inverters,solar panels & batteries ???? (1 Viewer)

[ralphman]

this is our 1st mh it's a 1983 fiat ducato maxi : ok we have 2x solar panels on the roof, 2x110 new leisure batteries and an inverter & as you can imagine a jumble of wiring everywhere,
when do you use the inverter & what does it do basically

should it be plugged in when wild camping & if so, to what

we have a three way fridge which doesnt appear to be hooked up to the gas, but doesnt appear to be connected to the leisure batteries so a bit useless for w/c can this be done without dismantling the whole fixed in unit around fridge ?

it's probably all so easy when you know how

any advise gladly received

 

[alfie2222]

advise

hi ralphman

if u have a 3 way fridge it should be linked to gas,solar panels are very usefull,you have enough battery power and the inverters only need to be switched on when u need to use a household electric item,(but this will run batterys down if over used,there only certain items it will run depends what size inverter u have,and what your trying to run.

good luck wc we do it all the time as we are full timers:thumb:

 

[ralphman]

hi & thanks i think the inverter is 800w if that helps, so does that mean i can only use items under that wattage i.e my hairdryer is 1500w mmmm... not that i'm bothered about hair when w/c tried lighting fridge but no spark in the hole so think not connected

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[JockandRita]

hi & thanks i think the inverter is 800w if that helps, so does that mean i can only use items under that wattage i.e my hairdryer is 1500w mmmm... not that i'm bothered about hair when w/c tried lighting fridge but no spark in the hole so think not connected

Hi there,

If no spark, that could indicate no 12v power to the fridge. Is the 12v isolation switch on, and is the fridge switch on? Also, are the batteries charging from the mains hookup, and is the solar panel regulator showing a charge, when not on hookup?
Your 800w inverter will power many items such as LCD TV, laptops DVD recorders etc, but not kettles and toasters, unless very low wattage.
Two solar panels with 2 x 110v batteries sounds good, and should see you okay without hookup, especially in the summer months. What about the starter battery? It is useful too to have that connected to the solar panel regulator, or via a battery manager. In theory, you're never stuck with a flat starter battery.

Good luck and have some great times with your first MH.

Regards,

Jock & Rita.

 

[ralphman]

thank you all for useful info
sam

 

[hilldweller]

hi & thanks i think the inverter is 800w if that helps, so does that mean i can only use items under that wattage i.e my hairdryer is 1500w mmmm... not that i'm bothered about hair when w/c tried lighting fridge but no spark in the hole so think not connected

Yes, max 800W and only for a matter of minutes.

800W / 12V = 67 amps. So a 110 amp/hour battery will be flattened in a single hour ( because you never get to use the full 110 on a heavy load ).

Basically you could be naive enough to put a 500W heater on and you wonder why it all goes dark an hour later -- all figures approximate and for a single battery.

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[pappajohn]

hi & thanks i think the inverter is 800w if that helps, so does that mean i can only use items under that wattage i.e my hairdryer is 1500w mmmm... not that i'm bothered about hair when w/c tried lighting fridge but no spark in the hole so think not connected

look in all the cupboards for a line of red taps.....these are gas isolator taps and the fridge one may be turned off.

if it has a 'peephole' for the pilot light then it runs on gas.:thumb:
if it hasnt been used for a long time it may need purging.
hold the gas knob in, without pressing the ignitor, for a minute or two, then let go, wait a minute and then press it in again and try lighting it then.

after trying to light it, go outside and place a hand over the upper fridge vent....if its warm, its lit. theres only a small area that will be warm, usually at one end.

ps....you wont see the spark in the 'peephole, only the pilot flame.