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Old 08-13-2019, 04:18 PM   #1
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How long for inverter to drain battery?

How long would it take for a 1500W inverter to drain the batteries if you left it on?
Thank you!
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Old 08-13-2019, 04:22 PM   #2
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You have to read your specs on the inverter, depends on your solar and batteries and if there is anything plugged in or not.
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Old 08-13-2019, 04:27 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by vivid blue View Post
How long would it take for a 1500W inverter to drain the batteries if you left it on?
Thank you!
How much load is the inverter feeding ?
A cell phone or a large wattage electrical appliance ?
An inverter is not a substitute for shore power IMHO , it is only a short term temporary solution .
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Old 08-13-2019, 04:39 PM   #4
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This is just a hypothetical question because we don't have the 5.0TA yet (Dec 2019). How long wouldit take for the 1500W inverter to drain fully charged dual 6V batteries (225 amp) at night (so no solar) with nothing else drawing from it?.--(These are all from the Escape options.)
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Old 08-13-2019, 04:58 PM   #5
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Well, you can try it and report back, just do not go below 50%, then you may have permanent damage. Read this if you want to learn more about batteries parts 1 & 2 The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
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Old 08-13-2019, 05:08 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vivid blue View Post
This is just a hypothetical question because we don't have the 5.0TA yet (Dec 2019). How long wouldit take for the 1500W inverter to drain fully charged dual 6V batteries (225 amp) at night (so no solar) with nothing else drawing from it?.--(These are all from the Escape options.)
Don't have ready access to my trailer / manuals right now to look that up, I'm sure the inverter manual has specs on how much the inverter draws just by itself. But there would be no reason to leave it on all night with nothing running off it since it does use battery power just running by itself. Inverters are generally used for relatively short duration - briefly for running the microwave, which draws a lot, or longer for watching a 120 volt TV. I can't think of anything I'd want to have on all night - although I have heard of some folks who use a CPAP machine and those probably run on 120 volt AC.

If the inverter could run all night and not deplete your batteries, it would surely make a good dent in them and if you're boondocking you also will be using battery power for all the 12 volt stuff - fridge control board, furnace fan, water pump, lights, etc. On a sunny day with good exposure on your solar panel you can usually get charged back up, but there are many variables.
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Old 08-13-2019, 05:11 PM   #7
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leave the inverter OFF unless you absolutely need it, and switch it off again as soon as you're done.

typical inverter is going to draw maybe 1% of its rating even with no load at all. so a 1500 watt inverter, thats maybe 15 watts, which at 12V is like 1.2 amps. 1.2 amps for 24 hours would be 28 amp*hours, about 12% of yoru batteries total capacity (and 25% of the batteries useful 50% capacity).

(had to edit this, I slipped a decimal place in my first computation)
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Old 08-13-2019, 05:35 PM   #8
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btw, that 1% is why I use a little portable '200W' inverter, its static drain with no load is only a a couple watts... I use this for charging laptops, a few other things that are 120V only but don't need more than 100 or 150 watts.
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Old 08-13-2019, 06:26 PM   #9
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My inverter seems to draw a couple of amps as a parasitic load when it isn't powering anything. So-- drawing down your batteries to 50% would be 225 amp-hours / 2 = 112.5. 112.5 / 2 amps = 56.25 hours if you leave it on, not powering anything. YMMV, as they say.
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Old 08-13-2019, 06:55 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
btw, that 1% is why I use a little portable '200W' inverter, its static drain with no load is only a a couple watts... I use this for charging laptops, a few other things that are 120V only but don't need more than 100 or 150 watts.
I recently decided to do the same and bought a 300W inverter. It connects to the Escape through a 12v cigarette lighter connector, or auxiliary power cord. If I were to really draw 300W, that would be 25 amps, and that would exceed the safe current for a power connector. I was thinking about replacing the connector plug with Andersen PowerPole connectors which are good to 30 amps. Is this a good idea, or am I OK with the cigarette lighter plug? I just want to charge laptops, too.
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Old 08-13-2019, 07:14 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by bdornbush View Post
I recently decided to do the same and bought a 300W inverter. It connects to the Escape through a 12v cigarette lighter connector, or auxiliary power cord. If I were to really draw 300W, that would be 25 amps, and that would exceed the safe current for a power connector. I was thinking about replacing the connector plug with Andersen PowerPole connectors which are good to 30 amps. Is this a good idea, or am I OK with the cigarette lighter plug? I just want to charge laptops, too.
It would not be just changing the power connector. The wire size from the 12v panel to the connector would have to be increased. Depending on how far the outlet is from the panel, the wire size may need to be 8 gauge to be able to handle 25 amps. Of course, the fuse supplying the circuit would have to increased as well.
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Old 08-13-2019, 08:45 PM   #12
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Don't have ready access to my trailer / manuals right now to look that up, I'm sure the inverter manual has specs on how much the inverter draws just by itself. But there would be no reason to leave it on all night with nothing running off it since it does use battery power just running by itself. Inverters are generally used for relatively short duration - briefly for running the microwave, which draws a lot, or longer for watching a 120 volt TV. I can't think of anything I'd want to have on all night - although I have heard of some folks who use a CPAP machine and those probably run on 120 volt AC.



