Does anyone know if this inverter draws when it's switched off? I'm on my boat trying to figure out which breaker I should double up on the panel when I hook it up.
Inverter draws when off?
- Thread starter Stephen Trapani
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Stephen,
The inverter I have on the 21' would draw power even when off. It had battery clips and everytime I hooked it up, I'd get a spark on the second connection. It would light up LEDs to show it was getting power and it had another on the on/off switch to show it was producing 120V.
Hook up one power lead temporarily and use an amp meter to test for current to the battery on the other power lead. That will show you if you have current draw with it off. Hopefully, you don't have draw with the unit off. Mine was a different brand so I can't say for sure that yours will do the same thing.
The inverter I have on the 21' would draw power even when off. It had battery clips and everytime I hooked it up, I'd get a spark on the second connection. It would light up LEDs to show it was getting power and it had another on the on/off switch to show it was producing 120V.
Hook up one power lead temporarily and use an amp meter to test for current to the battery on the other power lead. That will show you if you have current draw with it off. Hopefully, you don't have draw with the unit off. Mine was a different brand so I can't say for sure that yours will do the same thing.
Stephen, if you're wiring the output to your boat's 120V AC outlets, then the inverter needs to be wired through the main AC breaker with a switch that allows a choice between AC shorepower and inverter, but never both, like a Blue Seas 8032 or equivalent.
If you reread the instruction manual, it will say: Never have shorepower on at the same time your inverter is on.
Why? Things tend to blow up.
If you reread the instruction manual, it will say: Never have shorepower on at the same time your inverter is on.
Why? Things tend to blow up.
I'm just wiring it into 12V. Can't find an ammeter ATM so if no one has another answer now I'll have to bring one next time I come to the boat.
They all draw a small amount of current, the on / off switch controls a much larger solid state circuit which acts as a dc relay
A good inverter should draw nothing when off. I have two sitting on my bench that draw zero when the switch is off. Schumacher stuff I personally find to be of questionable quality. I have one of their "ship-n-shore" chargers that charges at 15-16+ volts!!! Was told by tech support "that's normal"... Sorry but 15.5+ volts is EQUALIZING voltage, not normal "everyday" charging... I was told if I wanted 14.6 volts to use the GEL setting BUT GELS take 14.1v not 14.6 volts..
In GEL mode it still puts out 16V!! I suppose it could be normal for a Schumacher inverter to also use power when OFF and they may also tell you it's "normal"...I also just checked standby on my Cobra 400W inverter seeing as yours is also a 400W inverter. With the unit switched ON, after filling the internal capacitors, it draws 0.24A and when switched OFF it draws 0.00A..
Good quality inverters should not draw when OFF:
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