Can you wire an inverter into the mains sockets?
- Thread starter colyboy
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mine is wired through a changeover switch so sockets are either from inverter or ehu
- Oct 29, 2016
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Best option to feed all 240v sockets is to fit a changeover relay switch to separate power in from EHU from power in from Inverter.
2nd option and a lot easier is to fit a dedicated 240V socket somewhere convenient.
NB: I soon changed my mind on using our Remoska off grid, no EHU, when I calculated how much it took out the leisure batteries.
Our Remoska is 600watts @12 Volts it draws 50amps/hour, so you would need a hefty leisure battery bank, plus a lot of solar power in summer, or drive a long long while, even worse without a B2B to recover that amount of power used.
We use a slow cooker, or something like a pressure cooker, or all in one meal cooked in a deep sided sauté pan on the hob these days, The Remoska comes with us when on hook up though, love it! but the batteries dont.
Best wishes.
LES
2nd option and a lot easier is to fit a dedicated 240V socket somewhere convenient.
NB: I soon changed my mind on using our Remoska off grid, no EHU, when I calculated how much it took out the leisure batteries.
Our Remoska is 600watts @12 Volts it draws 50amps/hour, so you would need a hefty leisure battery bank, plus a lot of solar power in summer, or drive a long long while, even worse without a B2B to recover that amount of power used.
We use a slow cooker, or something like a pressure cooker, or all in one meal cooked in a deep sided sauté pan on the hob these days, The Remoska comes with us when on hook up though, love it! but the batteries dont.
Best wishes.
LES
Auto change over or separate sockets. Otherwise you risk sparkles if you forget about it when you plug into the ehu with inv on.
Tina L beat me to it.
Tina L beat me to it.
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- Dec 2, 2019
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This was my cheap 'n cheerful solution. Blue wire from inverter, grey wire from EU socket. Just swap over blue plugs depending whether when on EHU or off-grid.
Not very refined but very safe..
Not very refined but very safe..
Emmit
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Ah! But Ah! But Ah! But Ah!
When you plug the 230v from the Inverter back into the van you are charging the Hab. batteries via the on board battery charger??? (or do you unplug it?)
Doesnt a battery charger use 120w.
When you plug the 230v from the Inverter back into the van you are charging the Hab. batteries via the on board battery charger??? (or do you unplug it?)
Doesnt a battery charger use 120w.
Lenny HB
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- Oct 18, 2007
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Not recommended as the fridge and battery charger will be powered by the inverter. Far better to fit a changeover relay and isolate the fridge & charger circuits, that's what I did.
I am also going to pull you up on your dangerous wiring. The outer sheath of your mains cables should terminate inside the box and should have cable clamps on them.
- Dec 2, 2019
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Yeah not perfect but fridge is put on gas and wiring is as Rapido fitted it 10 years ago, but once I get a chance I'll tidy it up but I daren't touch to much until no longer full timing.
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Tombola
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You could obvs wire this right into where the EHU cable comes in the van but then it would power everything. Like has been said this then would power the charger, fridge etc and its a pain to remember to switch them off eachtime.
Prob best to isolate them somewhere.
You could obvs wire this right into where the EHU cable comes in the van but then it would power everything. Like has been said this then would power the charger, fridge etc and its a pain to remember to switch them off eachtime.
Prob best to isolate them somewhere.
Last edited:
Lenny HB
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- Oct 18, 2007
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That flying socket is dangerous you should sort that before you use it again.
- Apr 27, 2008
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I originally had a manual changeover switch for the sockets but found it inconvenient as it was in an outside locker. I replaced it with a 230v contactor with the actuator coil operated by the inverter output. The inverter has a remote control so switching on the inverter switches the sockets from ecu to inverter.
On a limited ehu eg 4 or 6A I can run the fridge, water heater and charger from ehu and the sockets from inverter if needed.
On a limited ehu eg 4 or 6A I can run the fridge, water heater and charger from ehu and the sockets from inverter if needed.
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Lenny HB
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- Oct 18, 2007
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Always debatable where to switch the relay/contactor from. I wired mine to the incoming mains to save a couple of amps when off grid but it does mean the relay is on all the time when on EHU and all the current passing through it. We don't use EHU much so it suits us.
- Apr 19, 2019
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I think its fine so long as you have a physical disconnection so as to ensure that it is not possible to have them both on at the same time. I don't think (but I may be wrong) that a relay is sufficient and is not compliant with the electricty regulations and you would be committing an offence. The reason is to do with phasing and AC current. I am not an expert (or an electrician) but I know enough to know that mixing phases can be very dangerous and cause damage to the electricity suppliers systems (and your van)
I connected the inverter to a dedicated 240v 3 pin plug, took the inverters on/off switch and fitted it into the 3 pin plug that way when I finish using it I don't forget to switch it off, otherwise its drawing current from the leisure batteries
- Apr 19, 2019
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Just an update from a non electrician again regarding the use of a relay. It seems you can do it so long as you have a relay that is G59 Compliant and you inform your supplying electricity company (which might be tricky on tour).
They seem to be outrageously expensive as well.
They seem to be outrageously expensive as well.
Lenny HB
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- Oct 18, 2007
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G59 has got absolutely nothing to do with it.
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I think that’s got to do with power generation and islanding. That applies when you synchronise with the grid and feed in. When grid down, you have to comply with islanding, disconnect so you don’t feed into a disconnected grid for maintenance for example.
A auto change over is a bit simpler than a islanding relay.
From memory the PV inverters used to be g83 compliant, then g59 came in and old stock was no longer compliant. It was a phaff about with adding a compliant islanding unit 300 notes, or new inverters. Hence you see a flood of PV inverters on eBay that are g83.
- Apr 19, 2019
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Maybe you are right, but I thought that anything capable of generating electricity could not be connected to the mains as it could backfeed. Did you read the link.
- Apr 19, 2019
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G59 has been around for a long time and it is a protection standard for generating equipment that could potentially feed back into the mains system. Which, in my view, an invertor could do if it were connected in parallel with a mains feed
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In this case, You don’t connect to the mains and inv. in the same time, only when no grid available you make use of the already circuit of another source ex. Inverter. Making that connection is the job of a auto change over. It senses the grid and breaks the contacts from inverter source, then closes the contacts with the grid.
However, there are bidirectional inverters like victron multiplus inverter charger that can synchronise to grid and supply that plus inverting mode or charging mode. Without feeding into the grid at all, not 1w. This is what I have in my van and works wonders.
Very possible, I don’t know. What I know initially PV feed in inverters had to comply with g83 then later with g59.
- Apr 19, 2019
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yes I guess its protecting just the same.
and be out of phase.
Keep it simple: Have a separate socket (or series of sockets).
Anything else is unnecessarily complex (and probably beyond you).
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