Date:         Fri, 25 Jan 2002 13:29:00 -0500
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Power Inverter wired into 110 Voltage circuit
Comments: To: lchase <lchase@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <007801c1a5bd$4a47b560$eb406620@sanjose.ibm.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 11:22 AM 1/25/2002, lchase wrote:
>Can I simply wire the inverter into the 110 circuit breaker or do I need to
>do something more So Fist De Kated?

I think you need to consult an expert.  There should be people in the
marine field and in the alternative-power movement who know what can,
can't, must and must not be done.  They know about transfer switches and
the like.  Also the mfr of your inverter should be able to assist.

For a start, many inverters are built so that they will destroy themselves
if neutral and protective ground are connected together, which is the
normal situation for house wiring.  The (small) inverters I've used have
had specific prohibitions against wiring them into house or RV 110vac
systems.  Haven't got enough bux to mess with the bigger ones <g>

I know that two-way transfer switches are readily available for a couple
hundred dollars or so, for household generator systems -- dunno about
three-way ones.  Of course the household ones are probably bigger than you
need both physically and electrically.  I've seen such switches as part of
a marine power panel, where the interlock function was provided by sliding
bars on the breaker handles so that only one set could be operated at a
time.  The basic principle is that there must be not the slightest
possibility that two sources could be connected to the system at the same time.

Here's a possible source http://www.cmsquick.com/

david

--
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"