DC Inverter Installation

[2000SEARAY280SS]

It was about 93 degrees and sunny today out on the Potomac and the water temp was 88 degrees. I started the A/C at 1330 on the inverter and it ran until 1700 when the battery voltage sensed by the inverter dropped to 11.5 volts. I set the temp on the A/C to 82 degrees and it maintained this cabin temp the whole run. I’ll save you the math that was 3 ½ hours I was hoping for 5 hours. I was disappointed :smt089 that this was all the time I got out of the batteries.

With the high outside air and water temp I noticed the DC Amp draw was between 45 Amps at 12.5 volts and 57 Amps at 11.5 Amps. An earlier post had the current draw at 30 Amps a lot lower due to outside temps? :huh: The higher Amps were once the DC voltage started dropping off. I could set the low battery trip point on the inverter lower. This would get me a little more time on the inverter, but with the Amps going up as the voltage goes down it would not be a whole lot more time.

So it looks like I might have to combine my house battery with my inverter bank and get a little more power available for each.

Better batteries would also help. I will run another test once the environmental conditions change a little bit.

 

[Traveler]

Mike - I was searching threads on inverter installations and your post really stood out. For me having 3 hours of A/C capacity on the hottest afternoons has a lot of appeal. I was wondering how your long term experience has been with this setup. Did you add a third battery? Can you consistently get 3+ hours of air conditioning out of a charge? Did you change battery types?

Any updates would be appreciated.

 

[2000SEARAY280SS]

Well the install pretty much remained like I built it. I have not done another A/C endurance run test but I do run my fridge off the inverter every time we go out. We troll a lot while fishing so I am usually putting a little charge back into the batteries. I have never run out while trolling.

If I had the space I would have gone with a generator.

The unit works great and powers everything on the boat. We use the micro wave and the A/C only on the hottest of days. It makes for a good way to cool down with out getting wet. The charger will replenish the batteries quickly when on shore power.

 

[Traveler]

Thanks for sharing. It looks like a first class installation.

 

[2000SEARAY280SS]

thanks

 

[2000SEARAY280SS]

Well my inverter has started to act up. It has worked flawlessly since I installed it in April of 2008. I guess I should not complain. I just realized it has been working for 4 years. I got an internal error that is undefined and is all over the net with the same results as I have experienced. I called xantrx and they told me to shut it down and wait awhile. They said if this did not fix it then there was nothing they could do. They are discontinuing the model and are not making any repairs.

Well after a week of turning it off and on i gave up and ordered a new PRO-02412 - 2500 Watt Mod. Sine Wave Inv./Charger from Jim and Kent at BOE. It arrived yesterday the same day the xantrex prosine decided to come back to life. It has been running for three days like a champ. I am going to keep the unit from BOE because I am sure the prosine is on it's last legs.

The modified sine wave from Promariner is almost half the cost of my original remaned unit from xantra and BOE. After 4 years I have not had anything on the boat requiring a full sine wave so i opted for the Promariner.

I use the inverter for the fridge micro wave and the A/C.
I use the inverter for the fridge instead of the 12 volt source because I often only run one engine and the house battery runs my electronics and is on
the engine that i do not run, does not have the power steering.

From time to time we run the A/C during the day when we need to take a short rest in the cabin.

If I had to do it again I would get a boat with a generator and inverter then I would have two things to maintain.

I am thinking that I might modify the main power panel input since I lose all AC power when the inverter dies. I think I can add a shore / generator switch with the inverter feeding the generator side. We will see.