Need Inverter advice---Please

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Correct.

Just never turn on the AC or hot water switch while you are off dock power.

[dutch-barge]

Originally Posted by CharlieJ

Victron Multi Plus is feature rich pure sine wave. My vote.

I fully agree...and excellent service. 5 year warranty. NO questions asked

Have them on our 2 boats, in one a 3000/12 int he other 2 3000/24
sturdy and options to expand with the control units, which also can serve as bilge pump monitor or smoke burglar alarm. ( this monitoring is free and not 30 - 50/mo like others ask)
Just this saving earned me back the control unit in 1 year !!!

[dutch-barge]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Of course, excellent if you want a combi charger/inverter all in one.

you also have the inverter stand alone ...and charger stand alone....

[Glenn C]

Have had the Victron multi plus for 2 years. Very happy with it. The whole system was put together by Outback Marine ( based in QLD Oz) and they have some useful info on their web site about the system design for a Lightwave cat.

[Gustuv Wynd]

How about an inverter with a bonded neutral? Or at least one that doesn't float a voltage on its neutral so that they could be bonded.

If I have any voltage on my neutral, the reverse polarity safety kicks in and trips my mains. I am thinking my days of just getting a mid level quality inverter are done. It seems they are all doing this 60 volts on the neutral and 60 volts on the hot now. Though now I am wondering if the high quality ones are doing it...I need to write some emails. Though if any one has dealt with this already and is willing to share I would be greatful.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Gustuv Wynd

How about an inverter with a bonded neutral? Or at least one that doesn't float a voltage on its neutral so that they could be bonded.

If I have any voltage on my neutral, the reverse polarity safety kicks in and trips my mains. I am thinking my days of just getting a mid level quality inverter are done. It seems they are all doing this 60 volts on the neutral and 60 volts on the hot now. Though now I am wondering if the high quality ones are doing it...I need to write some emails. Though if any one has dealt with this already and is willing to share I would be greatful.

Proper marine inverters must have a neutral-ground bond. Don't accept anything without it; it's dangerous. This bond must be disconnected when shore power is present, because the bond needs to take place at the power source. By "mid level quality inverter" you must mean "cheap Chinese inverter not made for marine use". Don't use these on board.



Further reading: http://www.qualitymarineservices.net...%2012-2005.pdf


Further reading:

[Gustuv Wynd]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Proper marine inverters must have a neutral-ground bond. Don't accept anything without it; it's dangerous. This bond must be disconnected when shore power is present, because the bond needs to take place at the power source. By "mid level quality inverter" you must mean "cheap Chinese inverter not made for marine use". Don't use these on board.



Further reading: http://www.qualitymarineservices.net...%2012-2005.pdf


Further reading:

Do the grounds connecting between shore and inverter power matter with a transfer switch disconnecting the neutrals? I would ranter not have an inverter with the transfer switch built in, but you are suggesting the bonding must be cut when you aren't running on inverter power.

Last inverter I bought cost me $400 USD. Wired it into a transfer switch (including the ground) and everything worked great...and measured great if I checked all the voltages. Even if I tested it with a short, all that happened was the neutral on the inverter line would get energized for a split second, but no damage happened to the inverter. That was just a couple years ago. Now I got a different boat and I need to do it again. I am guessing I won't be able to do it for less than $1000 now. So many are no longer doing a bonded neutral now.

[a64pilot]

The neutral must be bonded at the source, and only at the source, no multiple bonds.
So when the inverter is the source there should be a relay that closes to bond the neutral, when you have shore power connected the relay is de-energized and open, so no bond.
It will work with no bond or more than one bond, but is an electrical shock hazard.

Some things, like Honda portable generators there is no bond, so you should take the unused plug and put an empty plug in it with the ground and neutral bonded.
Although most don’t.

[Gustuv Wynd]

That's pretty much what I have thanks to the transfer switch. The transfer switch physically cuts the neutral and hot wires with some simple contactor switches. This does leave the ground still connected...but I think that is OK and also wanted for safety reasons since there always the exists the potential of power coming out of the inverter.

The line that would be neutral if the inverter is on is still bonded to ground, but that "neutral" goes to the side of an open switch...in other words, no where. So in the event of a short, electricity would not follow that route. Even still on the last inverter I purposely caused a short on this line and it just behaved like a ground wire. Breakers were tripped and there was nothing in the inverter connected to it that could be damaged. I actually wanted to know if there was any possibility of a ground loop, but there wasn't.


I think I've found an inverter that will work with my transfer switch from some company named GoWise...for $300 no less. Though company names mean little. I am sure the components inside all these inverters are all made in the same factory in China and just get put into different boxes. No matter if the cost of the inverter is $300 or $3000. I just look for high frequency or low frequency (you want low frequency since it is supposed to mean the inverter uses less, but stronger parts).

However, I think I might also try an inverter with a built in transfer switch. It looks like they have a 3 pole contactor in them and also physically cut the ground. Looks like I can get one for $600 some.

I might try using one of each...I have two separate 30 amp circuits. Could try to save a bit cash on this old river tub and see which one lasts longer.

[smac999]

if you use a 2 poll transfer switch. you can perminatly bond the ground and netreal at the inverter. (the cheap ones may just blow up though...) the transfer switch opens up the bond to the boat when the neutral opens.

it's the same as onboard boat gens. N-G bonded at gen. 2 poll transfer switch.

if you had both. the dock, gen, and inverter would all be bonded at source. and a 2 pole, 3 way transfer switch only allows one bond at a time to be seen.