1000w vs. 3000w kettle

[PaulRainbow]

That seems a very expensive and clunky way of making a cup of tea (or coffee). You don't say what battery capacity you have, but with 2 engines and 2 alternators, a decent size house bank and an inverter would seem a better way of getting a small amount of 240v. The combined charger/battery/inverter is aimed at the portable market, but a boat has all the ingredients to build a simple permanent installation. Cuts out the regular need to hump it ashore to recharge.

I was thinking the same.

 

[ylop]

Sorry for the delay in coming back to this - I didn't anticipate that a mundane subject such as kettles would generate such a response .......................
Yes, complete typo in my part - the lithium battery pack is, in fact, a Ecoflow Delta 2 that has a capacity of only 1kwh and I plan to keep it charged when the engines are running (very slow I know) and/or using the same procedure as with our electric OB battery - by taking into anywhere convenient (usually a HM office) and imposing on their goodwill.
Useful information all round - I wasn't aware of insulated kettles and a previous suggestion of aiming for a halfway point (say 200w) will probably be the next step.
Many thanks for all the responses - I hadn't realised how complicated the whole thing could be ..........

I would be surprised if that is able to cope with a 2KW kettle (which is what I think you meant by “halfway point”). Beware some of these packs (no idea about ecoflow) quote a peak or surge output which is meant for things like power tools which have a very high spike for a fraction of a second not for a constant drain like a kettle. You won’t get many mugs of tea out of a fully charged 1kWh battery.

 

[Tranona]

I was thinking the same.

Perhaps if one had a use for it elsewhere - running power tools off site for example and making tea on the boat a secondary use it might make sense. If you look at the Ecoflow website there is not a single mention of use on a boat - lots about off site, camping, caravanning, off grid but they clearly don't see leisure boating as a target market.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I would be surprised if that is able to cope with a 2KW kettle (which is what I think you meant by “halfway point”). Beware some of these packs (no idea about ecoflow) quote a peak or surge output which is meant for things like power tools which have a very high spike for a fraction of a second not for a constant drain like a kettle. You won’t get many mugs of tea out of a fully charged 1kWh battery.

It absolutely will not run a 2Kw kettle.

We have a 1Kw kettle, takes 6 mins to boil enough water for two mugs of tea. With a 12V system it would draw 100A from the batteries (via an inverter).

So ball park, you'd get about 10/12 mugs of tea from this battery.

Pretty grim for what it costs.

 

[PetiteFleur]

We use a 1000w kettle in our motorhome, which is more than adequate for us both. Actually from memory I think it's only 750w. Bought from our local caravan/ camping centre or online. Obviously slower than a 3kw kettle but perfectly okay.

 

[Neeves]

Most inverters these days will consume very little power whilst on standby- they sense load and switch themselves on automatically when you turn an appliance on.

Depends what you mean by very little. Ours a 1500 watt inverter uses about 0.6 amp on standby (it does not auto switch on, its a bargain basement version). 0.6 amp is not much if you have a 400amp battery bank but becomes 'bigger' if your battery is only 100 amp and it rains for 3 days. Our inverter is too small - we need 3,000 watts.

As Tranona implies the Lithium market is not for yachts - its for caravans, motor homes and the like - and they have the best source of 12v appliances, see also PetiteFleur.

But with a 1,500 watt inverter you suddenly realise you can use a single induction hob (and if you are so inclined a bread maker and airfryer). Buying an inverter for the simple need to boil water seems.....daft, unless you have lots of excess cash. Now with your air fryer and hob your battery is too small and you can only use one AC mains unit at a time.....

Did anyone mention Parkinson's Law

Jonathan

 

[PaulRainbow]

As Tranona implies the Lithium market is not for yachts - its for caravans, motor homes and the like - and they have the best source of 12v appliances, see also PetiteFleur.

I don't think that's what Tranona said at all. I believe he was referring to the power station the OP is planning to buy. Whilst Lithium isn't the ideal solution for every boat, it works very well for some.

 

[Neeves]

I don't think that's what Tranona said at all. I believe he was referring to the power station the OP is planning to buy. Whilst Lithium isn't the ideal solution for every boat, it works very well for some.

