Stacking Inverters

[capt_douglas]

Originally Posted by davevancat

my catalina 30 has a xantrek 1000watt invertor onbaord which works for most things but am curious if i could stack another 1000 somehow and get closer to 2000 watts as the 1000 just isnt quite big enough for my microwave. is this easily done is it as simple as hooking up another 1000? thanks

Short answer: you need to contact Xantrek with your model number and chat them up.

There are inverters that you can stack, but they're designed for stacking. There are others that are stand-alone. Xantrek can explain that to you.

The other problem of not enough oomph for your microwave is either your microwave draws more than 1000w, your batteries don't have enough capacity, or your batteries are not strong enough for the load. Or the output of the inverter doesn't work well with the power supply requirements of the microwave.

So, if the microwave actually draws 1200W (you can find out by looking on the back) then you've exceeded the capacity of the inverter. Some inverters can provide a peak load for a short period of time, others can't.

1200W is 10A @ 120V and 100A @ 12VDC. If your battery capacity can't provide that (or better, several times that) then the voltage to the inverter will decrease and the current increase, straining the inverter. If the wires from the battery bank to the inverter are undersized then the voltage drop can be considerable.

You might find that the cost of stacking a couple of KW inverters or buying a 2-3KW inverter and associated batteries, chargers, etc. will buy a _lot_ of propane. While small microwaves are nice for heating that cuppa or doing that bag of popcorn, unless you've got a large capacity battery bank and charger system, imo, they're better used on powerboats than sailboats.

[goboatingnow]

Microwaves are great on sailboats, efficient, quiet and not deadly

[Robert Tilbury]

for the price ,, i think it was $120.00 AUD i brought a chinese inverter ,, I thought for 120 bucks worth a go , anyhow its been 2 years in the boat and i purchased another for the RV ,,
I have never had a problem runnung the 240vac lights and the 900watt microwave ,
I run 4 x 6volt batteries 2 in series and 2 in parrelel so as to make 12 volts dc ,I have checked the 240vac output on standby and under load ,,,

the readings on a fluke were NON LOAD 234vac
and fluctuated between 200VAC and 218VAC
I believe thats as good as you get .

the only thing i did was keep the inverter close to the batteries as to not loose amps in a long 12 volt run , and remotly run the on off switch to the galley so as i could turn on and off eaysier ,,

they are so cheap i have purchased a spare but have never unboxed it ,,,

oh and that was free post from china as well .

Car Power Inverter Converter Modified Sine Wave 3000W / 6000WDC 12V To AC 220V | eBay

above is a link if anyone wants ,

I am no way conected to the seller in anyway ,,, just a great product that dont cost an arm and leg ,,


Here are there specs .

Package Included:
1 x Power Inverter
2 x Battery Cables
1 x User Manual

Specifications:
Size: Approx. 32.5x15x7cm/ 12.80x5.91x2.76"
Power: 3000W
Max power : 6000W
Input Voltage: DC 12V
Output Voltage: AC 220V
Inverter Efficiency: 80%
Voltage Adjustment Rate: 10%
Output Waveform: Modified sine wave
Indicator: Green-operation, Red-shutdown
Protective Function: Battery reverse connection protection, short circuit protection, overload protection, high/low voltage protection, over temperature protection
Can be used in water pump, refrigerator, freezer, low power induction cooker etc
Applicable to 12V car. Check the car battery voltage and the ambient temperature of the car, make you more aware of the car status
Built-in cooling fan with low noise, come with battery cables