Questions about installing inverters..

Haden

Haden

Active Member
May 27, 2020
482
Madison, Alabama
Boat Info
2001 Sea Ray 380 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 8.1l Mercury w/V Drives
Need some sharper minds than mine. I have a 2001 380. I would like to power a few fans in the cabin without having to run the generator. With the weather cooling off here in North Alabama, there will be no need to run the generator to power the AC. The frig already runs by DC. How would I go about powering two or three outlets, making the upgrade seamless? I hope I was able to explain my idea properly.
 
Inverters can be wired right into your AC system panel to power all systems when your generator is not running. It can get pricey with the need for more and better battery capacity, a large enough sine wave invertor/charger and wiring and installation.
 
Creekwood said:
Inverters can be wired right into your AC system panel to power all systems when your generator is not running. It can get pricey with the need for more and better battery capacity, a large enough sine wave invertor/charger and wiring and installation.
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No, I don’t want to run the AC. I just want to run a few fans.
 
He's talking about your AC voltage panel.

I'd recommend just getting some 12 volt fans. As Creekwood said it can get pricey for a permanent system.
 
JimG said:
He's talking about your AC voltage panel.

I'd recommend just getting some 12 volt fans. As Creekwood said it can get pricey for a permanent system.
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I understand now. Haha. Do you know of any good quality 12 volt fans?
 
Why don't you just run wire for a new outlet or outlets and and just wire them into the inverter only, did that on mine for a tv.
 
We’ve got an inverter/charger and generator on our boat. It involves some serious wiring and batteries. I’m not sure it would be worth it just to run fans. We have a 110 fridge and ice maker, so it’s worth it from that point of view. It allows us to go on a long trip and not run the gen.
 
Henry Boyd said:
We’ve got an inverter/charger and generator on our boat. It involves some serious wiring and batteries. I’m not sure it would be worth it just to run fans. We have a 110 fridge and ice maker, so it’s worth it from that point of view. It allows us to go on a long trip and not run the gen.
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I also have a 110 fridge and ice maker which run on DC, allowing me not to run the generator. I just want to add a few fans to circulate the air inside the cabin. I have no issue with adding a couple of deep cycle batteries and charger. It looks like I will just have to run some new wires and add a few new outlets. I was thinking I could somehow use the existing outlets. I have the skills to install everything myself, I just want the addition the be as integrated and seamless as possible.
 
I would just go with 12v fans. They will consume less electricity because an inverter has some power loss converting the 12v to 110v. There are some good ones that long haul truckers use. I recall someone posting years ago about a good brand.
 
I use the Caframo Taku hatch mounted 12v fan. Works very well and pulls in cool air at night. It mounts with suction cups and is easy to install and remove. Plugs into a 12V outlet

iu.jpeg
 
Haden said:
I also have a 110 fridge and ice maker which run on DC, allowing me not to run the generator. I just want to add a few fans to circulate the air inside the cabin. I have no issue with adding a couple of deep cycle batteries and charger. It looks like I will just have to run some new wires and add a few new outlets. I was thinking I could somehow use the existing outlets. I have the skills to install everything myself, I just want the addition the be as integrated and seamless as possible.
Click to expand...
Think of an inverter as a second generator. Instead of having a two pole isolating switch, you need to create the equivalent of a three position switch where the three become mutually exclusive so you don’t have multiple AC sources feeding into the boat’s wiring harness.

On our setup the inverter works as a two way device, taking AC from the other two sources (shore, or gen, power) and charges the house batteries when in charge mode. The house batteries in turn will power the inverter when it is in AC invert mode. The control works to isolate the inverter charger from improperly functioning in effect being the part that provides the mutual exclusivity needed.

In charger mode the AC wiring becomes the input and the battery wiring the output. When switched to invert mode the wiring in effect reverses input and output.
 
Haden said:
Can you explain more how you wired it?
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You mount your inverter where ever you want it, run your wires to which ever battery you want to run it off of and mount your outlet box/boxes where ever you need them then run your wire/wires back to your inverter. I mounted a outlet box above the galley table so grand kids could watch tv while we were out without generator running. Hardest part was hiding the wires, if the outlet box is going to be seen then get a wire mould box as they come in colors and your could even run the wire inside a piece of wire mould chase if you can't hide them. My inverter has a remote switch to turn it on or off with which I mounted on the dash so I can turn it on or off from there with out having to get to the unit.
 
Very AWSOME y’all. Very thankful for all the great info!!!
 
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