If the inverter could run all night and not deplete your batteries, it would surely make a good dent in them and if you're boondocking you also will be using battery power for all the 12 volt stuff - fridge control board, furnace fan, water pump, lights, etc. On a sunny day with good exposure on your solar panel you can usually get charged back up, but there are many variables.
CPAP normally runs off of 110V, but with the right attachments can be made to run on 12V DC. Huge battery bank not usually adequate for all night.
Also, I spoke with Escape at the beginning of our current long trip (new 5.0ta Nov 18). Dustin felt that bright sun and cool weather were not enough to run our fridge! I was surprised and disappointed, but have stayed with propane.
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Old 08-13-2019, 10:13 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by tdf-texas View Post
It would not be just changing the power connector. The wire size from the 12v panel to the connector would have to be increased. Depending on how far the outlet is from the panel, the wire size may need to be 8 gauge to be able to handle 25 amps. Of course, the fuse supplying the circuit would have to increased as well.
One should also wire up to one of the lowest two positions on the WFCO DC board. These are rated for 30A. The other nine positions are rated for only 20A.
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Old 08-13-2019, 11:03 PM   #14
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I installed a pair of powerpole 30a each on it's own 30a fuse with 12awg...


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Old 08-13-2019, 11:29 PM   #15
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CPAP normally runs off of 110V, but with the right attachments can be made to run on 12V DC. Huge battery bank not usually adequate for all night.
I have four 6 volt batteries, 3 solar panels and a 2,500 watt inverter. My highest energy consumption is for my 12VDC refrigerator but since I consume a lot of power I watch my overall consumption. My inverter is never left on with no load for any reason. The inverter wastes a lot of power when idling with no load so don't leave it on. Mine is set up with a manual transfer switch I installed so when I want 120VAC to all the outlets I turn on the inverter switch and throw the transfer switch into the correct position. When I'm done using 120VAC from one or more the outlets then I turn everything back the way it was. If I am using a lot of inverter power during the day my solar panels will generally keep me fully charged simultaneously. Having a lot of solar and batteries is great when boon-docking.

I use a CPAP machine with humidifier every night with a 12VDC power supply sold for that unit that plugs into a 12VDC power socket. I don't want to run this on the inverter because it would use a lot more power than the 12VDC power supply. I'm sure you can run a CPAP nightly with 2 batteries.

My inverter is only used for those situations where 12VDC is not a good option;
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Old 08-14-2019, 03:09 AM   #16
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Old 08-14-2019, 06:01 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by bdornbush View Post
I recently decided to do the same and bought a 300W inverter. It connects to the Escape through a 12v cigarette lighter connector, or auxiliary power cord. If I were to really draw 300W, that would be 25 amps, and that would exceed the safe current for a power connector. I was thinking about replacing the connector plug with Andersen PowerPole connectors which are good to 30 amps. Is this a good idea, or am I OK with the cigarette lighter plug? I just want to charge laptops, too.
Why not just find the right adapter for the laptop. They all use DC for charging, seems wasteful to change DC to AC and then back to DC for the computer. I just plug mine into a outlet with the USB, it works.
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Old 08-14-2019, 08:14 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by PM15283 View Post
CPAP normally runs off of 110V, but with the right attachments can be made to run on 12V DC. Huge battery bank not usually adequate for all night.
Also, I spoke with Escape at the beginning of our current long trip (new 5.0ta Nov 18). Dustin felt that bright sun and cool weather were not enough to run our fridge! I was surprised and disappointed, but have stayed with propane.


It seems the CPAP answer varies a lot depending on the specific model. My ResMed Airsense 10 has way less battery impact than running the furnace in cold temps. I haven’t paid super close to exactly how many amps it uses in a night because it’s never been a concern. I do use it with their 12V adapter, not 110 via inverter, and I don’t run the humidifier.
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Old 08-14-2019, 08:21 AM   #19
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How long for inverter to drain battery?

Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Why not just find the right adapter for the laptop. They all use DC for charging, seems wasteful to change DC to AC and then back to DC for the computer. I just plug mine into a outlet with the USB, it works.

I just got a new MacBook, which uses a USB-C port to charge. I’m thinking about trying this for charging in the trailer. It would plug into a trailer USB outlet, then the USB-C to USB-C cord goes to the computer.

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However, I’m concerned that the wiring in a USB port won’t be up to the task.

Any of our resident EE’s have thoughts on the matter?
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Old 08-14-2019, 08:32 AM   #20
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I just got a new MacBook, which uses a USB-C port to charge. I’m thinking about trying this for charging in the trailer. It would plug into a trailer USB outlet, then the USB-C to USB-C cord goes to the computer.

Attachment 41094

However, I’m concerned that the wiring in a USB port won’t be up to the task.

Any of our resident EE’s have thoughts on the matter?
I'm not an EE, but have been dealing with Macs since they were born. I don't believe you will get much, if any charging from that adapter. I used a 30 watt 12V to USB C charger with my MacBook Pro, and while it would charge the Mac, it couldn't keep up if I was using it.

I switched to a 90 watt 12V - USB C charger & it works just like it was plugged into the standard 120V power source.
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