just came back from the dominican republic, and stayed with my gf's family, in a part of the d.r. that the electricy always goes out, but lots of the residents in the area have a power inverter hooked up to the breaker box of their homesthat automatically kick on when the power goes out, and was thinking this would be a good idea for us reefers with lots of coral/fish in our reef tanks, so my question is does anyone have this already hooked up ???????????
Anyone use power inverters?
- Thread starter tlpmyd
- Start date
- Location
- NY
Very confusing. Why would they have a power inverter hooked up to a breaker box (service panel)?
The meaning of a power inverter is to take an electrical charge coming from a battery (preferably a Deep Cycle Marine Battery) which is supplied in DC (Direct Current) and invert it to AC (Alternating Current), which is usable by household appliances, including reef equipment.
When there is a power outage, having an inverter connected to a service panel doesn't do anything. First of all, the service panel isn't putting out any current, AC or DC. So the inverter has nothing to work with.
Secondly, if there was a charge coming from the service panel, it would likely be in the form that is widely used by everyone in that locale, and therefore no need to invert it to the opposing current.
Hope this helps to explain my confusion.
Also hoping you have some idea as to why they do it this way. I like to learn new ways to do things
Thanks,
Russ
The meaning of a power inverter is to take an electrical charge coming from a battery (preferably a Deep Cycle Marine Battery) which is supplied in DC (Direct Current) and invert it to AC (Alternating Current), which is usable by household appliances, including reef equipment.
When there is a power outage, having an inverter connected to a service panel doesn't do anything. First of all, the service panel isn't putting out any current, AC or DC. So the inverter has nothing to work with.
Secondly, if there was a charge coming from the service panel, it would likely be in the form that is widely used by everyone in that locale, and therefore no need to invert it to the opposing current.
Hope this helps to explain my confusion.
Also hoping you have some idea as to why they do it this way. I like to learn new ways to do things
Thanks,
Russ
well all i can tell you is they use it there, lol i dont have much if any knowledge on electricity but all i know is thats what they are using, they have the inverter hooked up to the breaker box so when the power goes out and the inverter kicks in everything in the house has power still, i mean over there they only have a few electrical items plugged in the wall, maybe a tv, fridge, radio, fans and a light, but even still i figured if in the reefer case we could hook it up to the dedicated reef breakers lol it would be awesome, i didnt see any batteries, but it may have been hidden somewhere?? im gonna dig deeper and talk to some of my gf's relatives that know more about this Russ.
GottaBNutz
Experienced Reefer
- Location
- Cortlandt Manor NY
Unless the power inverter feeds its output into the panel for distribution to the circuits throughout the house. ??????
What I believe they have is a battery bank with a charging system and a power inverter with a auto switch for when the power goes out. The problem is you need a monster size battery bank to feed a house or even a mid size tank system if the power goes out for more then a few hours.
- Location
- New Rochelle
I installed a generator transfer switch last year which tapps into my breaker box but it needs to be connector and manually "switched" to the generator power in an outtage. I have not had to put it to real emergency use yet. I guess there are more fancy/expensive way to make the switch automated.
Attachments
There would have to be a DC supply going to the house from a source.
Wind generators make DC power more efficiently that AC, solar panels or even a generator that supplies power to constavolts. Any of these could feed an inverter but it would only power a small number of items.
Wind generators make DC power more efficiently that AC, solar panels or even a generator that supplies power to constavolts. Any of these could feed an inverter but it would only power a small number of items.
hi regal it definitly didnt look like the pic you had up, also i know they arent that expensive because the village where my gf's family live is poverty struck, so when i saw this thing i was amazed as to why people in our hobby never heard or use this. im going to try and talk to her family to get more info
i think imbarrie is correct, as i said before the number of items that is in the common village home where i was staying had about 3 or 4 small things plugged in to the walls, the only big one being the fridge, where us reefers probably use alot more watts/amps just in our reef set up then they do in there entire home in that country.
