Inverter question

[PeterH-350LE]

I have a 2000 watt tripp lite inverter running on 4 of the same batteries. I also have a 100 watt solar panel on the roof, along with a SolarPro Charge controller.
Since all this was added 10 years after my 93 was built, I suppose that it will feed all the outlets in the trailer. Should I not unplug the 110V to 12V converter when I use the inverter ?
Thanks for your thoughts!

[lewster]

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

I have a 2000 watt tripp lite inverter running on 4 of the same batteries. I also have a 100 watt solar panel on the roof, along with a SolarPro Charge controller.
Since all this was added 10 years after my 93 was built, I suppose that it will feed all the outlets in the trailer. Should I not unplug the 110V to 12V converter when I use the inverter ?
Thanks for your thoughts!

Some observations:

Tough to answer your questions accurately without seeing how everything is wired. Do not assume that the 120VAC for your entire coach is available thru the inverter. Most are not wired that way, but have the 'inverter circuits' run thru a separate 120VAC sub panel, as 2000 watts is roughly 16.6 amps or about half of the 30 amp service that your coach has.

If your inverter has an internal transfer switch (like all Magnum units), the inverter will know when 120VAC is present and will not invert while connected to the grid. OTOH, if it did have an internal transfer switch, all of the circuits in the coach, including those marked 'inverter' will receive power when on grid.

If you have an 'inverter only' device that does not have a charging section integrated into it, then chances are that you do not have 120VAC running in to the inverter, only 12VDC positive and negative in and 120VAC out.

NEC code states that there must be a transfer switch or manual disconnect present that will not allow any single circuit to be powered from 2 separate sources simultaneously.

I would have the wiring checked by a qualified professional who can then make a circuit diagram for you so you know exactly what is happening in the circuits.

Here is a link to the Magnum Energy installation manual for their MS-2012 series, 2000 watt sine wave inverter/charger. It will give you some idea of what you should be dealing with: http://magnumenergy.com/wp-content/u...Series_Web.pdf

Scroll to page 25 for the 30 amp single circuit installation.

[PeterH-350LE]

Its very simple to see what's going on:
whoever installed it just mounted a 30 amp receptacle to plug in the shore line, so everything gets powered up. Of course i know better to never use the AC or Microwave.
Still my question is the redundancy of having the converter running while I use the inverter. It would seem to me that the 110V power used by the converter to supply 12V and charge the batteries is more of a drain on the batteries than it can supply.
Its the perpetumobile thing, you can not create more energy than you supply

[lewster]

There should be no need to operate an inverter when on shore power, as the 30 amp connection should power your entire coach.

The exception would be the new generation of hybrid inverters that synchronize the inverter's output from the batteries with lower capacity external 120 VAC sources like smaller generators or 15-20 amp shore power to make up the difference to 30 amps.


Lew Farber
RVIA/RVDA Nationally Certified Master Tech
Master Tech Energy Systems, Inc.
AM Solar Certified Installation Center
Lifeline Batteries**Magnum Inverters
541-490-6357

[Nuvite-F]

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

Its very simple to see what's going on:
whoever installed it just mounted a 30 amp receptacle to plug in the shore line, so everything gets powered up. Of course i know better to never use the AC or Microwave.
Still my question is the redundancy of having the converter running while I use the inverter. It would seem to me that the 110V power used by the converter to supply 12V and charge the batteries is more of a drain on the batteries than it can supply.
Its the perpetumobile thing, you can not create more energy than you supply

To summarize what you said, the inverter does power every 120 V outlet in the coach because you connect it by plugging the ground power cord into a 30 A outlet connected to the inverter outlet.

That being the case, I would unplug the converter, just as you said. It won't hurt anything not to unplug it, but it will waste energy from your 12 V batteries.

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by Nuvite-F

To summarize what you said, the inverter does power every 120 V outlet in the coach because you connect it by plugging the ground power cord into a 30 A outlet connected to the inverter outlet.

That being the case, I would unplug the converter, just as you said. It won't hurt anything not to unplug it, but it will waste energy from your 12 V batteries.

Thats what I thought, thanks!