110v vs 240v aboard?

[Kelpie]

I am seriously contemplating following the growing trend of powering more and more onboard equipment from mains voltage, via a large inverter and hefty battery bank. I'm thinking about a semi-electric galley with an induction hob amongst other appliances. I know there are lots of things to consider, and there are plenty of previous discussions on the pros and cons.

Anyway, I noticed that most of the equipment I am looking at can be had in a 110v version. Intuitively it seems that stepping from 12v up to 110v should be more efficient than going all the way to 240v. Any truth behind this?

 

[awol]

Efficiency? Higher current could mean more i-squared-r losses in the wiring with 110v. Not much difference with the invertor.

 

[pvb]

Stick with 240v, then you can bring stuff from home if needed - vacuum cleaners, etc.

 

[awol]

Stick with 240v, then you can bring stuff from home if needed - vacuum cleaners, etc.

Unless you intend to go to Trumpland where electrical goodies are cheaper but tend not to have CE marking.

 

[dom]

Unless you intend to go to Trumpland where electrical goodies are cheaper but tend not to have CE marking.

Why would an American want to ensure EU conformity (Conformité Européenne)??

 

[awol]

Why would an American want to ensure EU conformity (Conformité Européenne)??

I know for a fact that Kelpie is not a sceptic.

 

[mjcoon]

Why would an American want to ensure EU conformity (Conformité Européenne)??

Don't bother to ask us another...

 

[prv]

The 110 version exists for American mains equipment. If there is any additional efficiency to it, which I doubt, whatever tiny difference will be more than eaten up by the cost and inconvenience of obtaining US-spec appliances to use it.

Pete

 

[Trident]

No benefit at all to going to 110 if your equipment is not US 110 already - it also means higher amp cables for everything which probably doesn't make a great difference but on some appliances it may do

The only advice i would give is buy a decent inverter with a transformer inside not a mofset if you plan to use it lots. They are a bit heavier and a bit more expensive but are much more reliable. Look for something designed for full time off grid power

 

[jdc]

I thing the choice of Voltage is better determined by the choice of cruising destination. The efficiency differences are small to non-existent, and in fact if efficiency is your key driver you might be better to go for 24V rather than 12V into the inverter, but that's yet another variable.

But when in a port or marina what mains Voltage will be available? I appreciate that at anchor it makes little odds, but there are many good cruising destinations where being in a port is almost certainly required (Azores, Madeira, Morocco, or the Canaries for instance) and so you might as well use shore power. Converting from 230 to 110V is possible but another box to lug around. Besides, do you lay-up ashore? I do, in the UK, and so it seems sensible to me to have everything compatible so I don't have to run a big inverter. I have laid-up in Brazil and in the Caribbean, and in both places both Voltages were available.

However, I have to admit I have the most peculiar arrangement, and expect no-one to emulate it. I chose 230V as the mains Voltage which is on only when in a marina or when the generator is running, but have a near-permanently-on 110V inverter to charge small things like a lap-top, tablets, smart-phones, electric tooth-brushes etc. 110V because it's a bit safer and all modern portable devices accept it. It's also useful for small things like a soldering iron, basically anything less than about 200W.

 

[rotrax]

The 110 version exists for American mains equipment. If there is any additional efficiency to it, which I doubt, whatever tiny difference will be more than eaten up by the cost and inconvenience of obtaining US-spec appliances to use it.

Pete

Our last two boats have been American.

The first was 110v and came with a building site transformer to drop UK mains down to 110V. I fitted a proper big power transformer that allowed ALL the gear on at once, unlike the building site job that tripped out if the kettle and battery charger were on together. It had a 2KW calorifier, microwave, aircon, 60 amp battery charger, kettle, iron, and electric hotplate, all 110v. It was RCD plated and compliant. 1998 Island Packet 350.

The current boat, factory fitted with a 240v to 110v transformer to work the calorifier, battery charger and microwave, all 110V. The outlet sockets are all 240v which lets us use UK and European stuff. We have an electric kettle, a flat grill plate, mini vacuum cleaner plus power tools. Also an excellent Dometic 40 litre fridge/freezer which has a smart switch. Selects 240v on shore power or genset, 12v when on the house bank. This boat is a 2008 Island Packet SP Cruiser.

The 110v only boat was a pain in the UK. The expensive H/D 240v to 110v transformer was excellent but failed twice when very new. I made an arrangement to visit the factory and get it tested after the second failure. They plugged about a third of its specced power in, left it for ten minutes and pronounced it OK.

I kicked up a bit, saw the Boss who tested it to its limit, where it instantly failed. We stripped it together and found a loose screw in a connector block, a ceramic H/D high current one The wire's insulation had melted for 4 inches of its length! The heat due to the arcing had done that.

We rectified it, tested it over spec, I got taken to lunch and the warranty/defects bloke got sacked!

A good day for me and the Boss, not so happy for the warranty blokey......................................