# Which Inverter do you recommend?



## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

Advice please!

I'm looking to buy, on line probably, in the next couple of weeks a bigger capacity inverter so that the Boss can use her hairdryer from our leisure batteries.

Her hairdryer will run on two settings.....900 watts of 1800 watts; she'd ideally like to run it on the higher setting. 
Usage would be only about 5 minutes, once every 3 days or so.

We've got two, 125Ah leisure batteries, topped up by 150watts of solar panel, and as we live/travel mostly in Southern Europe, there's plenty of sunshine to feed the batteries.

So, can anyone recommend a suitable modified sine-wave, and cheap(!) inverter that could run this apparently utterly essential piece of kit on either or both heat settings.............and that I can get from the UK on-line/by ordering by phone.

Would a 2000 watt jobbie handle the 1800 watts settings including any additional start-up 'spike' that the hairdryer would draw?

Many thanks.


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

I've installed a Silverline 2000w before now, fairly cheap:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200776211576

Comes with a 3 year warrenty:
http://www.silverlinetools.com/media/manuals/444658_Z1MANPRO1.PDF
http://www.silverlinetools.com/guarantee.html

Personally I'd want to upgrade the supplied cables, they get pretty warm with a hairdryer. I also put an in-line 200A kill switch to prevent any standby current drain when not in use.


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

I've seen this used 3000watt modified sine wave one on the Maplins site for 200 quid; would it be a good possible for our (her!) needs?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/3000w-12v-inverter-used-b63lx


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

I have an almost identical power arrangement and hairdryer with 2 settings.Mrs wakk only uses the lower power setting on the hairdryer and the inverter is this one ............................

http://www.thetoolboxshop.com/0-856-15-12v-1500w-durite-modified-wave-voltage-inverter-3480.html

Not cheap but good,I have already had 2 inverters go up in smoke.


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

wakk - thanks for that referral.
That 450 quid seems a lot for a 1500 watt jobbie, but I guess you get what you pays for.

I assume Maplins kit has at least a 12 months warranty, so the 3000 watt used one for 200 quid that they've got on their website at the moment would seem to be a good deal (or not?).

But then, do I need a monster wattage (and damn heavy) 3000 watt item if a 2000 watt inverter would do the job?

What was it that caused your two previous inverters to die? Overload? Over usage?


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

Addie said:


> I've installed a Silverline 2000w before now, fairly cheap:
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200776211576
> 
> Comes with a 3 year warrenty:
> ...


Addie - thanks for the link.
Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but the details seem to indicate that it's 2000 watts IN TOTAL, made up of two sockets that would take 1000 watts each. 
Is that right, or can you pull the whole 2000 watts capacity from just one of the sockets instead (as The Boss would want to do if using her hairdryer on the 1800 watt setting).


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

TheNomad said:


> Addie - thanks for the link.
> Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but the details seem to indicate that it's 2000 watts IN TOTAL, made up of two sockets that would take 1000 watts each.
> Is that right, or can you pull the whole 2000 watts capacity from just one of the sockets instead (as The Boss would want to do if using her hairdryer on the 1800 watt setting).


You can use the sockets as you wish - it's 2000w total not 1000w per socket.

The inverter can supply 4000w for 1 second (if the appliance has a higher requirement for 'startup' - unlikely) and then 2000w continuous. I fitted the above in my parents van so can confirm this first hand.

I have this one in my van (bought second hand): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330481108442

Our '2000w' hairdryer only actually draws 1500w according to the display on the above, but better safe than sorry.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Why not a 12 volt hair dryer..???

Ray.


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

Ray - The Boss has tried that route previously. Twice. 

I've run out of wiggle room on this issue I'm afraid. Big inverter it needs to be.


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

I hope that you have all remembered to fuse the supply on 12 VDC and added a RCD on the VAC output from the inverter

Eddie


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

I've just seen that in addition to the Honda EU10i and EU20i generators, there is also a little brother, albeit an older model, the EX7 that is still available new from UK dealers, with 5 year warranty.

A tad smaller then the EU10i, about 3kgs lighter, and a lot less money (489 quid is the best price I can find) as against about 720 quid fr te EU10i.
Yes, it only delivers 700 watts ( peak of 770) but only puts out an extremely un-noisy 52 decibels, and will run for 5.5 hours on atank of petrol.

So my thinking is: get a hefty inverter to run the hairdryer from the leisure batteries, and also get one of thse baby EX7 generators to use if/when necessary for an hour or two to trickle-charge those batteries back up, by connecting it's mains output cable to our motorhome EHU point and thus powering our built in battery charger thingy that operates when we are on mains hookup.

Is this a sensible plan please?


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

You are the best judge of how much electricity you use and how long your batteries last for but I would be surprised if you need a generator as well as your solar panel, especially given that you are travelling in Southern Europe. Obviously if you never or seldom go on hook-up then the solar panel may not be enough. If however you are just looking to top up for the effects of using a hair dryer then I would be surprised if you need a generator. My wife uses a 700W hair dryer through an inverter and we have no problems in the summer with just a solar panel.


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

TheNomad said:


> Is this a sensible plan please?


I don't think a £500 generator + £150 inverter to run a £15 hairdryer could be deemed 'sensible'  I would say that running the generator to power the hairdryer would be more sensible the running it to recharge the batteries following use via the inverter.

We had our inverter connected to our cab battery, so when the engine was running 140amps was being produced by the alternator. Worked fine for a year - but possibly put strain on the alternator.


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## TheNomad (Aug 12, 2013)

Thanks guys.

Addie - on the face of it I agree. 
But I shall be able to use this little genny at home too, and also at any other times in the MH if/when the solar panels can't feed enough juice back into the leisure batteries to replenish what we take out....we do use the MH a lot through the year, maybe 25 weeks in total, in several long-time trips, we almost always wild camp/use Aires, so without EHU, we often stay in the same location for a week or more without moving, and we travel a lot during the colder/cloudier times of year.
We are also considering some long term trips over to Germany/Eastern European countries next year and the following year, and I would like to feel that we are fully self-sufficient.

So long as this baby Honda EX7 genny, lightweight and quiet, can trickle-charge the leisure batteries via a mains cable to our EHU socket for a few hours if needed, and The Boss gets to use her hair dryer, life will be simple.


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## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

wakk44 said:


> I have an almost identical power arrangement and hairdryer with 2 settings.Mrs wakk only uses the lower power setting on the hairdryer and the inverter is this one ............................
> 
> http://www.thetoolboxshop.com/0-856-15-12v-1500w-durite-modified-wave-voltage-inverter-3480.html
> 
> Not cheap but good,I have already had 2 inverters go up in smoke.


My vote goes to durite, they are well built inverters.


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