What I believe they have is a battery bank with a charging system and a power inverter with a auto switch for when the power goes out. The problem is you need a monster size battery bank to feed a house or even a mid size tank system if the power goes out for more then a few hours.
that is correct, several truck batteries are use that store energy, it is mainly use for the refrigerator and maybe a radio and or TV
that is correct, several truck batteries are use that store energy, it is mainly use for the refrigerator and maybe a radio and or TV
- Location
- NY
This is absolutely a possibility. However, as you stated, it would require a monster size bank of batteries. Then it also requires a battery charger to restore the charge to the bank of batteries. All this equipment would likely be seen and noticeable to anyone looking, especially in a poverty stricken neighborhood.
swimmer
- Location
- NY
- Location
- East Stroudsburg, PA
Yeah its called parallelling the batteries, the amount of amps available from each battery combine to make a bank with a load of amp hours available. The problem is when there is no charger for the bank, like when an inverter hooked to them for use during outages- the batteries each take a beating. The whole bank is only as strong as your weakest battery. Inverters are meant to be used to run house appliances off of them WHILE you have the battery being constantly charged by an alternator while its in use, not to run off of a bank not being charged. As well as the battery the inverters hooked to is the only really getting hit with the useage and youd need to rotate them every once in a while to change the order of the batteries to distribute the useages. It will work but not for a descent stretch unless your talkin 15 or more batteries. All batteries are at different levels after the first charge cycle so it throws the balance off is why they take a beating.
One thing I forgot to add also sorry- Wherever you have the device charging the bank hooked to, hook the inverters to the batts. at the opposite side of the bank, that will lessen the amount of abuse on the first batts. and distribute it a bit if the charger and the inverter are both hooked to the same batteries is when the certain ones taking a beating will really apply more heavily. Spread the wealth and the bank will work better as well as stay fresh and usable longer before having to replace the batts.
Also, each time you use them to where the batteries get drained but not fully discharged the batteries all develop a memory and after a few times if that memory is at 80% lets say--no matter how much you charge them they will only ever get to 80% of their original capacity so its really not a great way to go. Would be better off with a generator. In fact most sealed, dry cell or gell(AGM) batteries are only at 85% when you get them new and you need to charge them to fully charged 4 or 5 times before theyre really at 100% or else no matter what you do in the future 85% is all youll ever get.
Last edited:
- Location
- East Stroudsburg, PA
Yeah hours is what I was meaning when I said for no extensive time periods. If we have a power outage for days the inverters wouldnt be much help to sustain our stuff, but for a matter of hours absolutely will work. The outages last year lasted for days so Im more apt to get a system that is for sustaining for longer periods is all.
If its been in service for 10 years I hope hes replaced the batteries at least a few times
I also didnt learn anything about battery banks in books. I actually learned it from experience I have in competition CB radio equipment. The type that will transmit in the 1KW+ range that you have multiple extra alternators under the hood and battery banks in the back of our vehicles and some run AC amps(tubes) I have always ran DC(pills). But they draw 300+ amps upon keyups and the batts are basically back ups to if any of your alternators arent at peak performance the batts. buffer the loss of juice so we see all the issues with batteries surface.
If its been in service for 10 years I hope hes replaced the batteries at least a few times
I also didnt learn anything about battery banks in books. I actually learned it from experience I have in competition CB radio equipment. The type that will transmit in the 1KW+ range that you have multiple extra alternators under the hood and battery banks in the back of our vehicles and some run AC amps(tubes) I have always ran DC(pills). But they draw 300+ amps upon keyups and the batts are basically back ups to if any of your alternators arent at peak performance the batts. buffer the loss of juice so we see all the issues with batteries surface.
Last edited:
- Location
- NY
Wow, great info Jimmy.....wayyyy past my comprehension.
Thanks for chiming in.
Russ
Thanks for chiming in.
Russ
here is all you need...
http://briansrapier.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/energizer-bunny.jpg
http://briansrapier.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/energizer-bunny.jpg
- Location
- East Stroudsburg, PA
No prob Russ. I try when I can LOL Tony!!!! hahaha
- Location
- NY
Sponsor Reefs
We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.
Click here to sponsor $10:
