Inverters

[Peter]

I am just specing out my new boat and was thinking of fitting a 1000 watt inverter so I can run a microwave and kettle on board. Has anyone any experiece of these on boats - Is ther any likelihood of problems with battery drain or oveloading wiring?

 

Any thoughts much appreciated

 

Thanks Peter

[wotu2uk]

1000W (plus efficiency losses) is a hell of a lump to take from a battery (100amps+).

 

A mug of water may only need 3 mins to boil, but a ready meal or a fresh fish can take 10 minutes or so, which would be a tenth of the capacity of a 120AHr battery.

 

You may also find that you need the more expensive 'perfect sine wave' type of inverter in order to run the microwave. They do make 12v microwaves for caravans and boats, but very expensive imo.

this for example:

12v microwave

 

Best plan on a seperate battery on a split charge system. Mains electric kettle is usually considered a no-no for the same reason, current drain is horrible, but again, 12v versions are available, usually low powered, and not too expensive

 

john

Edited October 11, 2010 by wotu2uk

[Peter]

Thanks John

[shytalk]

i think you will find a 1000w is nowhere near enough for either of the appliances you mention kettles tend to be 1.8 to 2.2kw and a 750w microwave draws 1500w or so it is possible to use an inverter but a large batterycapacity and high out put alternator are required i know several boats running 3kw inverters but only use them while the engine is running and only for short periods

[duncan]

Is ther any likelihood of problems with battery drain or oveloading wiring?

dealing with the easy bit first (the quote) - of course not, because you will have spec'd the appropriate batteries and the wiring will be appropriate to the inverter.........

 

put another way, this is the easy bit in one sense

 

I don't know the boat you are getting so it's difficult to do other than generalise

 

1. you really need quite a big inverter to run a microwave, initial draw is going to exceed the rating significantly.

2. if you are planning to use it with the engine off (ie without the alternator charge) you will need huge batteries for the type of boats you have been discussing in other threads. To put this in perspective I have 1 x 170Ah and 1 x 110Ah batteries on Phaeton with an 800w inverter - but I have never actually used the inverter! It's not up to a microwave and I can see no point at all in using an electric kettle as I am never in a hurry and stick it on the stove! It's actually there for the wife's hair straighteners but, and here's the rub, when she needs them we are always in a marina so I connect them to the leccy there (I don't have 'shorepower' but I do have a lead and a 13amp socket on the other end )

 

In conclusion, wiring and batteries can be specced to the needs of the inverter, and the inverter can be specced to the needs - but, by the time you have all that on board is the boat big enough?

 

bit of a reality check really - charging computers and mobiles is fine (but the latter use 12v anyhow) with small inverters; kettles make little sense, but microwaves can be really useful and generally work for short periods (I have never cooked any fish for 10mins in a microwave!!!) - if you want one install a 12v unit and appropriate batteries.

 

whilst you can install split charging I have never found any need for more than a 1 2 both off battery switch because it's all driven from the alternator and I know when to give any specific battery all the charge. Again, for most of the installations we have in our boats the engine alternator will handle the entire bank. 400Ah banks with a small engine and infrequent charging, such as you find on a yacht, are a different matter (the pbsbac pennant is good but no sail!)

 

edit - in the time I took to type this PeterR has put it all much more succinctly !

Edited October 11, 2010 by duncan

[wotu2uk]

There is a 12v microwave on ebay atm, item no. 260673706580, around

Edited October 12, 2010 by wotu2uk

[Newboy]

One of the chartered boat I go on has a microwave as well as a freezeer, what size of inverter it must have?!

[Neal]

The Charter boats that I have been on that use microwaves or cookers almost always have a separate generator to run them. They are quite noisy and even if they dont have them, they need the engine running.

 

This I find an intrusion on the (relative) peace and quiet I enjoy whilst fishing.

 

Neal

[Mike Fox]

Frisky has 2 x 110Ah domestic batteries, and an inverter to run a 240v shaver point in the heads. This gives me no excuse, hence me being clean shaven in the summer.

 

Wouldn't risk running anything else off it!

 

Still, nearly winter!

 

Mike