LP vs Electric anyone done a swap ?

River Cruiser said:

Talked with a friend today who owns a 42' OA. He was contemplating adding a inverter before he and his wife start on the loop this fall. The cost of the inverter was $2000.00 and change, the install cost was $8000.00 at Port Charles marina north of St. Louis. I told him $8000.00 would buy a lot of diesel fuel and I would leave everything as it is because he would be adding another system and the possible problems that may arise over time. Another plus no additional batteries to buy, lug around and maintain.

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I would love to know what went into an $8000 install....may be worth every penny....but something seems off a bit for an inverter/charger install with a remote and even several other hookups....

Unless he went for a new electric panel/switch etc...with a separate inverter buss, etc....

That would be at least 5-8 hr days and another $2000 in parts above the inverter...

At those kinds of costs...small, dedicated inverters nearer the appliances needing them starts to make more sense...

Interesting city you live in Electro!

Conrad said:

Interesting city you live in Electro!

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The oceans are my home

anything on land is just a cache

Electro said:

The oceans are my home

anything on land is just a cache

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Hah! We'll just leave it at cache!

River Cruiser said:

Talked with a friend today who owns a 42' OA. He was contemplating adding a inverter before he and his wife start on the loop this fall. The cost of the inverter was $2000.00 and change, the install cost was $8000.00 at Port Charles marina ...............

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There's something very wrong with that installation price. He should get another quote.

I'll pass on the opinions, I know nothing of what is involved to install a inverter and I thought the price was high or their hourly rate was extreme.

>.small, dedicated inverters nearer the appliances needing them starts to make more sense...<

Inverters near the appliance would require loads of big loss DC wiring.

An inverter and batt set will loose far less sending 120V for 30-50 ft than choosing a low voltage .with wide distribution.

hmason said:

After 2 boats with propane, we found that refilling/exchanging tanks was a PITA when cruising long distances. Usually needed a car rental just to refill the tank. We replaced our Princess with a ceramic top electric and the chief cook loves it. Cleans up in an instant, spills that harden can be removed with a razor scraper and the heat control is infinite and fast. You do need to run the genny and we don't mind that at all. Howard

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If there's no genset on the boat, propane for cooking makes more sense. Same for if you have a problem with your genset.

My wife and I (and most chefs) would rather cook with gas.

Daddyo said:

............. Not having the LP aboard is a nice plus.

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I don't find having propane aboard to be a problem at all. It's pretty much "out of sight, out of mind". My wife turns on the switch, lights the stove or oven and cooks as if she were at home. When the tank empties, I swap it with the spare and then refill or exchange the empty one when and where it's convenient.

No problem.

New Boat Decision

This discussion is timely for us as we plan our next boat. We continue to struggle with the decision of electric versus gas and understand many of the pro's & con's. Our last three boats used gas and I never thought twice about the safety factor until our last boat when I noticed a leak at the propane tank valve that just made me nervous. Then for some reason started to think about the open flame in the galley. This has driven me to consider an new induction stove top and convection microwave for the safety perspective. My research has discovered that you can run one burner off the inverter without running the Generator. On our little N35 we ran one A/C unit off our inverter when tied to the dock using shore power which would indicate this makes sense. I would like to hear from those with a modern induction stove top and how they operate it. thanks

John

N4061 said:

This discussion is timely for us as we plan our next boat. We continue to struggle with the decision of electric versus gas and understand many of the pro's & con's. Our last three boats used gas and I never thought twice about the safety factor until our last boat when I noticed a leak at the propane tank valve that just made me nervous. Then for some reason started to think about the open flame in the galley. This has driven me to consider an new induction stove top and convection microwave for the safety perspective. My research has discovered that you can run one burner off the inverter without running the Generator. On our little N35 we ran one A/C unit off our inverter when tied to the dock using shore power which would indicate this makes sense. I would like to hear from those with a modern induction stove top and how they operate it. thanks

John

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While you might be able to run one electric burner with an inverter, you won't be able to run it for long. Before you decide to go this route, figure out the current draw and how large a battery bank you would need to cook a meal or two. Also, figure out how you are going to recharge that battery bank. I don't think you'll find it to be a practical solution.

If you find a leak at the propane valve, fix it. A proper ABYC compliant system will include valves and a pressure gauge to allow you to check for leaks. It will also include a propane detector near the appliance.

As for the open flame, it's no different from your gas stove at home and the assumption is that somebody is monitoring the food as it cooks.

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"At those kinds of costs...small, dedicated inverters nearer the appliances needing them starts to make more sense...[/QUOTE]"
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Ohms Law dictates the inverter needs to be located as close to the battery as practical in order to accommodate smaller cable. Low voltage, high amps means big heavy cable. High voltage, low amps means small wire. To add more complexity the inverter needs a cool, ventilated,dry environment. After clearing all those hurdles you take a +- 10% hit inverting from 12volts to 110. I have 1125 amps of battery stowage and the only thing I intend to invert is TV and cable box, with the 1500watt pure sine wave inverter with a switch to turn off the inverter. Those 1125 Amps only provide 450 to 500 amps of usable power if battery life is factored in, the way I was taught at battery school. The other AC that will stay aboard, ran only under genset is air conditioning, microwave, toaster oven, coffee pot, and battery charger. Next to March Pumps I despise inverters but they are a tool that serves a purpose and understanding their limitations is important. There ain't no free lunch.
As for propane...though some fear, I am disciple. Have an alarmed sniffer, exterior ventilated propane lockers with a solenoid switched near the stove is the only way to go. If electric cooking is a must, cook while charging batteries, heating water and tending other AC needs using genset.