No-one has said Lithium is not for yachts only that the purveyors of Lithium and compatible devices seem to focus on markets other than yachts and commonly don't even mention yachts in their marketing literature.

I cover boat shows and caravan shows - At the Sydney boat show, where one of the major sponsors was a battery supplier - Lithium was not on display. At caravan shows (RVs etc etc) every man and his dog was selling Lithium in some form or other. But that's just in Oz - may be different in the UK with many purveyors of Lithium etc etc at boat shows. I cover caravan shows for the simple reason there is overlap, the same fridges, stoves, showers, sinks, lights, kettles installed in RVs and caravans are the same as are installed in yachts - the difference is that a yacht fridge is installed when the yacht is new - so little need to advertise same at boat shows - but the replacement market is ignored (unless you think outside the box and go to RV shows)

Jonathan

 

[fredrussell]

Depends what you mean by very little. ..

0.3 amps

 

[PaulRainbow]

No-one has said Lithium is not for yachts only that the purveyors of Lithium and compatible devices seem to focus on markets other than yachts and commonly don't even mention yachts in their marketing literature.

You said "As Tranona implies the Lithium market is not for yachts - its for caravans, motor homes and the like"

Companies that make Lithium batteries and Lithium compatible devices pretty much all target the yacht market. Victron, Sterling, Renogy, Fogstar, etc, etc, etc. Those that make "Power stations", such as the one the OP is considering and that Tranona was referring to, don't. That's because that's not where the market usually is for such devices. They are portable power sources, aimed at those that need portable power, we don't generally need portable power on a boat, our systems are built in.

I cover boat shows and caravan shows - At the Sydney boat show, where one of the major sponsors was a battery supplier - Lithium was not on display. At caravan shows (RVs etc etc) every man and his dog was selling Lithium in some form or other. But that's just in Oz - may be different in the UK with many purveyors of Lithium etc etc at boat shows. I cover caravan shows for the simple reason there is overlap, the same fridges, stoves, showers, sinks, lights, kettles installed in RVs and caravans are the same as are installed in yachts - the difference is that a yacht fridge is installed when the yacht is new - so little need to advertise same at boat shows - but the replacement market is ignored (unless you think outside the box and go to RV shows)

Jonathan

I don't think the Sydney boat show, or indeed any boat show is indicative of the Worldwide Lithium market for boats. There are countless marine suppliers that stock and market Lithium components for boats.

 

[seeSimon]

There should be a pressure sealed kettle option. With pressure you could easily exceed 100C and there would be no heat loss from vented steam. It would be much easier to insulate it as well.

Too "dangerous".

Too many idiots...imho.? Who don't listen to advice/instructions or follow instructions. A commom problem with much technology...imho...

Efficiency/losses.
Similar issues with my old LPG house central heating boiler. Boiler in the centre of my 3 storey house. Flue to roof.
Some "experts" (heating efficiency survey now a legal requirement until some circumstances in UK.) Get very exercised about the tiny, permanently lit pilot light as it "wastes gas". I have to remind them that it's not lit when the weather is warm, as hot water then from electricity.

Some "losses" can be useful, sometimes.

 

[Neeves]

Too "dangerous".

Too many idiots...imho.?

I think a pressure kettle a bit OTT for a cup of tea or coffee

But pressure cookers don't seem an item to be automatically rejected on yachts, though Thermal Cookers seem a better bet compared to a pressure cooker, for a variety of reasons.

Thermos Thermal Cooker Review - Practical Sailor
or
THERMAL COOKERS – Mr Ds Cookware

available in the UK.

Automatic piezo electric lighters can instantly fire boilers - freely available in Oz, no wasted gas. We had a similar system on out cat, we simply lit the pilot light when hot water needed - not much of a hardship.

Jonathan

 

[Sea Change]

Surely a sealed kettle is just a type of pressure cooker?

Physics query: if your sealed vessel is boiling your water, won't the temperature drop significantly when you open it up? Thereby spoiling your tea.
I haven't noticed this with my pressure cooker but I don't think it's critical for my stew to hit the plate still at near boiling point.