Anyone use a power interver?

[Zing]

So I just got a 1000W power invertor that converts 12V DC to 120V AC for using power tools and other AC electric stuff powered off the H2 battery.

Question is what load can I place on the H2 electic outlets? For example, I sometimes use a 6A drill, which translates to pulling 720W and 30A from the H2 battery. Can our outlets handle this, or do you think I need to hook up to the battery directly? No sure how I can figure this out. Of course I'm afraid to try because I could burn my wires.

[Zing]

So I just got a 1000W power invertor that converts 12V DC to 120V AC for using power tools and other AC electric stuff powered off the H2 battery.

Question is what load can I place on the H2 electic outlets? For example, I sometimes use a 6A drill, which translates to pulling 720W and 30A from the H2 battery. Can our outlets handle this, or do you think I need to hook up to the battery directly? No sure how I can figure this out. Of course I'm afraid to try because I could burn my wires.

[Zing]

So I just got a 1000W power invertor that converts 12V DC to 120V AC for using power tools and other AC electric stuff powered off the H2 battery.

Question is what load can I place on the H2 electic outlets? For example, I sometimes use a 6A drill, which translates to pulling 720W and 30A from the H2 battery. Can our outlets handle this, or do you think I need to hook up to the battery directly? No sure how I can figure this out. Of course I'm afraid to try because I could burn my wires.

[Klaus]

I'd suggest a direct connect. Those accessory 12V outlets use a 20A fuse. I wouldn't even trust that much current through those small wires!

[RIC-H0]

Just a guess, but I would think the fuse would blow before any damage would be done to your wiring/outlet.
I use a 600w for my laptop, and for an old hunter fan when camping, it works great.
I've also used it for charging my cordless drill, a small t/v, boombox, and a drop light with no problems!

Ric-H2

[Zing]

The 20A fuse answers it. I'll have to go to the battery. Thanks Klaus.

Yeah, these things are great. I only discovered these things recently.

[PARAGON]

I have had a larger inverter that I was going to permanently install in the H2 for over a year now. Just never got around to it. My plans are to get a continuous-duty soleniod and mount it behind one of the rear wheel well trims. Have it turned on/off from a switch at the dash and direct wire the inverter to it. My plans were to run some 8 gauge wire from the battery to the solenoid and use 10 gauge for the inverter to the output of the solenoid and ground to the body.

I also was considering do a dual-battery setup and putting an optima battery up underneath the truck at the rear on the passenger side. I could then mount the solenoid very close to it and run the inverter from there. I plan on doing a dual battery setup, I just don't know which route, doing something under the hood or mounting the second battery somewhere else

[TBarrow]

Mine is a 1000w and is hard wired in with a switch next to one of the 110 outlets in the second row. The second 110 outlet is on the passengers side console.

[ChuckE]

Zing, connect as closely and as direct to the battery as you can get, and have that line fused somewhere close to the battery also.

As for figuring out how much fuse you'll need, just divide the watts by 12 to calculate the amps.
Power (watts) = amps x volts,
or another way of looking at it,
amps = watts / volts.

That means if you could possibly draw 1000W from that inverter (and forgetting about any inverter inefficiency) then the battery draw would be about 83 amps! Far more than ever could be drawn from the 12v taps on the dash. Don't even consider it, unless you are only using something less than 300 watts (25 amps at that!).

Even that 720W draw, you had mentioned being just 30A, can't be right. My guess is that while the drill motor you plugged in was a 720W motor, it was not using that much power at the time. It probably was unloaded. 720W figures out to 60A at 12V.

For handling 80 amps you should use pretty hefty wire, like 6 gauge. Here is a chart that will assist you in determining how heavy of wire to use:
Amps and Wire gauge

Good luck, and don't burn up your rig.

[Zing]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ChuckE:
Even that 720W draw, you had mentioned being just 30A, can't be right. My guess is that while the drill motor you plugged in was a 720W motor, it was not using that much power at the time. It probably was unloaded. 720W figures out to 60A at 12V.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Chuck, if it's a 6A drill at 120V AC = 70W. Doesn't that draw 30A from a 12 V DC battery?

