Inverter/washing machine

Sy-Revolution

Sy-Revolution

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Hi Folks,
I've got a quicky inverter question for you lot.....

I'm toying with the idea of buying a 24v genny, my boat has a sterling 1600w inverter/charger fitted, the biggest item I'll need to power is a washing machine.

( http://www.appliancesonline.co.uk/p...Washing-Machine-White-15495.aspx?cm_mmc=Struq Retargeting-_-Free Standing washing machines-_-Hotpoint-_-WTL500P_WH )

My question is, if I disconnect the heating element from the washer and use hot/warm water from my gas boiler/calorifier would a 1300w inverter cope with the washer?

Any ideas?


Cheers,

C.
 
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I'd be more concerned about the quantity of water it uses. We make well over a ton of water a day and have ruled it out on several occasions for that reason.

W.
 
PilotWolf said:
I'd be more concerned about the quantity of water it uses. We make well over a ton of water a day and have ruled it out on several occasions for that reason.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised. Most of the smaller machines use only about 50 litres per wash. That wouldn't make much of a dint in your ton of water!
 
Washing machine

Unless your inverter is a pure sine wave inverter you may have trouble with the motor. Many washing machines especially older ones use an induction motor (squirrel cage is another name) These I understand do not like anything but pure sine wave. They get hot, waste power and are inefficient.
On the other hand some modern washers use a DC motor and rectify the AC. This for easy control of direction and speed which may mean they are OK.
The only way to really confirm is to test the washer on the inverter while monitoring DC current drained.
Regarding heater can't you just ask for cold wash? good luck olewill
 
A slightly different approach...

Friends of ours have one of these type of machines onboard: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-Twin-Washing-Machine-Dryer/dp/B004L5BVXU
and rave about its performance; apparently runs via a 350 watt inverter and here in the eastern Med, can be sustained via the solar panels. One of the motors is 110 watt (washing bit I presume) and the other (spinner?) is 180 watt
 
BobnLesley said:
Friends of ours have one of these type of machines onboard: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-Twin-Washing-Machine-Dryer/dp/B004L5BVXU
and rave about its performance; apparently runs via a 350 watt inverter and here in the eastern Med, can be sustained via the solar panels. One of the motors is 110 watt (washing bit I presume) and the other (spinner?) is 180 watt
Click to expand...

Therse units can only cope with very small loads; socks' underwear and the like. Just about cope with a pair of jeans, but you have to load it carefully. I'm talking about the spinner, the wash part is just a bit better.

For what it is it does fine no pump You have to stand it in the shower or run the outlet pipe overboard.
 
Some thoughts on what I have here.
Make sure that whatever washing machine you get is cold fill only and has a separate temperature dial which the hotpoint appears to have. This will enable you to set the wash times independent of temp and do a long was on the cold setting.
Next get a TRV that mixes hot and cold water and feeds out the water at the temp you wish to wash at and use this to feed the machine, you should also fit a valve in the hot feed so that you can turn off the hot for the rinse cycle.
Next inverter, needs to be pure sine wave as the programmer will hang if its not, I have run my machine on a 1500w sterling PSW for a couple of years before I got the Victron. My Indesit draws about 3 amps (from memory) when run without the heaters.
 
pvb said:
I'm surprised. Most of the smaller machines use only about 50 litres per wash. That wouldn't make much of a dint in your ton of water!
Click to expand...

We were looking at washing for minimum of 4 crew and up to 9 clients including bedding. I didn't do the calculations but took what the owner/other master had worked out - given what is spent on laundry ashore (especially if you take into account the steward(ess)s' time and taxis too) it can't have been feasible and water consumption was the issue I was aware of.

W.
 
Magnette said:
Some thoughts on what I have here.
Make sure that whatever washing machine you get is cold fill only and has a separate temperature dial which the hotpoint appears to have. This will enable you to set the wash times independent of temp and do a long was on the cold setting.
Next get a TRV that mixes hot and cold water and feeds out the water at the temp you wish to wash at and use this to feed the machine, you should also fit a valve in the hot feed so that you can turn off the hot for the rinse cycle.
Next inverter, needs to be pure sine wave as the programmer will hang if its not, I have run my machine on a 1500w sterling PSW for a couple of years before I got the Victron. My Indesit draws about 3 amps (from memory) when run without the heaters.
Click to expand...

Hi, I'm looking at the feasibility of running a washing machine from our (Victron) Pure Sine Wave invertor. You say 3 amps - is that at 12V? Also you say without the heaters - have you disconnected them in some way or are you providing the hot water via the splitter you describe (Great ideas there BTW so thanks!!)?

Do you have any experience of the machine heating the water, e.g. 40degree wash, and running say a 30min cycle?

cheers,
 
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