JDCAVE
Guru
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2011
- Messages
- 2,919
- Location
- Canada
- Vessel Name
- Phoenix Hunter
- Vessel Make
- Kadey Krogen 42 (1985)
I will think about this but I’m still leaning towards the 5 kw. We made do with the 4.2 which was not the best in part because the voltage dropped as it was used. It just wasn’t a very good Genny, and was mostly targeted towards operation of the washer dryer.
We have solar panels, which on a good day will provide for the house loads about 200-250 amp hours/day at 12 VDC. However, the panels never bring the the charging to “Float.” Even when the 4.2 kw Genny was still running, in 2017, we only put 20 hours on it over 3.5 months at sea, typically only running it if we are at anchor for extended periods.
We have no water maker, and no air conditioning. We make pour-over coffee—both at home and on the boat. In the summer time we never trip the breaker on shore power. Load management has only been necessary in the winter. SOC on battery bank is seldom less than 80%. And we are not afraid to use either the vacuum, toaster or microwave to exercise the inverter. Only one at a time. I turn the inverter off unless I require it or we are traveling—always on while traveling to charge devices or fuel polish. The washer dryer and water heater are not on the inverter side of the panel.
I put a Charles isolation transformer on the one shore power leg. Putting on another shore inlet will require another ISO transformer. So upgrading would require another one of those and probably a full rewiring of a new panel.
I’m going to check the service from the Genny to the panel and confirm wire size today.
Edit: the other part of this, is ensuring the Genny is loaded sufficiently. The Magnum charger drops down to 40-50 amps and absorb charge fairly early on in the charging process.
Jim
We have solar panels, which on a good day will provide for the house loads about 200-250 amp hours/day at 12 VDC. However, the panels never bring the the charging to “Float.” Even when the 4.2 kw Genny was still running, in 2017, we only put 20 hours on it over 3.5 months at sea, typically only running it if we are at anchor for extended periods.
We have no water maker, and no air conditioning. We make pour-over coffee—both at home and on the boat. In the summer time we never trip the breaker on shore power. Load management has only been necessary in the winter. SOC on battery bank is seldom less than 80%. And we are not afraid to use either the vacuum, toaster or microwave to exercise the inverter. Only one at a time. I turn the inverter off unless I require it or we are traveling—always on while traveling to charge devices or fuel polish. The washer dryer and water heater are not on the inverter side of the panel.
I put a Charles isolation transformer on the one shore power leg. Putting on another shore inlet will require another ISO transformer. So upgrading would require another one of those and probably a full rewiring of a new panel.
I’m going to check the service from the Genny to the panel and confirm wire size today.
Edit: the other part of this, is ensuring the Genny is loaded sufficiently. The Magnum charger drops down to 40-50 amps and absorb charge fairly early on in the charging process.
Jim
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