Brewing Up with an Inverter on a small boat

Bigplumbs

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You speak the truth! Using them correctly requires knowledge. Accurate knowledge not helped when mis-sold as 3kw when the continuous rating is only 0.65kw. Not sure I would feel safe using it, the earthing arrangement is non-existent.

Not sure ability comes in, anyone can connect croc clips and throw a switch.

You Sure about that. As I said would the real Limecc please stand up
 

DrSpock

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Did you bother to read my reasons for doing it with an inverter or did you simply not bother. Many people buy things like this and struggle to use them correctly and they end up binning them. I suspect it all boils down to lack of Knowledge and or lack of ability

I read it yes but you're clearly just reluctant to see common sense.

The inverters already were fitted to the boat - some didn't work but mostly I have no need for one. I wouldn't be so stupid to carry a 20kg 3kw inverter around just to make the odd cup of tea.
 

limecc

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I read it yes but you're clearly just reluctant to see common sense.

The inverters already were fitted to the boat - some didn't work but mostly I have no need for one. I wouldn't be so stupid to carry a 20kg 3kw inverter around just to make the odd cup of tea.
Funny you should say that. The first one I got stopped working after a week and before that was temperamental when using the remote panel. The replacement worked ok but used to shut down due to high temperature, the twin cooling fans never kicked in. Currently on the third which is proving reliable but then it's not had all that much use.

Quality control seems to be terrible. Maybe I was sold customer returns? I had an electrician inspect my installation and he gave the thumbs up to that, but he plugged in the tester and it failed showing an earthing fault which appears to be built-in to the device. Generators and Inverters really need an external ground spike for the earth but nobody ever has that.
 
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Bigplumbs

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I read it yes but you're clearly just reluctant to see common sense.

The inverters already were fitted to the boat - some didn't work but mostly I have no need for one. I wouldn't be so stupid to carry a 20kg 3kw inverter around just to make the odd cup of tea.

Well the one I use weighs less than 1KG and I have some lovely cups of well Coffee actually. So perhaps we should just agree to differ
 

henryf

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I would fit a 100 amp leisure battery, if necessary recharged from land based mains when available if you didn’t want the hassle of organising a charging system. That way there is zero risk of being stranded, in fact you have a secondary starting battery should you need it.

You could even use phrases like “hybrid” to sound totally 21st century, after all isn`t that what a Tesla does, take a battery pack out with them?
 

TNLI

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Now we all like to have a brew up when on our boats. During lockdown I converted our old Toyota Previa into a campervan complete with separate leisure battery and charge circuit and a 3000 w inverter from ebay that cost about £40.00. In the van it works very well and boils a 900w Kettle with ease.

Now on our smaller boats where I don't want to carry a separate 'leisure' battery and I just fancy using the starter battery that is charged by the outboard and is 80 Amp hour to Brew up on the inverter. I fancy this as I think it is far safer than gas powered small stove on what is a petrol fuelled 4.5 m rib.

My Battery is in good health and I could even let the outboard run while I brewed up (Takes about 6-7 mins to boil 3 cup fulls). Obviously don't want to Brew up at anchor and then when I go to start find the Battery is somewhat flat.

I was wondering if anyone else with a small boat does such a thing.

This is the inverter I use if any one is interested. There are many others.

1500/3000W Car Power Inverter DC 12V to AC 220V USB Charger Converter 2 Socket | eBay

Be careful about inverters made in the far East that often have no name on them and are sold by both Fleabay and Amazingzone. I've had 2 failures in the last 2 years, one of which was a full short circuit, so I opened up that alloy box and was horrified at the fact the main output electrolytic capacitor was resting on the inside of the box. That capacitor was rated at only 250v for a working voltage of 230 - 240v. Far too close, as it should be rated at 300 plus!
I'm not surprised that when my own fuse blew, the German RCD also tripped, as the badly installed capacitor was leaking to earth. You get what you pay for from cheap invertors, AND the ratings for them are not true, they are based on 30sec peak load capability, not continous. The box would catch fire if it had to do 5kW, so it's designed to chop the votage before it catches fire, (You hope). The far Eastern designers don't fit internal fire fuses, even though they are real cheap.

A real high efficiency marine inverter will cost at least 200 quid for a 5kW unit, but you will get what you pay for, so it should have an internal fuse and built in RCD etc. This one from a local chandlery has a remote, so a tad more expensive:

Sterling Inverter inc Remote Control | Force 4 Chandlery
 
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limecc

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Well it hasn't. done so yet. How long do you think it will wait
It's a lottery. They all die quietly or by fire and brimstone at some point. Mean time before failure. Yours is probably overdue (if it doesn't electrocute you first). Don't use it BP, we will miss you :D
 

Bigplumbs

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Here it is working well has been for 2 years in the little camper We made during lockdown.

sorry about the noise it was a very windy day

 

TNLI

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Here it is working well has been for 2 years in the little camper We made during lockdown.

sorry about the noise it was a very windy day


Ohh. it's in a car. I was daft enough to think some insurance scam artist had fitted in a boat! See what happens with a 5kW heater on max setting after you hide the inverter under the bedding to keep it dry, that way you might not need another 2 years before a fun claim.
 

Bigplumbs

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Ohh. it's in a car. I was daft enough to think some insurance scam artist had fitted in a boat! See what happens with a 5kW heater on max setting after you hide the inverter under the bedding to keep it dry, that way you might not need another 2 years before a fun claim.

So you obviously haven't read much of the thread at all and have no idea what it is about or what has been previously explained. Might I suggest that you read things then perhaps you will not do something dangerous yourself.

So I say again been using this for over 2 years many many times and no issues. Is that enough of a test do you think BEFORE I MOVE THE SAME SET UP TO THE SMALL RIB. Now do you perhaps understand

PS If I were you I would get yourself a large hard hat cos the sky might fall on your head any time soon
 
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