# Installing an inverter



## 104637 (May 21, 2007)

Hi All,

A bit of a newbie, and tried searching the internet (for the last three hours!) but can't seem to find what i'm looking for.

I spent last weekend installing a new leisure battery with split charge relay to my van - now i need to do part 2, and actually attach it to something!

What I would like to do is use an inverter, and then link it into the electrical hook up fuse box. Only use lights, small fridge and phone/ipod chargers so should have low usage.

Is this possible? All the inverters I have seen on the internet have plug sockets on them - but I want one that I can attach to the fuse box. I have seen something which looks like it does the job, but includes a charger and is MUCH more than I want to spend. Here it is...
http://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/WD - 18 Electrical system for vehicles example.pdf

Is what I am trying to do possible, and can I buy a standard inverter to do it? Is there any resource on the internet which can walk me though it? Found a bunch of stuff for installing split charge relay, and that's how I managed to do it myself.

Apologies for the length of this, but all pointers gratefully recieved!

Cheers,
gbFunk


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

There are all sorts of ways you can do it veering and hauling between Heath Robinson but inconvenient to expensive and convenient. Here's one:
http://www.motts.dsl.pipex.com/INVERTER.htm

Dave


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Whoa whoa there. Slow down a bit.
You really do NOT want to link the output of an inverter into the mains input of your fridge or even lights. Its even been known for some plonkers to feed the output of the inverter into the blue hookup connector and to run the motorhomes charger as well. Perpetual motion sort of!. All you want to do is to connect it to the 13 amp sockets in your motorhome when there is no external mains hookup available so you can power those gizmo,s that require mains. Using valuable battery energy to run the fridge or mains lights is not a good move. 
It sounds as if you are doing an own build and my suggestion would be to design as much as possible to run from gas ( space and water heating + fridge).
Use a 3 way fridge that runs from gas or 12 volt (when on the move with a duplicate split charging relay) or mains electricity when hooked up.

If you go the diesel heater and compressor fridge route then allow for some quite substancial batteries to keep you going for a couple of days without mains hookup. Gas heaters and Gas fridges let batteries last much longer. Solar Panel??

More on my web site. Starting page is www.motts.dsl.pipex.com and follow the links to clives corner then motorhomes.

Have fun.


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## camoyboy (May 9, 2005)

Hi gbfunk,
I don't know how big you want your inverter to be, but the Waeco 1000watt inverters and above have automatic change over built in. So you can connect your mains sockets to the inverter, so when on hookup the inverter is bypassed, but when there is no mains the inverter will use the battery to power them. Comes with remote control as well. See here;

http://www.waeco.co.uk/shop/details.aspx?c=3&s=9&i=&p=269

You can buy one from Outdoorbits on this site.

Colin


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## 104637 (May 21, 2007)

Thanks very much for this - Dave that looks spot on what I am trying to do.

Clive - seems like that link is from your site? Think this will get round the issue by putting switches in so that if on electrical hookup the battery is not used, and similiary it gets used when no hookup present. What sort of inverter did you use for this? Did it have standard 3-pin output socket on it before you connected it up?

FYI - Not a complete new build no - it was a relatively good conversion, but no ability for electrics at all when not on hookup other than the main starter battery. I'm not overly happy with the arrangement and hence the desire to put in an alternative.

Thanks again for all your help - i'll have a good read of the page and plan next moves - all feedback welcome!

Cheers,
gbFunk


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## 104637 (May 21, 2007)

So, if i'm reading this right, that Waeco device does exactly what I need?

On the back (can't find any pictures of the back at all!!!) it must have connectors for the leisure battery? Simple positive/negative and run them to the terminals on the leisure battery.

I then detach the wire that goes into the fuse box from the electrical hookup, and attach it to the 230V input on the inverter. The 230v output then gets connected back into the fuse box by putting a plug on one end of the wire?

I then attach the remote control through the cupboard unit so it can be seen on the outside.

Do any of these wires need in-line fuses? Anything else that I need to consider? Anybody done this and got a nice write up (with a circuit diagram) on the internet?

Thanks so much for your help - this site has been brilliant!!

Cheers,
gbFunk


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## paulbeard (Jul 1, 2008)

Hi gbfunk - appreciate this thread is a few months old but what you're trying to do sounds similar to my current position and I was wondering if you tried the Waeco Inverter?

If so, did it do the job and how simple is the wiring? If not, did you come up with a better solution?

Many thanks in advance,

Paul


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*inverter*

Greetings,

I purchased the Waeco 100 watt inverter at Lincoln this year and have installed it into the motorhome, at present it is only connected to the batteries but I will, when time and health allow, connect this to the EHU connector and the consumer unit onboard.

I will also install three more mains sockets, at the moment there is only two in the whole 'van.

You must be aware that when the inverter is in battery mode, the charger must be switched off, if there is no switch, provision must be made to insert a suitable switched connection so that the battery charger can be turned off otherwise you are wasting power trying to charge the battery from the inverter which is supplied from the battery which is under demand, causing a vicious circle.


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## 127118 (Aug 20, 2009)

*power inverters power bright*

A question: Does anyone know much about Power Bright inverters? I've heard they're good, and I've heard I can get them  here, at least for a good price, not too much $$$.

I need sine wave power, or maybe pure sine wave power and occasionally modified sine wave power.

Thanx,
T


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

Have a look at my copy of Clive's auto inverter via the link in my signature.


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