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Inverters - Some Quick Notes
Stacking Inverters
A lot of installs will need 220 volts to run items like clothing drier. If you do need 220 volts there
are inverters built just for that. Or get inverters that can be stacked for voltage. No matter how
you want to do the project there is inverter for the job. Some of the newer inverters like the
XW inverters are 240 volts and need no stacking but can be stacked from 4000 watts to as high
as 18000 watts in a single system. It is normally cheaper to get the right size of inverter and not
stack smaller ones.
It would be cost effective to switch any heat making devices that are powered by electricity to
something a little cheaper like propane. This alone could save you enough in solar panels,
inverters and labor to pay for the install of the new heating system and plum in a propane tank.
Inverter battery cables are no place to skimp in cost because of the high amperage inverters can
pull. I like talking about the monster of the all house hold devices. The 1800 watt hair drier that
so many women can not live without (that was said with a smile). A little math on this one, at 1800
watts, 120 volts (watts divided by volts = amps) gives you a full 15 amp pull. An inverter can
handle this with no problem but is hard on wiring and batteries. If you have and older home with
14 awg wiring, you will make some wires a little warmer than they should be.
Back to the point I started to make about the inverter battery cables. If 1800 watts at 120 volts is 15 amps do the same math at 12 volts, if your battery bank is setup at at some other voltage use that
number. 1800 divided by 12 volts, Did you get 150 amps at 12 volts? Do you know you can arc
weld at less than 60 amps? You as well know something other than just the hair drier will be
pulling power from your inverter. Maybe a 1200 watt coffee pot and a couple of lights. So the
battery cables need to be rated for the peak amperage of your inverter plus 125%. The larger and
shorter the cables from the inverter to batteries the better. Make sure there is a fuse or breaker or
both in the line. Most systems use a negative ground which means you never want to fuse the
negative cable. Doing so could give you a jolt when working on the system. When the negative
wire is open and the positive is still connected you could get a shock.
A lot of installs will need 220 volts to run items like clothing drier. If you do need 220 volts there
are inverters built just for that. Or get inverters that can be stacked for voltage. No matter how
you want to do the project there is inverter for the job. Some of the newer inverters like the
XW inverters are 240 volts and need no stacking but can be stacked from 4000 watts to as high
as 18000 watts in a single system. It is normally cheaper to get the right size of inverter and not
stack smaller ones.
It would be cost effective to switch any heat making devices that are powered by electricity to
something a little cheaper like propane. This alone could save you enough in solar panels,
inverters and labor to pay for the install of the new heating system and plum in a propane tank.
Inverter battery cables are no place to skimp in cost because of the high amperage inverters can
pull. I like talking about the monster of the all house hold devices. The 1800 watt hair drier that
so many women can not live without (that was said with a smile). A little math on this one, at 1800
watts, 120 volts (watts divided by volts = amps) gives you a full 15 amp pull. An inverter can
handle this with no problem but is hard on wiring and batteries. If you have and older home with
14 awg wiring, you will make some wires a little warmer than they should be.
Back to the point I started to make about the inverter battery cables. If 1800 watts at 120 volts is 15 amps do the same math at 12 volts, if your battery bank is setup at at some other voltage use that
number. 1800 divided by 12 volts, Did you get 150 amps at 12 volts? Do you know you can arc
weld at less than 60 amps? You as well know something other than just the hair drier will be
pulling power from your inverter. Maybe a 1200 watt coffee pot and a couple of lights. So the
battery cables need to be rated for the peak amperage of your inverter plus 125%. The larger and
shorter the cables from the inverter to batteries the better. Make sure there is a fuse or breaker or
both in the line. Most systems use a negative ground which means you never want to fuse the
negative cable. Doing so could give you a jolt when working on the system. When the negative
wire is open and the positive is still connected you could get a shock.