Subject: Inverters 5 of 5



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(3585)   Mon 29 Jul 91 12:52                             
By: Don Kulha
To: All

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Add their surge wattages and be sure this figure is less than the 
surge capability of the inverter being considered. Inverter 
Wiring The inverter's output should be wired into the house's 
main distribution panel. A quick reference to books on house 
wiring will aid you in getting the power into the house with low 
loss and safety. Remember that all the power being used in the 
house is traveling through these connections-- use big wire (6 to 
2 gauge) and low loss connections. AC Wiring One of the major 
attractions of inverter produced power is that it is at normal 
120/240 voltages. This is very important when placing older homes 
on alternative energy. The wiring within the walls is designed 
for 120 volt operation. It has too much power loss to be used 
with low voltage DC energy directly from the battery. The wiring, 
switches, outlets, and all their interconnections have too much 
resistance to efficiently transfer the batteries' energy 
directly. DC Wiring- Battery to Inverter Connection The wiring 
that supplies the energy from the battery to the inverter is of 
critical importance and deserves special attention. These wires 
must be capable of transferring over 200 amperes of current 
efficiently. This means that the wiring must have very low 
resistance-- use 0 to 000 gauge copper wire. Keep the length of 
these heavy gauge wires to an absolute minimum. Most inverters 
are located within five feet of their batteries. The actual 
connections on the battery terminals are subject to corrosion. It 
is common practice to use battery cables from automobiles. These 
cables have ring connectors mechanically crimped to their ends. 
The sulphuric acid in the batteries eventually corrodes the 
mechanical connection between the actual wire and its ring 
connector. If a more permanent connection is desired, make your 
own connectors by soldering copper tubing over the ends of the 
heavy wires. Flatten this assembly and drill the appropriate hole 
in it. This soldered connector is vastly superior to any other 
type. These heavy wire sets with soldered connectors are 
available commercially from the Electron Connection Ltd., P. O. 
Box 442, Medford, Oregon, 97501. Next month we will discuss in 
detail the specifics of inverter sizing. Tune in and find out the 
inverter size that best fits your individual  

   Courtesy of and copyright by Home Power Magazine
    Initially published in Issue #1, December 1987

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