, but I never planned to run, on a regular basis, either an A/C (and I installed a much smaller unit than the factory unit) or the microwave using a generator.

One of the reasons I recently changed out my charger/converter was to improve the charging efficiency for the times I needed to charge the battery (single Group 27). I understand that my factory installed charger (1-stage) was pretty inefficient.

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[sharon]

Basically, you're gonna have to run your genny a couple of hours or more a day to recharge your batteries. They have to be recharged somehow....either by plugging into shore power, solar, or genny. Take your choice. I have solar and I use my inverter to make 1 pot of coffee in the morning and watch tv for 3 hours or so at nite. I run the genny to use the microwave. Usually by 10 or so my batteries are charged, as long as the sun is out. Cloudy day it takes until afternoon for charging. But my panels are old and need to be replaced. I'll have them checked at Quartzsite next Jan.

[WickedLady]

Sharon: How many batteries do you have and what size inverter and solar?

[sharon]

Marda, I have 4 large house batteries, 2500W inverter and 3 950W solar panels on the roof. But I have a large coach, 34ft DP with a lot of "stuff". LOL! I boondock for 10-12 days at a time in the winter, so I'm using battery power for heat, too. SoCal days are fairly warm but the nights are chilly. I can stay out longer if I'm really careful with water.

[mitch5252]

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Holy Crap - that's a lot of solar!

Did you do it, or have it done?

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[sharon]

The coach came with the batteries and inverter, I had the solar added in Quartzsite. Can't remember how much it cost, but it wasn't cheap. It was worth it to me because of what I do in the winter. The original batteries lasted 6 years, hope I get that long out of these. Same brand.

[longdog2]

If you have a propane stove and oven, you won't need to use your microwave while boondocking.

[Olive600]

I have a propane stove top. No oven. Microwave is also convection. So now I need a clever alternative for the oven. What about one of those thermal cookers that somebody posted recently? I'll check it out. Of course I could plan ahead and do all my oven work when I'm plugged in and then vacuum seal the results and freeze them. I could easily freeze a months worth of cooked meat and fish. I don't bake. Does that sound reasonable?

[mitch5252]

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Two built-in oven alternatives:






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[Gentleladybear]

I had 600 watt inverter installed that runs off the two house batteries I have. I use it for my cpap machine at night. The only plug I had installed is in the bedroom. When I awake in the mornings, as soon as I can I crank my generator and run it while I fix my breakfast, have a coffee pot that I use on the gas stove. So my main point of the generator is to recharge the house batteries. If I am just spending one night, even running the generator is not important in the morning because driving also charges the house battery. If I am staying for a week or more in one place, it is very important to run the generator for 4 or 5 hours during the day to recharge the house batteries. I can only watch tv, run microwave or have any other heat producer with the generator running. If you are someplace your can't run your generator, remember if you crank the engine it will charge the house batteries.

[Bethers]

With 4 batteries, I won't run my microwave more than a minute, and only if I'm in total sunshine to replenish. The microwave is way to much for the batteries unless I go up to 6 coach batteries, and I don't need my microwave that much.

I use my cheap inverter only for things like recharging my laptop, nook, etc. don't need to turn my 1500 (1800?) watt one on for those.