Electric help please (1 Viewer)

Mar 21, 2010
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i want to charge my iPad/phone/bike batteries in the van. The leisure batteries and 500w inverter can only be accessed from outside the van.

Can I connect to the switched 3pin plug on the inverter and then wire it into the unswitched 3 pin socket in the van. So that I can charge my phones cycle batteries in the van .
As I will only be using one or the other is this safe?

Drawing should be attached!

Colyboy
 

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Abacist

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That doesn't sound safe to me! I charge all my iPads and phones from 12 volts - inverter not needed. Don't know the requirements for the bike batteries. Why not add a socket wired to the inverter which will only be live when the inverter is switched on and stick a label on it.
 

138go

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Certainly not .. You could make a real mess of the wiring if you did as the power could well be out of phase with the incoming power. You say that you will NEVER use both together but 1. You may forget 2. If you sell the van will the instructions get to the new owner. Use a 12v - USB charger for small items like ipads and phones. There are electronics in the bike battery charger will it work on the inverter you have. If you have not tried it then make sure it is ok. Some electronics require a pure sine wave inverter. As for your connection just wire in a separate 13 amp socket or you can buy a special inverter that sensors that you have mains power connected and switches itself off.

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denisejoe

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You could wire it to a new 3 pin socket but I would turn the inverter off when not wanted I have the same I think that's what you meant
 
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DBK

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You could use your EHU lead and run it from the inverter to the normal EHU connection point. This would be safe, though nothing will be earthed of course, so I would use an RCD plug first, fitting that to the inverter then connect the EHU lead to the RCD plug/socket thing. If you are sure your mains system already has a modern RCD unit installed then you can ignore the RCD fitted to the inverter but it will do no harm to double up.

The problem with this arrangement is it will be inefficient as it will also power the mains charger. So as you draw power from the batteries the charger will draw yet more to try and replace it - you could easily end up exceeding the power rating of your inverter. And if you have an AES fridge that will try and run on 240 volts as well.

You would get the same problems doing what you suggested in you OP.

If you want a simple solution just run an extension lead from the inverter in through a window with a socket on the end but this won't be much good while travelling - which is the best time to charge bike batteries.

I think you are just going to have to install a dedicated socket inside the van and run a cable from it to the inverter. Any competent electrician could do this quite cheaply I think - but get him to include an RCD. :)
 

two

Aug 4, 2011
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I would not recommend running a cable from the inverter to the EHU socket. Whilst it would prevent the possibility of connecting up to mains at the same time, you would need to remember to switch off the charger each time. Otherwise you'd have the inverter trying to charge its own battery and draining it because of the losses involved.
 

138go

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You could use your EHU lead and run it from the inverter to the normal EHU connection point. This would be safe, though nothing will be earthed of course, so I would use an RCD plug first, fitting that to the inverter then connect the EHU lead to the RCD plug/socket thing. If you are sure your mains system already has a modern RCD unit installed then you can ignore the RCD fitted to the inverter but it will do no harm to double up.

Hmmmm .. That sounds like a really good idea .. What about the battery charger and the fridge that are on the EHU circuit. All you will finish up with is a loop. Battery charger charging the battery thats powering the Inverter etc.

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DBK

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Hmmmm .. That sounds like a really good idea .. What about the battery charger and the fridge that are on the EHU circuit. All you will finish up with is a loop. Battery charger charging the battery thats powering the Inverter etc.
Indeed, as I explained. Left to its own devices the charger will just flatten the batteries, but for a short spell it would work. Just not very well. :)
 
Jul 5, 2013
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Agree that phones and ipads should be charged using 12V and adaptor. After all they nearly all work on 5V USB. But bike batteries are different I think.

I have the same problem with my batteries and inverter only accessible from outside. In my Hymer the 240V sockets in the front are wired radially from a 6 way connector block using special Wago plugs and sockets. I unplugged on of them from the block, thus isolating that socket from the 240V mains. I then bought a new Wago connector that I attached to a lead with a plug at the other end that I could plug into the inverter. And, very importantly, I also put an inline RCD on that line.

This means that one of my existing 240V sockets will only work when the inverter is switched on. It is only used to fire up my wife's hairdryer. It also means it will be a simple job to remove the inverter if I sell the motorhome and just reconnect the Wago connector to the connector block so that the socket works again on the mains.
 

138go

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Indeed, as I explained. Left to its own devices the charger will just flatten the batteries, but for a short spell it would work. Just not very well. :)

Bike battery charger normally takes about 5 hours to charge from flat .. Don't thing your idea would last that long.

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Nov 6, 2013
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Short answer: Nah
Slightly longer answer: That's dodgy mate, don't do it. If you did plug your MH into EHU with the plug still in the inverter, you'll have yourself on a crash course in "fault current". Bang, zap etc

If it was me, I would install a new socket in the habitation area, and cable the inverter to the new socket. Complete separate from the existing mains in the MH.
 

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