Mid cabin inverter install

[BobCT]

I'm going to install an inverter, I already picked up a Promariner 1500 watt unit. We stay on the hook maybe 8 nights a year so it won't get a lot of use but will allow us to make coffee, hair dryer, etc. (no genset installed).

My dilemma is where to install it and how to wire it up. I'm pretty sure I'll mount it in the mid cabin area and just plug things into it when needed. If I do that, it's about a 10' run back to the battery box. Probably a couple of hundred dollars in cabling. My other potential option is install dedicated batts right under the mid cabin berth which means a shorter run. I probably need another 12v or 6v batts either way. Since I use it so little, I could even manually charge it instead of adding it to my house bank which is dedicated to my wet bar fridge (225AH - 2 6v batts). This would make it a totally separate system.

Anyone done this on a mid cabin or similar?

Bob

[Big D]

Coffee maker and hair dryer will cost you in terms of battery capacity. They are high amp appliances; 13-15 amps that are typically run for about 10-15 minutes. That's a lot of power at 12 volts. A 1500 watt unit may not sustain a continuous 15 amp output for the amount of time you need. You need to confirm your load requirements.

[Allen Sr]

Coffee maker and hair dryer will cost you in terms of battery capacity. They are high amp appliances; 13-15 amps that are typically run for about 10-15 minutes. That's a lot of power at 12 volts. A 1500 watt unit may not sustain a continuous 15 amp output for the amount of time you need. You need to confirm your load requirements.

+1 Find out what your total amps would be and go from there.

[kallen]

I use a 1800 watt inverter. The coffee maker will drain a battery veryquickly. So buy a small butane stove for making coffee.
It was recommended to have the inverter power cables ( pos. & neg.) no more than 6 ft.in lenght with a high amp fuse to the batterys.

[RWS]

in addition to the cable run lengths, I would have some concern regarding the gassing of batteries relative to the location chosen.

safety, safety, safety...


RWS

[BobCT]

Thanks guys. I think I have a plan now. I'm adding two additional Trojan 6v batts which will give me 450ah. I was going to install AGM or gel cell in the cabin since they're sealed to try and minimize the cable run. Instead, I'm mounting the add'l batts in the engine room and the batt cable run will be around 5''.

Since AC loss is minimal, I'm going to permanently extend the GFI outlet on the inverter with 16/2 and a plug on the inverter end going to a GFI outlet in the galley. Since the unit I got comes with a remote on/off panel, I can mount that next to the outlet.

Should I run the batt cables directly through the bulkhead? Or, i saw a Blueseas sells a battery stud for this application. Then you have separate cables on each side of the bulkhead connecting to the stud(s).

Bob

[BobCT]

I got this working today and seems to be a home run so far. After a full charge, I ran a hair dryer, coffee maker and then tea pot at the full run times and the battery meter didn't move. If anyone wants mid cabin specifics, I'm happy to post a quick video if you want to follow my lead.

Install was Promariner 1500 watt inverter, 1/0 cabling all around, two additional Trojan 6v batts (now 4) creating one 12v 450Ah bank. I added the two add'l batteries behind the factory battery box by removing the section of plywood between the stringers.

Bob

[Big D]

That's good news. I trust since you used 1/0 cable for the new battery/inverter hookup, that you also used that size cable to parallel to the original bank, and that you also upgraded the cable that ties the neg to pos on the original 6 volt pair. I also trust that you factored in all these additional lengths for the cable size calculation? Thought I'd put it out there as it's a pretty common mistake especially the pigtail going from neg to pos on an original setup.

[BobCT]

Yes, i used 1/0 for everything which is much larger than calcs spec'd for. On the hook now and made two cups of coffee and three cups of tea, meter is still at 100%. Great so far....

[gardnersf]

I just saw this. I added an inverter\charger to my mid cabin. I installed 4 AGM 6V lifeline batteries under the Mid Cabin centerline space. I mounted the inverter on the aft bulkhead of the large starboard locker which gave me easy access to the electrical panel and the batteries. Worked well for 3 years now although the charger feature of my Xantrex MS2000 died and I added a dedicated 3 stage charger

[BobCT]

Thought I would post a quick update as I really tried to push the inverter this weekend. The 4 six volts are working way beyond my expectation. Within a 45 min span, I ran the coffee pot twice, tea pot three times and then toaster oven 2x at about 4-5 mins each to make toast.

After all that AND powering my wet bar fridge for 18 hours, it still hadn't dropped below a full charge. I could see that the input voltage dropped two bars on the inverter but it still had a way to go. There's no way to know for sure but I believe over sizing the cable (by a lot) is a significant factor.

I also tested my A/B switch for the galley fridge which allows me to manually load balance between the two start batteries. After 24 hours, I was about 50% on each battery and they started fine. I probably wouldn't push it beyond this though. I could easily move this onto the inverter bank if I start going multiple nights on the hook.

Bob

[Hardeight]

I intend to do the same even though I have a generator, I don't think you can ever have too much power. I plan on using a solar panel to maintain the battery, and then put the inverter after that. That way if there ever was an issue I can always start the generator.

[RWS]

Boy, you guys are giving me a case of INVERTER ENVY.

Problem in my case is I have difficulty justifying the extra weight and cost as we generally run the diesel gen set to run the AC underway and on the hook.

but it would be really nice to shut all that down on a winter day and enjoy the sound of the water slapping that delta conic hull.......

RWS

[yorklyn]

but it would be really nice to shut all that down on a winter day and enjoy the sound of the water slapping that delta conic hull.......

Enjoy the water slapping this winter in "sunny Florida!" , I'll be listening to the lovely sound of freezing rain, snow plows and salt trucks! LOL

[yorklyn]

Great Job Bob! But I cant believe anything you post without Pics to back it up!!!
Id love to see the battery install and the panel in the galley.