Tony D. Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 My vehicle is a 1985 Es-caper I have recently added a 1500 watt converter onto my deep cycle battery to run my 110 fridge while driving down road. Should I run a separate circuit that would go direct to the fridge or could I plug the shore power into the converter and run 110 though the present wiring that is already there. I was not sure what effect going to the shore power would have on isolator and present wiring. Thanks if you can help me on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Hopefully you mean an "inverter" and not a "converter." Plugging your main "shore-power" cord into inverter works fine as long as there aren't any big loads on it (like the air-conditioner). Is it a 750/1500 watt surge inverter, or a 1500/3000 watt surge inverter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobBeery Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 I vote for the separate circuit to bypass the converter. Here's why--all the electric boxes I have seen have two sections, a 110 load center with breakers and a converter that produces 12V to a fuse panel and also to charge your deep cycle. The converter section will automatically stop drawing down the deep cycle when 110 is supplied. Because the converter is always trying to charge the deep cycle when 110 is present; If you feed the 110 from the inverter into the shore power, you set up a circle you don't want--from deep cycle to inverter to converter back to deep cycle. With a separate circuit this will not happen. There is POSSIBLY one other way to prevent the circle mentioned above. You could determine which 110 breaker feeds the refrigerator and which breaker feeds the converter section. IF they are different breakers you could turn off the one to the converter BUT you would have to do this every time. Turning off that breaker may also disable charging the deep cycle through the isolator. In my Toy the refrigerator and converter are on the same 110 breaker so messing with the breakers would be pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D. Posted September 22, 2016 Author Share Posted September 22, 2016 jdemaris jdemaris, yes you are correct I did mean a inverter and it is a 1500/3000. Bob It was because of the circle of current that I was concerned. Thanks for your input. Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 This is a dorm fridge? As Bob said most converters were hard wired to the supply cord some have breakers you will be attempting to charger the battery while you are taking power from it to run a charger to charge the battery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 5 hours ago, Tony D. said: jdemaris jdemaris, yes you are correct I did mean a inverter and it is a 1500/3000. Bob It was because of the circle of current that I was concerned. Thanks for your input. Tony. I have no idea what the other posters are talking about with the "circle." Your inverter takes low voltage DC and turns it into higher voltage AC. Plugging in the "shore power" cord into the inverter so you can use the already existing AC wiring and outlets in the camper is fine. Only possible "circle" I can think of - is if your try to use your AC to DC converter, powered at the input by the AC coming out of your inverter. THAT would indeed be circular (also makes no sense to do so) All it takes to not do so is have your converter turned off. Or in the case of my Minicruiser where the converter has its own AC plug, I just unplug it. We never camp anywhere that has "shore power" so we never use our AC to DC converter anyway. I think some terms are being confused here. All a converter does is make low voltage DC from higher voltage AC. RVs tend to have "power centers" that consist of a box that houses the AC breakers and wiring along with the converter. The converter itself has nothing to do with AC distribution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D. Posted September 22, 2016 Author Share Posted September 22, 2016 Add to the mix that the alternator in the car is also generating power that flows into the Deep Cycle. I was not sure how what route that flows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 45 minutes ago, Tony D. said: Add to the mix that the alternator in the car is also generating power that flows into the Deep Cycle. I was not sure how what route that flows The alternator - when the engine is running - sends 14 volts (more or less) to the "house" battery. If your power-center has a converter and a battery charger - then when plugged into "shore power" the battery charger also sends 13-14 volts to the "house" battery. If some reason, you started your engine while still hooked to "shore-power?" If that battery charger was on at the same time the alternator was charging the "house" battery - it would not hurt a thing. They both have a predetermined voltage that they shut off at. Usually 13.8 to 14.2 volts. So once voltage gets high - all charging stops (except for a slight trickle charge). If by some chance you have an old battery charger that just charges at a fixed rate and does not shut itself off - it still has no ill effect on the alternator and what it does. Two separate systems with each having its own voltage sensing - even when hooked to the same one battery. You could also tie in a third charge-source like a solar panel and it still would have no ill effects. Just curious. What model power-center and converter do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D. Posted September 22, 2016 Author Share Posted September 22, 2016 I really don't know. It is beneath a panel in the closet and I have never opened it up to look at it. Right now I am packed to go on a trip. When I get back I may be able to look at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D. Posted September 27, 2016 Author Share Posted September 27, 2016 Just returned from trip. The deep cycle with the inverter worked great to keep the fridge running for 3 hrs while I was out of vehicle plus while driving during the day everything worked better than expected. I have decided to make a separate circuit to the fridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAatTheCape Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 I would go separate circuit. My Converter draws power when 120v AC is present and charges the battery and powers everything DC. If the shore power cord is plugged into your inverter it would be trying to power everything DC in the coach, and yes that would be trying to charge the very battery that is the power source for the inverter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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