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Old 04-11-2014, 11:15 AM   #21
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A 1500 watt hair dryer (some are as much as 1700 watts) will use 1500/120 or 12.5 amps at 120 volts. At 12V you need to multiply the amperage by at least 10 (with no inverter loss) so it will draw a minimum of 125 amps. Amp hour wise, 15 minutes would be 1/4 hour X 125 or 31.25 amp hours. Depending on your battery type, that could be as much as 1/2 the total usable capacity.

Even with a pair of 6 volt batteries, which can hold 232 amp hours, since you should only use about 1/2 the capacity, you could only get 3 days before needing to recharge. And, of course, that does not include any other loads...
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Old 04-11-2014, 11:19 AM   #22
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Originally Posted by Vermilye View Post
A 1500 watt hair dryer (some are as much as 1700 watts) will use 1500/120 or 12.5 amps at 120 volts. At 12V you need to multiply the amperage by at least 10 (with no inverter loss) so it will draw a minimum of 125 amps. Amp hour wise, 15 minutes would be 1/4 hour X 125 or 31.25 amp hours. Depending on your battery type, that could be as much as 1/2 the total usable capacity.

Even with a pair of 6 volt batteries, which can hold 232 amp hours, since you should only use about 1/2 the capacity, you could only get 3 days before needing to recharge. And, of course, that does not include any other loads...
Sunshine and a good fluffy towel is the other option.
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Old 04-11-2014, 02:28 PM   #23
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A 1500 watt hair dryer (some are as much as 1700 watts) will use 1500/120 or 12.5 amps at 120 volts. At 12V you need to multiply the amperage by at least 10 (with no inverter loss) so it will draw a minimum of 125 amps. Amp hour wise, 15 minutes would be 1/4 hour X 125 or 31.25 amp hours. Depending on your battery type, that could be as much as 1/2 the total usable capacity.

Even with a pair of 6 volt batteries, which can hold 232 amp hours, since you should only use about 1/2 the capacity, you could only get 3 days before needing to recharge. And, of course, that does not include any other loads...
Isn't that figuring that they are using high temperature setting? My wife normally uses low heat setting and a short amount of time, so I'm expecting this to work.
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Old 04-11-2014, 02:41 PM   #24
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My wife tells me it takes her 8 minutes to dry her long hair with her 1500w drier on high, she washes it every 2-3 days. Using Jons numbers that's 16.7A every 2-3 days. With the surge involved you'd probably need a 2000w inverter, but that's just a guess. Don't know what the low setting uses. The hair dryer makes our 2000w generator kick into high gear.
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Old 04-11-2014, 02:54 PM   #25
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1800 watts/12v= 150 amps pulled from your batteries.

If you run it for an hour.
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Old 04-11-2014, 03:32 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
1800 watts/12v= 150 amps pulled from your batteries.
Yes, 1800 watts divided by 12 volts is a current of 150 amps pulled from the battery, for as long as you run the appliance. Of course, few hair dryers use 1800 watts.

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If you run it for an hour.
Jim is correct, so if you use 150 amps for an hour, that's 150 amp-hours; if you only use it for 1/4 hour, that's 37.5 amp-hours (for instance).
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Old 04-11-2014, 03:43 PM   #27
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We use 12V chargers, or you can get a 12V plug that has one or two USB charging outlets on it, and just use the USB cable from your AC charger.
I agree that this is the way to for for stuff that charges from USB. Cheap, efficient, convenient, effective. But get a high-current USB charger, at least 1.5 amps and preferably more, to handle devices which demand more than the traditional 0.5 amps. Some phones, and just about any tablet, needs the higher current.
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Old 04-11-2014, 04:12 PM   #28
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I'm also going over the build sheet for my 5er reserved for December. I've decided to include the 1500W inverter to power the microwave when we dry camp. We will mount the single outlet for this power in the cabinet behind the microwave. My wife says the microwave is a must.
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Old 04-11-2014, 05:25 PM   #29
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My. Inverting, outverting, converting, diverting, all kinds of verting going on. I'm getting all amped up about it.

I'm trying to use as much DC power as I can. Looking at the inverter options, 800W and 1500W that Escape offers, I'm going to get an after market inverter.

Looking at the offerings online at such places as Amazon, Walmart, Harbor Freight and more, there's ones up to 10,000W peak. Wonder how long your 126ah battery lasts with a 1500W inverter using it for 10 minutes or so with a 1100 watt microwave, or hair dryer a few times a day.

