Author Topic: Inverters what do you run off them. (Read 11559 times)

wilson79 · « **on:** February 04, 2014, 04:34:44 PM »

Hi All,

It may be a stupid question but....

I Just wondering if people actually use their inverters in their camper trailers and if so what for?

is it just a wasted accessory you don't really need?

I am getting close to purchasing a CT and was wondering if it is worth putting one in as most equipment can be charged off 12v system (phones/laptops etc).

Just interested to see what people run off them..

jetcrew · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2014, 04:41:21 PM »

I am pretty partial to the pedestal fan at $12 each I just use and abuse them

Jet

sablesoft · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2014, 04:52:15 PM »

Never had the need for one, 12V supplies all I need

Ray

Chris J · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2014, 05:32:50 PM »

I have a 1000 watt unit fitted and I use it on long trips and fishing trips, it runs a tucker box freezer when travelling and a vacuum sealer when needed. Freezer carries enough ice and ice cream for trip, ice goes out fish goes in.

regards, Chris

speewa158 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2014, 05:39:21 PM »

My 600w runs my double lecky blanket in winter , the charger for my phone , the battery for the metal detector & what ever it is needed to run

KingBilly · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2014, 05:48:22 PM »

Camera battery charger, vacuum sealer. Everything else is 12V

KB

GeoffA · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2014, 05:49:19 PM »

Electric knife.......

cyberess · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2014, 05:57:59 PM »

Just recently installed a 600W pure sinewave as purchased from Ebay

See pics at http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=17679.msg557364#msg557364

What I run from it are
Small box fan

They draw 40W so are quite good for putting the timer on went going to sleep -- It's rather hot in Darwin.

Run a work light --

Great for running 10W insect Yellow Compact Fluorescent globes -- they throw heaps of light and 240V extension leads work well, can place them hight up in the trees.

Battery chargers fro devices that are not 12V

Symon · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2014, 05:58:38 PM »

I have a 600W unit, and so far it has powered -

My laptop
My wife's laptop
5" angle grinder
Pistol drill
3 x camera battery chargers
video camera charger
Battery charger for my Makita radio
2' Burnbrite flouro light

and lots of other stuff....

Crimso · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2014, 06:14:44 PM »

At home I have a 2000 watt sine wave that runs everything, except things that draw bulk power such as electric jug, toaster etc.
For the camper I have a 250 watt sine wave which is way too much power for what I need. Generally just for charging batteries (the rechargeable for torches etc), camera battery charger and if I spend too much time on the ipad of a night with Hemma maps I'll plug it in.

DannyG · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2014, 06:18:02 PM »

Electric blanket and wife's hair straightener lol we have had one for several years and rarely use it, but the point is that it does get used albeit rarely lol
We have a big isolator switch with ours because it's draws a bit of power just sitting idle so we only feed it battery power when we need it.

evolution · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2014, 06:23:05 PM »

+20 on the electric blanket.

Cheers
Evo

Nick74 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2014, 06:56:41 PM »

If the spud peeler sees all this chat about electric blankets I will be in the poo
I told her it wont work off the inverter................. so far she hasn't found a 12V one so is going without. Just the way I like it!

evolution · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2014, 07:07:57 PM »

Quote from: Nick74 on February 04, 2014, 06:56:41 PM

If the spud peeler sees all this chat about electric blankets I will be in the poo
I told her it wont work off the inverter................. so far she hasn't found a 12V one so is going without. Just the way I like it!

haha, An electric blanket is probably the lowest drawing heating device you can get for a camper

(The quad zone one we had was only 60w in total)
Cheers
Evo

wilson79 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2014, 07:25:23 PM »

Thanks everyone, gives me a bit to think about.

I probably wont need an electric blanket up here, but the wife read the bit about the hair straightener which lead to" oh does that mean i can take my hair dryer too"

austastar · « **Reply #15 on:** February 04, 2014, 07:37:29 PM »

Hi,
Laptop before I lashed out on a 12 -> 19 Volt Jaycar charger.

Sewing machine, (which is what I first bought it for), the Bride is right into quilting and patchwork.

Charging electric toothbrushes.

I could use a 75W soldering iron, I take it some times, but haven't used it on the inverter.

The only other 240V item we take is the battery charger, which I'm not even going to try off the inverter.

cheers

Silvo · « **Reply #16 on:** February 04, 2014, 07:49:27 PM »

i run a toaster off mine..

