Hi Stoney 123. As it happens I'm Woodbridge. I have had a few inverters and mostly because of mishaps and ignorance have blown some up. I currently have a powertech 1000 watt and an $360 3000 watt which seems to be a beauty. The smaller one cost near $750 and is good, I run the caravan of a night with it. The big one I run all day everyday using the toaster and microwave with excellent results . The power each inverter uses seems minimal so the choice is yours, from memory the 2000 watt powertech is around$1200, you can buy three and a half of the cheaper ones on ebay delivered to you wherever. Hope this is of some use. Cheers Woody46

Hi.

To supply power for a 2000/4000w Inverter, for any length of time.
You'd need solar and battery's coming out your butt.

I have a 300w runs TV coupla lights and 240v fan.
For an average evening.
600w unit runs above, plus satbox/T Box and more lights.

320w panels and 2 x 110AGM,s ran van fine.

Microwave. oven. Air cond. Bread maker Kettle. etc etc.
3.4kva Genny did fine. Or Mains when avail.

It actually runs 2 x Aircond,s plus lights tv etc
for two vans at same time
side by side.

My Genny has a chinese/Japanese Honda driving it.
IE sold to China under Trade agreements.
Orig Jap mfg, Honda engine with serial No's rubbed out.
$470 del, 7 yrs ago.
used regularly never missed a beat.

Don't forget those Inverters USE juice just being in line.
Bigger they r more they use.
Check the spec's.

Good on you Dragonfly 1, it's not that hard is it. I have twice as much but I could be classed as a fool. I love solar stuff. Keep on keeping on. Cheers Woody46

Stoney123.
Not sure where you got the 400w only for a LifePo4 battery. It will give you a very nasty shock if you accidentally short it out. LOL. If you mean Ah then look at building your own it is a lot cheaper just lots of people who have the figures wrong and are heading for disasters but we will see down the track.
I have had LiFePo4 for 5 years and have used a cheap charger inverter 2400w 50A. Think costs about $450 but the experts will tell you they are no good but who cares it works for me.( they changed the config to suit the LifePo4's. Most wont start high enough for LiFePo4's )
LiFePo4 will takes as much charge as you can gove it. 100A is nothing and will give you all you will ever need. I often pull over 100A at 24V using and induction stove and a 240v Kmart toaster at the same time so it will be a suck and see as you go.
Just be aware of the inverter standby power as mine is very hungry but I have the Batteries to handle it so its a case of do you put all your money into the fancy appliances or spend the money on more batteries.
My bus was setup for Caravan Park only when I got it so I added the batteries and left the rest as it was except the stove which I now regret taking out.
If you are careful what you do such as not wanting a shower twice a day and leaving the water heater going 24/7 (mine uses excess charge capacity on auto) you can live easy on battery power. I have never had any gas all 240v.
Regards
Brian

I have 400Ah LifePo4's  with 600 watts of Solar, 25 amp 240 volt charger which I rarely use now, 30amp DC-DC ABR Side winder charger and a Cheap 2000/4000watt surge $300 PSW Inverter for close to 2 yrs without a problem.

I have seen this Inverter drawing 180 amps DC running a Hot Water 1400watt AC element and other small 240volt components at the same time. Also coffee pod machine 1300watts AC and Frother 650watts AC simultaneously drawing 180amps DC. 

I also have 200watts of Portable Flexible Panels for Winter climes and poor weather and 300watts of Solar on the Ute with 100Ah LifePo4  for a 60 litreTrailblazer F/F and Shunting extra power to the van when required. 

Cheers  Kev. 

-- Edited by KevKim37 on Thursday 23rd of June 2016 12:57:19 AM

-- Edited by KevKim37 on Thursday 23rd of June 2016 12:58:20 AM

-- Edited by KevKim37 on Thursday 23rd of June 2016 12:58:58 AM

You never let up do you old track ???

stoney123 wrote:

---

hi,

Need to get  PSW probably get 2000w one surge to 4000w.

Will inverter draw same amps for say 1000 watt device and a 300 watt device used one at a time? ie does it know device doesn't need full power

---

 Hi Stoney123,

No one has answered this question, just rabbited on a bit mostly

The inverter will only draw current(power) to run the power required at the time. So a small appliance will only draw a small power etc. My advice is to get one just rated enough to do the biggest lob with a margin of reserve. And wire it in correctly so the losses are low.

Jaahn

 

Jaahn wrote:

---

stoney123 wrote:

---

hi,

Need to get  PSW probably get 2000w one surge to 4000w.

Will inverter draw same amps for say 1000 watt device and a 300 watt device used one at a time? ie does it know device doesn't need full power

---

 Hi Stoney123,

No one has answered this question, just rabbited on a bit mostly

The inverter will only draw current(power) to run the power required at the time. So a small appliance will only draw a small power etc. My advice is to get one just rated enough to do the biggest lob with a margin of reserve. And wire it in correctly so the losses are low.

Jaahn

 

---

 

Not quite right

The bigger the inverter the more STANDBY current it will draw while supplied with power

The standby current should be shown in the Specs

But a bigger inverter will still draw the same" load"  current as a smaller one  which is added to the standby current

So Actually a bigger inverter than needed WILL draw more current than a closer sized one.

Just remember inverters often have two ratings

One, the larger,  is a surge rating which it can only put out safely for seconds.

The other lower rating is the continuous rating which it should be capable of putting out indefinitely without overheating

Finally remember use with care, THAT 240V can kill

the safety recommendation is: Never connect more than ONE CLASS 1, have 3pin plugs, @ any time 

 

-- Edited by oldtrack123 on Sunday 26th of June 2016 04:08:14 PM