Does anyone know if when you have an inerter hardwired to your battery, is there any draw on the battery when A/C is not being used and it's idle?
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Old 04-11-2014, 06:11 PM   #30
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We cook inside a lot and wouldn't want to be without the hood. The fan has a marginal effectiveness-to-noise ratio, though. It only has enough power to push the outside flap about halfway open, so we often turn our ceiling fan on, drawing air into the Escape which helps push the cooking steam and smells out the vent (same way we vent the bathroom). At some point, I'd like to install a better fan in the existing hood. Oh, and the bulb burned out before we got home from Chilliwack, which I replaced with a 30 LED panel from Super Bright LEDs held in with double backed foam tape. It provides great light right over the stove.
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Old 04-11-2014, 06:51 PM   #31
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Does anyone know if when you have an inerter hardwired to your battery, is there any draw on the battery when A/C is not being used and it's idle?
That would be the "idle" or "standby" power consumption. Yes, there will be some whenever the inverter is connected to the (DC) power source and turned on, and it should be listed in the inverter specs (once you know what to look for).
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Old 04-11-2014, 07:41 PM   #32
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OK. That makes sense. A shutoff switch. I'd probably forget to turn it off and run my battery down. :/

Thanks Brian!
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Old 04-11-2014, 08:15 PM   #33
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They told me that the stove hood fan was standard on the 17b and they would not replace it with an LED light
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Old 04-11-2014, 08:34 PM   #34
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They told me that the stove hood fan was standard on the 17b and they would not replace it with an LED light
Which is good.
If you're going to use the stove then having the hood is a good thing. In the 17B the stove is right next to the shower/bath wall, so removing the hood wouldn't open up space. I'll shoot you a pic.
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Old 04-11-2014, 08:38 PM   #35
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.

Does anyone know if when you have an inerter hardwired to your battery, is there any draw on the battery when A/C is not being used and it's idle?
It depends on the brand of Inverter. Most do not draw any current unless switched on. If on, but no load, some have a minimal current draw. You need to check the specifications. I have a 1000 watt Xantrex Pro Watt inverter with a remote. It does not draw any power when shut off with the remote.

If hard wired, be sure to add a catastrophic fuse; I also added a 200 amp manual disconnect switch.
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Old 04-11-2014, 08:45 PM   #36
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As you can see, you gain nothing by removing the hood, and the underside of the cabinet would become coated in grease and dirt.
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Old 04-11-2014, 10:20 PM   #37
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I'm also going over the build sheet for my 5er reserved for December. I've decided to include the 1500W inverter to power the microwave when we dry camp. We will mount the single outlet for this power in the cabinet behind the microwave. My wife says the microwave is a must.
I didn't see the following posted here. Thought it might mean something to someone
FWIW.

I don't know what size the microwave is that ETI uses. When I spoke with Samlex about inverters, they said a microwave's rating (e.g. 800 watts) typically refers to the wattage used to cook the food. The actual wattage used by the microwave can be 2 or more times larger than the microwave rating. eg, an 800 watt microwave will likely not function with a 1500 w inverter. Sounds like something to investigate for microwave/inverter people.
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Old 04-12-2014, 12:00 AM   #38
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When I spoke with Samlex about inverters, they said a microwave's rating (e.g. 800 watts) typically refers to the wattage used to cook the food.
This part is correct. A watt is the unit of measurement of power, and the advertised power of a microwave oven - a much more useful and honest rating than advertised for many products - is the actual power of microwaves output into the cooking compartment of the oven.

Few things in reality are perfectly efficient, and the electrical power needed to produce the microwaves is substantially more than the output micrwave power.

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The actual wattage used by the microwave can be 2 or more times larger than the microwave rating. eg, an 800 watt microwave will likely not function with a 1500 w inverter. Sounds like something to investigate for microwave/inverter people.
It isn't typically that bad, but it is a concern. For instance, an oven putting out 1000 watts of microwave power might need 1400 watts to do that. The 800 watt microwave might be okay with a 1500 watt inverter, but not an 1100 watt microwave.
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Old 04-12-2014, 05:28 PM   #39
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My. Inverting, outverting, converting, diverting, all kinds of verting going on. I'm getting all amped up about it.
Hey man, don't blow a fuse now.
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Old 04-12-2014, 05:49 PM   #40
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I can thoroughly understand the confusion and anxiety. I too have to turn my build sheet in on Tuesday, April 15. WOWSER. I just keep thinking of the future. Not the present and not the past. I want as much wiring done as possible. I may not need it today or tomorrow or even this year. But five years from now, when I finally retire? And yes, I know technology changes and things advance. I just believe it's easier to run new wire where there's already old wire or replacing parts than starting from scratch.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
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