DannyG · « **Reply #17 on:** February 04, 2014, 08:03:28 PM »

Some hair straighteners need a fair bit of grunt to start them so watch that

Pirate_Pete · « **Reply #18 on:** February 04, 2014, 08:14:12 PM »

Quote from: Symon on February 04, 2014, 05:58:38 PM

I have a 600W unit, and so far it has powered -

5" angle grinder
Pistol drill

I can see a small pistol drill working on a 600w inverter but it must have some punch to run a 5" grinder.

Symon · « **Reply #19 on:** February 04, 2014, 08:26:34 PM »

From memory the grinder is rated at 400W, but I know it does work as I used it on the cape trip.

jetcrew · « **Reply #20 on:** February 04, 2014, 09:03:18 PM »

Quote from: DannyG on February 04, 2014, 08:03:28 PM

Some hair straighteners need a fair bit of grunt to start them so watch that

Thats what i thought too.. when lara asked me if she could take her hair straightener away on a trip I said "no way babe and went into a nice long winded explanation of how 240v items with heating elements like hair dryers, toasters , kettle ect draw more power.

Lara paid no attention to my explanation and then just said "well at least try it Mr know it all"

Well FCUK me I had no idea a hair straightener drawers only 300w , as she gave me a look of "you moron". "aren't you meant to know this stuff"

So I can say that i am still paying the price for that, esp when she bought a 2000w heater for our last camper , and you guessed it when i said "we cant run that off the inverter " she said "yeah thats what you last time ".

No matter how many times i explain that I had never used a hair straightener so the power usage was an assumption that it would exceed 500watts , the damage is done ...forever

Always read the data sheet before saying NO babe

Jet

speewa158 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 05, 2014, 05:27:20 AM »

jet can you explain the " Read the data sheet thing " & saying No to SWOMBO .
Real men don't read instructions

& just go with the flow she says jump then ask how high on the way up

Pirate_Pete · « **Reply #22 on:** February 05, 2014, 06:56:18 AM »

Quote from: speewa158 on February 05, 2014, 05:27:20 AM

jet can you explain the " Read the data sheet thing " & saying No to SWOMBO .
Real men don't read instructions
& just go with the flow she says jump then ask how high on the way up

There are 2 things to a perfect marriage . . .

One is: Yes

And the other is:
.
.
.
.
.
. Dear

jetcrew · « **Reply #23 on:** February 05, 2014, 08:49:16 AM »

Quote from: speewa158 on February 05, 2014, 05:27:20 AM

jet can you explain the " Read the data sheet thing " & saying No to SWOMBO .

On nearly all elec appliances they will have a little silver coloured sticker with some info my fan here has

220-240VAC 50Hz 50W

So the item draws 50watts at 220 - 240VAC

What we need to know is how that relates to 12v power so how many amps will that cause the inverter to take from my battery bank.

So step 1 - is that watts figure (50) below my inverter capacity in this case yes

Step 2 - take the 50W and divide it by 12 (this is the basic voltage number of our batt bank )I know that's low ect but using 12 is the easiest) 50 / 12 = 4.16A DC.

So roughly it will take 4.16A out of my battery bank to power the inverter to run that fan.

we estimated 4.16A at 12v but because my battery bank had 13.6v in it that figure was actually 3.24A real time tested which is better again than my basic divide by 12 rule.

So as you can see if you factor off the worst case voltage of 12v then anything above that is cream. and you simply read the silver sticker on the appliance and you divide by 12 presto you have a rough idea.

Also to note was because i had solar panels conected to the batts the start voltage was 13.6 and with inverter running fan it only dropped to 13.45v as the solar picked up the output and supplied to needed load for the inverter.As before that I was in float mode and the solar reg was wasting away power as the batts were full.

Which brings me to the next point ..where possible use your inverters when there is a charge being applied to your batts weather that be alternator or solar panels , the higher nominal voltage of the batts will help look after you batt bank.

DISCLAIMER- I am not suggesting/advocating that you power your larger than 100w inverter while driving along , that is a personal choice and i won't go into that, what I meant was like at the cape when lara wanted to use the infamous hair straightener i would start the car to warm the engine and plug inverter into the car then and let here use hair straightener, this way it had a higher voltage instead of the overnight settled voltage of the aux battery after it had run fridge all night. So in essence the alternator was power the inverter not the aux battery.

here is the pic of the watt meter running the fan ,

Jet

Bird · « **Reply #24 on:** February 05, 2014, 09:13:32 AM »

Hair straighteners while camping

WTF?

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Author Topic: Inverters what do you run off them. (Read 11559 times)

KingBilly