12v Inverter

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Dave_Rolfe

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To save the cost of going into a costly marina each time my wife wants to use her hair straighteners I have tried a small, plug into the cigarette lighter socket type of inverter. Although rated at 75w when I connected the straighteners in (40w rated) the green power light flashed slowly and the starighteners did not warm up.

I have looked on the Maplin website and have seen a Black and Decker 400w inverter that comes with crocodile clips to connect directly to the battery. My questions are :-
1. Would this be capable of running the hair straighteners successfully.
2. What size of fuse would I need to fit if I wired this into the switch panel permanently
3. Has anyone any experience of a different soluntion to this problem
4. Would it be likely that the problem with the cigarette lighter inverter be due to this supply cables to the lighter socket being of insufficient thickness. My power is from 2 x 110Ah leisure batteries.
 
It's probably more of an issue, that it can't draw enough juie through the cig socket. may well be better off hard wired. (4).
Although one of the electrical techies will be along shortly and help you out with draw and consumption etc... may be worth posting size of batteries etc...

The wiring on my inverter both the cig socket and direct the wires are pretty heavy guage, much, much larger than that of the wiring to the cig socket.
 
It is probably because your supply to the cigar socket is poor, or even that the connections in the socket are bad (they corrode). If you only want to drive the curlers it would be cheaper and more convenient to sort out the socket. Begin by checking the volts at the back of the socket when you turn on the inverter. That'll tell you whether the problem is in the supply to the socket, or the socket itself. Replace, clean, repair and upgrade as needed. Croc clips on the battery are a last resort - they can fall off and cause problems and you have yet more wires to stow somewhere. Also, your wife will feel much more independent if she can just plug and go.
 
We have a hairdryer that draws about 600W on the lowest setting (2kW on max) and that works fine with our 650W inverter. I wouldn't want to be drawing 2kW from my batteries.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't want to be drawing 2kW from my batteries.

[/ QUOTE ] I know th efeeling but SHNO (when it comes to electricy consumption away from shore power) insists on hair drier, vacuum cleaner Micro Wave etc - batteries do take a bit of punishment as does the engine alternator - had to get a gennie eventually /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
hammer.gif
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.
 
Though I do have sympathy for our other halves who 'put up with' spending long periods on yachts but still need to keep themselves looking and feeling good. It's a small price to pay for their enthusiastic support rather than their grudging company. It's just that a mains hairdryer on 600W is pretty good - miles better than those silly 12V jobs. Vacuums are a real problem, of course. Low powered ones are a bit useless though we do have one 12V for odd jobs. Like you, I start the genny when we have a real load - either 600W for longer than 15 minutes or any higher power (of the electrical sort, I should add, it being a Sunday /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif)
 
Hear, hear, A small price to pay to keep the other half happy and content onboard although I did have to draw the line at fitting a halogen hob for cooking - I'm afraid she will have to make do with the gas cooker for the time being although I would not be without the ice maker and coffee machine (addition justification for buying a genny - might as well get an ice maker etc now we have all this power to use - the electricity doesn't keep you know - got to use it or it will "go off" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif and NO she isn't blonde although sometimes I do wonder)
hammer.gif
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.
 
Nope - has to be 2kW and has to be full power.

on our Oxford trip last year the 1st non marina stop at Wargrave revealed my lack of foresight.

The next day wanted to continue to Oxford rather than remain in Coventry, so I carried a genny from slough to reading on the train, and carried it from the station to the river, on my shoulder. This is a very stupid thing to do if you want to be able to mover at all the next week.

Crossing the bridge in reading and the boat was finally in sight. I heard a transit van pull up alongside me. I couldn't turn but felt sure I'd been collared for nicking a genny. I eventually turned my whole body, genny and all, and the occupants of the beaten up white tranny tried to buy the genny off me for cash. To power their caravan no doubt.

For a hair drier!!
 
My wife has tried the gas straigtheners but due to her very very thick hair (lucky devil) they did not work very well so no longer acceptable to her. Small generator sounds a good option, any recommendation for a small, quiet, light, powerful, cheap, low petrol consumption genny. Is there such a beast
 
I use a Honda EU2000i on my boat - It's excellent. I made up a lead to connect it to my shore power socket and just leave it on the bathing platform when running. When not required, its small enough to drop into the engine room. Its also small enough to power tools around the boatyard!
 
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