Inverter question (1 Viewer)

[lostinfrance]

New to motorhoming.... I'd like to use my laptop in motorhome. If I buy an inverter, where does it plug in? Do I plug it into the cigarette lighter? Would that be running off the engine battery?

Can it be run off the leisure battery? How would you connect it to leisure battery?

I'd appreciate any advice, thanks.

Cheers

Louise and Roy

 

[DanDredd]

unless you have a very big battery bank (i have 3 batteries giving a total of 330ah)and solar panels, inverters should only be used sparingly.[/QUOTE

Can you tell me what you have running from you battery setup and for how long ect? i have been looking at getting 2x 125ah batts and a solar panel to keep them charged etc.. my electric knowledge is very minimal! I want to run a small 11" laptop and external harddrive as main entertainment.. a fridge.. led lighting.. microwave.. small roof-vent with fan.. phone chargers and have a cooker / grill on gas.

 

[DanDredd]

unless you have a very big battery bank (i have 3 batteries giving a total of 330ah)and solar panels, inverters should only be used sparingly.[/QUOTE]

Hi.. i was wondering what you power from your batterys and how long for, my electric knowledge is very minimal!

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[pappajohn]

unless you have a very big battery bank (i have 3 batteries giving a total of 330ah)and solar panels, inverters should only be used sparingly.[/QUOTE

Can you tell me what you have running from you battery setup and for how long ect? i have been looking at getting 2x 125ah batts and a solar panel to keep them charged etc.. my electric knowledge is very minimal! I want to run a small 11" laptop and external harddrive as main entertainment.. a fridge.. led lighting.. microwave.. small roof-vent with fan.. phone chargers and have a cooker / grill on gas.

hi dan,

my problem is i use too much power.

if we are at a show or meet without hookup i used to suffer from lack of leccy....only had one 110ah battery and no solar panel.

usage...


15" lcd tv for maybe 8 > 10hrs a day...i forget to turn it off if we go out oh:
maybe 2amps/hour

sat reciever box same hours.
maybe 1amp/hour

13 LED lights....used as needed. we dont skimp on lighting at home so why do it in the van...hence the leds.
around 2amp/hour for the lot

water pump used as needed.
maybe 7>8amp/hour...obviously on for a minute or two at a time.

depending on time of year warm air fan is turned on on the gas heater.
dont know the amps for the fan but they are very power hungry.

my solar panel is 120w and on a good day will provide around 8amps of charge....not enough to top up what we use in a day.

fridge, cooker and boiler are on gas.



running your lappy and H/D may use 2 > 3amp/hour

led lighting and phone charger next to nowt....unless, like us, you have all the lights on most of the time.

fan vent could be quite heavy usage.

fridge...unless its a compressor fridge it wont work on 12v anyway...only when driving...runs on the engine battery then.

microwave...if its 12v then sell it...maybe 40 > 50 amps/hour...240v model will run from an inverter but the same amps as 12v..40 > 50amps/hour.

 

[Peter James]

I have got an 'Omega' 12vDC to 230v 60watt AC inverter, which I have been using for several years without any problems. Last week I was using 10 watt hair clippers with it as usual, but the motor sounded very loud. So I put a voltmeter on the inverter and found it was putting out 345 volts

I would be wary of plugging a laptop into one :Blush: