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Old 03-28-2013, 01:33 PM   #81
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I tried that one time but my coffee maker caught fire.
I got it, Ron.
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Old 03-28-2013, 03:14 PM   #82
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On my previous boat I used a single cup drip device that sits on the cup. Put a filter and coffee in it, pour hot water in and coffee comes out and fills the cup.

My wife doesn't drink coffee but she bought me a nice single cup electric coffee maker so I put it on my boat and that's what I use. With the inverter.
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Old 03-28-2013, 03:55 PM   #83
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My wife doesn't drink coffee but she bought me a nice single cup electric coffee maker so I put it on my boat and that's what I use. With the inverter.
Ditto
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Old 03-28-2013, 04:33 PM   #84
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We may have to split this off to start yet another coffee thread.

I usually make a 10 cup carafe morning and evening. Lou will usually drink one cup from each. What? Me nervous? No o o o o o.
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Old 03-28-2013, 04:38 PM   #85
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I thought there was a coffee thread already? It was called "how do you make coffee on board?" or something like that.
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Old 03-28-2013, 09:23 PM   #86
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I thought there was a coffee thread already? It was called "how do you make coffee on board?" or something like that.
"How do you make coffee?" started 9/26/12 by TomB. If it`s just about making coffee, and not about inverters, it has a home already.
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Old 03-28-2013, 10:09 PM   #87
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When I bought the boat, it was just 12V and propane. No inverter, no genny. I left it that way for a while, but found the need for silent coffee and minor microwave operation without shore power. I added a small inverter, a beefier house bank and a Honda eu2000i to provide greater capabilities and flexibility away from shore power.

My 1000W inverter provides 110V power to one counter top outlet only which powers a college dorm size fridge, a small 700W microwave and a Mr. Coffee style coffee maker. (one at a time, of course) The rest of my boat is 12V (lights, head, TV) and propane (stove/oven, portable heater, grill). I have a couple of 110V appliances like a George Foreman grill and small ceramic heaters which normally only see use on shore power, but nothing says they can't be used underway on the inverter if needed.

I also have a small 300-400W inverter which provides silent power to my laptops as needed. It came with the boat and has worked flawlessly.

Is an inverter necessary? I would say 'hell no.' Is it nice having an inverter? I would say 'hell yes!'
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Old 03-28-2013, 10:31 PM   #88
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Is a boat a necessity? Not unless you use it commercially. If you want one they are nice to have. Is an inverter a necessity? No, but if you want one they are nice to have.

Inverters are quiet, and save hours of generator time if you have any AC needs on board. I have had a love/hate relationship with mine, but it is getting better. I certainly would rather have one than run the generator almost constantly.
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Old 03-29-2013, 07:49 AM   #89
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Some of our nicer conveniences (full size fridge, ice maker, stereo, computers) run on AC, and the ability to use those seamlessly as we leave the dock and are underway is priceless. We will always have an inverter, genset and AC power.
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Old 03-29-2013, 08:08 AM   #90
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Some of our nicer conveniences (full size fridge, ice maker, stereo, computers) run on AC, and the ability to use those seamlessly as we leave the dock and are underway is priceless. We will always have an inverter, genset and AC power.
Agree! We liveaboard and want all the creature comforts. We run an AC refrigerator and all outlets with a 2500 w inverter.

Just the other day we were on the hook and when I switched from generator to inverter I forgot to turn off the battery charger ad water heater. It tripped the breaker in the inverter. I have to be more careful next time.
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Old 03-29-2013, 09:05 AM   #91
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Just the other day we were on the hook and when I switched from generator to inverter I forgot to turn off the battery charger and water heater.
For Flywright & Moonstruck:
It would appear that I am not the only one wired like that. (I'm looking in to changing it, though.)
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Old 03-29-2013, 09:11 AM   #92
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My refrigerator is AC only so an inverter is a must. I bought a xantrex 1800 many boat years ago and built my house bank with 6V golf cart batteries. I hated hauling 8D's in and out of the engine room, out the door, on the deck and finally over the rail and down to the finger that floats beside my boat. Besides I get more usable amps from 2 6v than 1 8D. Also, the 8D's dont last long at all and the 6V's I have are now 10 years old. I would have had 3 8D's in 10 years.

Most generators have a modified sine wave, my inverter doesn't. It's a true sine wave and there is no damage to electric motors or electronic appliances like a modified wave can harm and it's quiet.

I anchor out and moor and in the moorings we can always hear the generators running and smell the exhaust. I really like the inverter for all the advantages I said.

I paid 75.00 ea for 6 batteries and about a grand for the inverter. I can't agree with your numbers.
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Old 03-29-2013, 10:08 AM   #93
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Just the other day we were on the hook and when I switched from generator to inverter I forgot to turn off the battery charger ad water heater. It tripped the breaker in the inverter. I have to be more careful next time.
The previous owner of ours wired our AC system pretty cleverly. Our Shore Power runs through our inverter and is auto-switching. Our generator runs through the inverter and is auto-switching. Both Shore Power and Generator run through the Shore Power Selector before the inverter. The Inverter is hardwired to the breakers to only the fridge, and two outlets. Everything else is fed from the Shore Power Selector (Genny or Shore).

It seemed complicated at first, but if I lose power, I can have auto fall-back to an inverter. As I leave the dock, I shift to Ships Power and the inverter takes up the load. When I get onto a moorage, I started the genset and the inverter drops out.

It provides completely uninterrupted AC in any situation and we're never worrying about switches or breakers.
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Old 03-29-2013, 10:26 AM   #94
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Ideally, an inverter should be fed from the panel via its own set of circuit breakers, then a sub panel follows with the inverter-driven circuits on it. Eliminates the confusion noted above. Being wired this way, auto pass throughs any external source be it generator or shore power. You can install an inverter by pass switch in case you have to pull it for service though in my case I could rewire the panel pretty quickly to accomplish the same thing.

My Magnum will accept both legs of a 50 amp circuit and pass two out if you like. So I have two sub panels which frankly wasn't necessary but "nice to have" After all a 4000w inverter is just a little over 30 amps allowing for the efficiency factor.
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Old 03-29-2013, 10:33 AM   #95
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Ideally, an inverter should be fed from the panel via its own set of circuit breakers, then a sub panel follows with the inverter-driven circuits on it. Eliminates the confusion noted above.
I dunno. I find it quite handy. Everything has breakers. Even the wife understands how to shift power and it's impossible to get stuff on the inverter circuit that would overload it.

I would need a larger inverter to hold the entire boat up on AC in your example.
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Old 03-29-2013, 11:36 AM   #96
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a normaly day

08.00 in the morning after breakfast we turn off the nightgen and going to the beach. Approx 11.30 we start the 15 KW gen and we can cooking and make agua and wash with the washmachine. After siesta we turn off for 4 hours the gen and we relax on the fly or on the beach.
18.30 we start the 15 KW gen for cook .
Approx 2100 hour we change the gen and start the 8KW nightgen and turn off the other morning.
And so we need aprox 8 hours/ day the inverter for freezer, fridg and other consum.
Underway we go without gen and the inverter is working with the inverter-Batterie-group from 3 X 8 D.
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Old 03-29-2013, 12:08 PM   #97
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................... Just the other day we were on the hook and when I switched from generator to inverter I forgot to turn off the battery charger ad water heater. It tripped the breaker in the inverter. I have to be more careful next time.
You might consider some rewiring so the inverter only powers the AC receptacles. With a proper transfer switch, everything can be automatic.
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Old 03-29-2013, 12:13 PM   #98
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Ideally, an inverter should be fed from the panel via its own set of circuit breakers, .............
Because of the large DC current and the potential voltage drop, the inverter is usually fed directly from the battery bank or a battery selector switch. Of course, it should have properly placed circuit protection (a fuse or circuit breaker)
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Old 04-04-2013, 04:32 PM   #99
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Panel Switch for Shore Power, Gen, Inverter

To easily run items off the inverter. I just replaced my 3 postion selector switch with a 4 postion switch from Newmar. You can select from Shore Power, Gen set, Inverter or Off. Before selecting inverter on the switch I turn off the breakers for the Batt. Charger, Water Heater and A/C units. $88.99 from Boatersland.com Works great!!
Newmar SS 3.0 Transfer Switch*-*Newmar*SSSWITCH30 - AC Circuit Panels - Electrical Parts - Electrical - Boatersland Marine
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Old 04-04-2013, 05:37 PM   #100
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I dunno. I find it quite handy. Everything has breakers. Even the wife understands how to shift power and it's impossible to get stuff on the inverter circuit that would overload it.

I would need a larger inverter to hold the entire boat up on AC in your example.
You misunderstood my post completely. Sorry for the confusion. By "sub panel", that is a CB panel fed by the inverter for those circuits that it is allowed to power. Not anywhere near all the circuits on the boat whatsoever. In fact, the inverter is a component on one of three different AC panels on the boat. The items on those panels do not interact with the inverter in anyway, nor do other components on the panel the inverter is wired to only those on the inverters sub-panel. Power transfer is completely seamless and automatic to the circuits served by the inverter regardless of source and requires no user intervention at all. Maybe when I get home I will snap a pic and 'splain better.
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