running power 120volt

Joined
Mar 14, 2017
Messages
13
ok here my question i pulled a power pack from an old camper i want to put it in my boat as a shore line power and i have a power inverter on board can i hook the power pack to i the inverter or should i run separate plugs
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,.... What sorta "Power Pack" are ya talkin' 'bout,..??

An Inverter is usually to convert battery power, 12v, to AC power, 120v,....
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2017
Messages
13
ok the converter plugs into 120 power supply and gives 120 and 12 volt to what ever u need and it charges the battery the inverter is just 12 volt to 120 i have both but dont want to blow anything
 

H20Rat

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Mar 8, 2009
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5,201
So if it came out of an RV, it is most likely not marine rated, and therefore not spark protected. If you don't want to blow yourself up, do not put it on your boat! (assuming you have gasoline engines, if you have diesel, possibly different answer.)


To actually answer your question, the converter is really just a glorified battery charger and should run direct to the battery (with a fuse). Your marine rated inverter should also be wired direct to the battery, with an appropriate fuse. They don't have any interaction and shouldn't be wired to each other. If you want outlets to run on either source, you need a transfer switch which lets you pick a primary and backup 120v source for your entire 120v system.

(there are some RV converters with transfer switches built in, some converters also have inverters with transfer built in, and some stand alone inverters have 120v transfers built in... All vastly different wiring scenarios, but without more info, can't say if any of those apply to you.)

And lastly, if it came from an older RV and weighed a ton, it is best served in the recycle bin. If it is an old MagneTek or B-W mfg converter, those things barely charged (like 3 amps) and would cook a battery like an egg, as they age their voltage would creep up. Mine was passing 16v when I tore it out of my 1985 RV last fall. Newer converters are much lighter and have digital multi-stage chargers.
 
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JoLin

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<deleted> - Smokingcrater typed his answer at the same time I did. Same answer :)
 

km1125

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Aug 10, 2016
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The other thing you want to be concerned about when using non-marine A.C. equipment on a boat is the grounding and bonding.

This can really cause a problem and reduce or eliminate the ability for safety things (like ground-fault-circuit-breakers) from doing their job correctly. You have to be very careful with how the neutral and ground are connected in any A.C. devices. This definately applies to things that generate A.C. voltage too... like generators or inverters.

As other said... I would not use it.

You can always get a shore power connection and install it in the boat, but do it right. There is a great book written by Nigel Calder called "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual". It is frequently found in local libraries too and has all the info you'd need to get up to speed on all the issues.
 
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