By 803056
Date 11-10-2012 06:14
Edited 11-10-2012 06:17
Henry:
That’s a great link. There are a lot of people in the PA, NJ, and NY area that could use that information. A little skill with hand tools can go a long way in making life comfortable. None of it works without fuel. I guess that is the weak link – fuel.
As mentioned before, I used a small 750 watt inverter during last year's snow storm to recharge my flashlights and to run the circulator on my wood boiler. It was fine for an emergency, but it didn't have enough power to run larger motors like the fridge, but we had plenty of snow to stuff in the fridge to keep things cold.
I had given some thought to installing the 1500 watt inverter permanently in my van for aux. power, but running cables from the engine compartment to the rear of my van would have produced too much of a voltage drop. The inverter needs a certain minimum voltage to operate and the voltage drop would have been too much. By the way, the larger inverter went up in a puff of smoke when I needed it most during the snow storm. Moral to the story: keep the cables between the battery bank and the inverter as short as possible to reduce the voltage drop. Also, the amperage draw on the battery / alternator is very high. You are converting 12V to 120V, so even if there were no losses, the amperage draw on the battery would be at least 10 times greater than the amperage provided to the output terminals of the inverter. The idea of two or three batteries is a great idea to minimize the load on the alternator and still provide peak power for short durations.
Dave, as always, provided some great insight.
I like the inverter system. It is cost effective and much less costly than a generator for emergency use. There are limitations, but if it can keep the boiler or the furnace and the fridge going even a couple of hours a day, it could mean the difference between comfort and barely surviving.
I opted for a generator for my wife. Considering the time I'm on the road, the generator is easier for her to handle when I'm not around.
Best regards - Al