Inverter Size Compared to Your Boat Size?

[mrangry]

We have a vacuum cleaner, angle grinder, electric plane, hair dryer, iron, cordless drill charger, 240v drill, immersion heater, Dremel, induction hob, three sanders, electric toothbrush chargers, tv, laptop, hot air gun, multi tool, electric kettle, sewing machine, watermaker, two battery chargers and hair clippers. We definitely have a need for AC power?

Wow....and it still floats? ?

 

[geem]

Wow....and it still floats? ?

Above it marks?

 

[PaulRainbow]

I see no need for ac power on a yacht

You mean "I see no need for ac power on a my yacht"

 

[mrangry]

You mean "I see no need for ac power on a my yacht"

No....its the same either way as it is how "I" see it not others. For now anyway

 

[PaulRainbow]

No....its the same either way as it is how "I" see it not others. For now anyway

I have some 240v appliances onboard.

• My mains kettle makes a bottle of gas last 6 months, without it they last 6 weeks. That's a significant saving and it boils much faster.
• I have a printer and laminator onboard.
• I have a small food processor.
• An electric toaster.
• Hair clippers.
• Mains charger.
• Immersion heater.
• EDIT Microwave.

When i am away from the marina i can manage without any of them for some time, most of the Summer i can run from solar power.

Could i live without any of them, yes i could. I could also live in a cave wrapped in animal skins cooking the rest of the animal over an open fire, but i prefer not to.

 

[Rappey]

. I have 800 W; in the summer this just about keeps up with the DC load,

I nearly spat out my coffee when I read that. How on earth can you consume over 30A when sailing, but then thought maybe it's what you do when along side with a/c on etc ?

An invertor is of much more use when away from mains ?
Some boats may have an invertor relative to their size as the larger vessel can have a lot more solar panels and due to space have induction hobs and even electric ovens.
The larger boat owner can usually afford lithium batteries to compliment larger invertors.
I would say it's more suited to blue water sailors.
I was under the impression a 12v water heater element was a convinience dump load for wind generators. ?
I read something on a canal boat forum years ago where a guy took a constant average wind and calculated it would take at least 3 weeks to heat a water tank with a 12v element..
I'm 10m . Have 220w of solar and an aerogen with 500a of domestic.
I think I got a little carried away as my daytime sailing requirements is around 4A.
It's great to never worry about what's turned on !
I do have a very cheap 300w invertor. Bought it along with an electric carving knife to cut and shape my foam. It's also handy for a decent powered soldering iron for those heavy jobs.

 

[mrangry]

I have some 240v appliances onboard.

• My mains kettle makes a bottle of gas last 6 months, without it they last 6 weeks. That's a significant saving and it boils much faster.
• I have a printer and laminator onboard.
• I have a small food processor.
• An electric toaster.
• Hair clippers.
• Mains charger.
• Immersion heater.

When i am away from the marina i can manage without any of them for some time, most of the Summer i can run from solar power.

Could i live without any of them, yes i could. I could also live in a cave wrapped in animal skins cooking the rest of the animal over an open fire, but i prefer not to.

You have no need to justify whether or why you have ac. Our needs are all different and everyone can have what they wish

 

[FlyingGoose]

I have some 240v appliances onboard.

• My mains kettle makes a bottle of gas last 6 months, without it they last 6 weeks. That's a significant saving and it boils much faster.
• I have a printer and laminator onboard.
• I have a small food processor.
• An electric toaster.
• Hair clippers.
• Mains charger.
• Immersion heater.

When i am away from the marina i can manage without any of them for some time, most of the Summer i can run from solar power.

Could i live without any of them, yes i could. I could also live in a cave wrapped in animal skins cooking the rest of the animal over an open fire, but i prefer not to.

to be fair comparing your needs for hair clippers, a toaster food processor and a printer laminator to jumping back to the caveman scenario is a little extreme .
Animal skins and food processor just does not mix .
Bet you have an alexa to turn on your lights too

 

[Rappey]

I would like a microwave... I'm a microwave master chef at home !