Paragon, I may do something similar. Haven't found a good spot for the second battery either. I remember seeing a picture where someone turned the existing battery and fit 2 there. If I recall it was Drty.

[Klaus]

Here's a couple of inverter FAQs:

http://www.donrowe.com/inverters/inverter_faq.html

http://www.windsun.com/Inverters/inverterFAQ.htm

[H2Finally]

I have an itsy bitsy 75 watt inverters (2 for $30 from Sam's Club) that worked perfectly fine for both my DVD & VCR players. For power tools, imho you're better off with a cordless set, and plug just the battery charger to the inverter. I just bought a Ryobi cordless tools set ($249 at Home Depot) that comes with 2 batteries, drill, circ saw, saber saw, scroll saw, vacuum, torch, and a baby CHAINSAW!! WOOHOO!! NO MORE BRANCH HICKIES!!!

[ChuckE]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>a 6A drill at 120V AC = 70W <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, those numbers are not correct. A 6A load at 120vac is approximately 720W, not 70. But perhaps you mistyped 720 as 70, so let me assume you meant 720W.

Watts remain somewhat constant regardless of the voltage you need to acquire it. A 12 watt light bulb running at 12v requires 1 amp (current, the amps, = watts / volts) would only require about 1/10 amp at 120v for the same amount of power.

Here is a real quick check. If the voltage is one tenth (120 vs. 12) then to get the same amount of power would require 10 times more current. Stands to reason doesn't it?

If a 6A draw at 120v needed to be converted to 12v, the current draw must then be 10 times more. So what was 6A at 120v would be 60 amps at 12v.
NOTE: Again this is very, very rough, because it doesn't figure in any of the inverter inefficiencies.

Here is a useful website for calculating various electrical related values, Formulas.

But, really, reconsider what you really need such a powerful inverter for. In my van I had a 200W inverter in it, for those few times I needed to plug something in. Not power tools mind you. Listen to H2Finally, if you really need to run drill motors and such, consider getting rechargeable DC powered tools. That way you aren't tethered, nor wiring up heavy wires to an industrial strength inverter.

[Arizona Hummerboy]

I run a 600w power interver to run my key machine in the Hummer for my locksmith business with no problem. If you are running a large interver you may want to put a in line fuse on it, so if you would over load it, it will blow the in line fuse frist.

[Zing]

You're right Chuck. I meant 720. I've been challenged at typing lately. (Noticed I wrote "interver" in the headline)

H2Finally, I thought about cordless tools, but everything cordless I own lasts a year or two. Even if I following the prescribed guidelines, rechargable batteries never seem to hold their charge after a while. Chordless phones, drills, cell phones, cameras, etc...I have bad luck with them all. It's a pet peeve with me and I switch to cords when possible.

[H2Finally]

I agree. Even though battery technology has improved tremendeously, still won't last nearly as long as corded. That's why I buy BRAND NEW tools ("A man can NEVER have enough tools!!") every couple of years

Btw, if you go for the "professional" series, they should last at least twice as long as the "home/diy" series. But since the price is also twice as much, I just get the middle of the line(like the Ryobi).

[ChuckE]

AZ Hummerboy, a 600W inverter should be plenty for running the motor of a key grinder.
You can generally figure about 746W for a 1 HP electrical motor.

I would imagine a key machine would probably have something MUCH less than a full HP. My guess it is probably just a quarter HP (about 187W) or perhaps as much as a half HP (373W).

And Zing, I also have crappy luck with rechargeable tools. But having a 1000W inverter? Why not just go only as large as the single largest power tool you want to run? Then just don't run more than one tool at a time.

I believe those wattage numbers are if the tool was being used with maximum load, not under normal loads. You might not want to blow fuses at an inopportune time, so at least meet that full load number.

[Zing]

Chuck, for a 6A drill that I sometimes run I need over 700W. I got the 1000W to be safe. On eBay they're cheap, like $40.