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Cruising America's Great Loop and other inland routes
View all threadsInverter selection
We have a Heart Freedom 25 on both our boat and our converted bus. That is
a MSW inverter and an older one. We have encountered one microwave and one
electric blanket that refused to work on the MSW power. I'm really happy
with the old Hearts and don't anticipate replacing them. However, if I were
to replace them I would look for a pure sine wave model and for one with
load sharing capabilities. Load sharing means that the inverter is able to
synchronize itself with the incoming power from a dock connection and then
augment that power whenever the onboard load goes above what the shoreline
can supply. There are a few times when that would be very nice to have.
From: R.J.(Bob) Evans bob@rjevans.org
To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2012 8:41 PM
Subject: GL: Inverter selection
LOAD SHARING a very good point. Jon.
We have a Heart Freedom 25 on both our boat and our converted bus. That is
a MSW inverter and an older one. We have encountered one microwave and one
electric blanket that refused to work on the MSW power. I'm really happy
with the old Hearts and don't anticipate replacing them. However, if I were
to replace them I would look for a pure sine wave model and for one with
load sharing capabilities. Load sharing means that the inverter is able to
synchronize itself with the incoming power from a dock connection and then
augment that power whenever the onboard load goes above what the shoreline
can supply. There are a few times when that would be very nice to have.
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Bob: Writes:
the onboard load goes above what the shoreline
can supply.
Bob : when the above happens your probably going to exceed the rating on the Main Breaker in
your onboard panel or on the dock pedestal and one of them is going to trip out.
You might consider a little energy managment to stay with in safe electrical parameters.
Bob
Capt Bob Kovach
M/Y ALLEZ! MT50 WB
MTOA 2631 AGLCA 1969
USPS CHARLESTON S.C.
EMail: my_allez@yahoo.com
On 8/18/2012 11:41 PM, R.J.(Bob) Evans wrote:
... However, if I were
to replace them I would look for a pure sine wave model and for one with
load sharing capabilities. Load sharing means that the inverter is able to
synchronize itself with the incoming power from a dock connection and then
augment that power whenever the onboard load goes above what the shoreline
can supply.
I am a big fan of Bob's suggestion, and he knows I use such an inverter
today. However, it is worth pointing out that many inverter
manufacturers use the terminology "Load Sharing" to mean something less
powerful, specifically merely the ability to automatically reduce the
amount of power supplied to the battery charger as the inverter load
increases. Once the total load reaches the pre-set power level, the
battery charger will be off altogether, and no more power will be
available. So if you are shopping, make sure you know what the
manufacturer means by the marketing terms they are using.
AFAIK, only two manufacturers of "load-supporting" or
"load-supplementing" inverters (the more current terminology), such as
Bob suggests, remain for recreational vessels: Victron and Mastervolt.
Load-supplementing models from either are, as Mike & Tammy of Valhalla
II pointed out, very expensive. Trace (Xantrex) formerly offered such a
feature in their SW series inverters, such as the SW2512 and SW4024, but
those products are long discontinued, although they do turn up on the
used market from time to time.
At least one other manufacturer claims to provide this sort of feature,
but in reality they are not "supplementing" the shore or generator input
but rather replacing it -- once the load exceeds the rating of the
input, the loads are disconnected from the input entirely and the
inverter begins inverting, while the battery charger is brought back
online, effectively supplying the inverter with part of the power needed
to run the loads. While on the surface of it, this may seem equally
useful, in reality it is not, because it means that the total load is
now limited by the capacity of the inverter alone, whereas with true
load supplementing capability, the total load is limited by the sum of
the inverter and shore or generator capacities (subject, of course, to
the availability of battery power).
I have resigned myself to springing for a Victron when we buy our boat,
as we are hopelessly addicted to the flexibility this feature provides.
Among other things, an inverter of this type will allow you to size a
generator for the average expected load rather than the maximum expected
load, providing from the batteries the extra oomph required to start an
air conditioner, or microwave the popcorn. The savings from this alone
(if using a smaller generator is an option for you) can easily pay for
the incremental cost of an inverter with this feature.
FWIW.
Joseph C. Pica
411 Walnut Street, #8227
Green Cove Springs, Florida 32043
Ph 301-904-9122
M/V "Carolyn Ann" GH N-37
MTOA# 3813
AGLCA# 5485 (Platinum Looper)
http://carolynann-n37.blogspot.com/
Joseph.pica@gmail.com
Snip:"...I have resigned myself to springing for a Victron when we buy our
boat, as we are hopelessly addicted to the flexibility this feature
provides.
Among other things, an inverter of this type will allow you to size a
generator for the average expected load rather than the maximum expected
load, providing from the batteries the extra oomph required to start an
air conditioner, or microwave the popcorn. .."
I have twin Victron 3000 multipluses (going on 4 years) setup and have had
some issues but very much like the flexibility they provide. I have one
very strong suggestion...do NOT install in the engine room as they are very
sensitive to heat which degrades their performances (voice of experience).
The other is to install a "bypass switch" that permits you to bypass them in
the event of a failure or shutdown. With bypassing them you still can
distribute ac to the ac systems from the generator or shore power. Without
the bypass switch if they shutdown no ac will get to the systems. If
totally bypassed they will not act as chargers so you may want to have a
separate fixed or portable charger to maintain the house bank while on
bypass.
Technical support is only out of Holland so expect a great delay and or
language stumbles. There currently is no US tech rep.. The Maine Office is
currently only a shipping and receiving warehouse operation.
Joe
"Carolyn Ann" GH N-37
This is in no way encouraging. It sounds like you have had to bypass them
and learn to speak Dutch. {;*))
Ron Rogers
On Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 6:56 PM, Joseph Pica joseph.pica@gmail.com wrote:
I have twin Victron 3000 multipluses (going on 4 years) setup and have had
some issues but very much like the flexibility they provide. I have one
very strong suggestion...do NOT install in the engine room as they are very
sensitive to heat which degrades their performances (voice of experience).
The other is to install a "bypass switch" that permits you to bypass them
in
the event of a failure or shutdown. With bypassing them you still can
distribute ac to the ac systems from the generator or shore power. Without
the bypass switch if they shutdown no ac will get to the systems. If
totally bypassed they will not act as chargers so you may want to have a
separate fixed or portable charger to maintain the house bank while on
bypass.
Technical support is only out of Holland so expect a great delay and or
language stumbles. There currently is no US tech rep.. The Maine Office
is
currently only a shipping and receiving warehouse operation.
Joe
"Carolyn Ann" GH N-37