 

[ip485]

Washing machine and tumble dryer (combined)
Water Maker
Dishwasher
Ice maker
Electric kettle, toaster, usual kitchen gadgets
Dive compressor (electric)
Dehumidifier
Microwave
Air conditioning (240V)
Electric blow heaters
Usual need for chargers for tools etc
- not used all at the same time because annoying habit of tripping the circuit breakers, 32 Amps shore power is no where near enough.

and it still floats - just

 

[FlyingGoose]

Dishwasher, your Posh

 

[ip485]

Only trasing really and not posh at all, pass a beer please.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I bought an electric kettle to run when on shore power, after realising how much it saved me in butane costs, but the only thing I want my inverter for (I need to track down a gremlin) is my bread machine. I don't care that dough can be kneaded by hand, I'd rather just load the machine and go back to bed for a couple of hours, thanks.

 

[Mistroma]

I was under the impression a 12v water heater element was a convinience dump load for wind generators. ?
I read something on a canal boat forum years ago where a guy took a constant average wind and calculated it would take at least 3 weeks to heat a water tank with a 12v element..

My experience with a Rutland 913 was that it averaged 7-10Ah per 24 hours in the summer months. That was over several years cruising the West Coast of Scotland and also the Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal. The most I ever managed was about 140Ah over 24 hours but I've only managed that 2-3 times over about 8 years.

10Ah in a day would heat about 3 litres up to 50C and my 45 litre tank would therefore take about 15 days output to heat. Of course heat loss becomes important when you are heating very slowly. I think that 3 weeks does not sound like an unreasonable estimate. Of course that isn't excess waste energy as it would be used to put a tiny charge into the batteries rather than heat water.

Even when I have managed to get 140Ah it went into the batteries with only a little left over (exremely windy but also wet and cloudy ).

 

[Mistroma]

I bought an electric kettle to run when on shore power, after realising how much it saved me in butane costs, but the only thing I want my inverter for (I need to track down a gremlin) is my bread machine. I don't care that dough can be kneaded by hand, I'd rather just load the machine and go back to bed for a couple of hours, thanks.

We bought a kettle years ago and then a toaster, followed by a small cooker. Brilliant in yards and harbours with free electricity and saved lugging around gas bottles. I'm still surprised how many people don't have an electric kettle.

A bread maker would be nice but I don't fancy drawing about 50A from my batteries for an hour. I'd probably have to put back about 75A later to keep them charged. OK on shore power.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Of course but depending on the cable run from batteries to tank they are incredibly efficient at heating expensive thick cables as well as the water. Our run is nearly 5 metres. A 240v element works when we most need it at the marina but can also be used using the same thin AC cabling (even with stepped down voltage to match solar input) when at anchor or sailing.

Fairly enough. Presumably there is a cross-over point where 12V cables heat the air exactly as much as an inverter plus 240V cables. Thanks.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

I need 240v for my TV, power tools, Fridge Freezer and hairdryer. I use an old 600 watt modified sinewave inverter bought from Maplins, its silent and operates everything without any problems. I resentry bought a "modern" 3000 watts modified sinewave inverter, it is light, compact but noisey and therefore I only use it when I need to. I have 3 x 110 domestic and 1 x 95 engine batteries, charged by 2 x 50 watt solar panels and an old Ampair wind generator. The solar panels do all the work and the wind generator just spins round producing almost nothing which means that this winter it will need an overhaul or disposal.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Washing machine and tumble dryer (combined)
Water Maker
Dishwasher
Ice maker
Electric kettle, toaster, usual kitchen gadgets
Dive compressor (electric)
Dehumidifier
Microwave
Air conditioning (240V)
Electric blow heaters
Usual need for chargers for tools etc
- not used all at the same time because annoying habit of tripping the circuit breakers, 32 Amps shore power is no where near enough.

and it still floats - just

I think you need a power station

 

[PaulRainbow]

to be fair comparing your needs for hair clippers, a toaster food processor and a printer laminator to jumping back to the caveman scenario is a little extreme .
Animal skins and food processor just does not mix .
Bet you have an alexa to turn on your lights too

No Alexa, IR remote, works from 50m away. Once onboard, 4 zone IR dimmer

 

[PaulRainbow]

I would like a microwave... I'm a microwave master chef at home !

Oops, i forgot that when i typed my list above.