Inverter install

[garfield28]

Hi all,

Would like to get your thoughts on whether to wire my inverter through a busbar or straight to the battery?

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks
Geoff

 

[Drover]

A good sized Inverter I would go direct from battery, mainly because you want the shortest run possible with the biggest cable, a high amperage Buss Bar with at least 4 B&S cable from battery would be okay but be clunky ............
Extending the 12v cable is not a good idea unless you increase its size, shorter the better actually, the inverter does need to have air flow around it as well and the ability to turn it Off easily when not in use as they will draw power from battery if turned on without anything plugged in ...

 

[Hitting the road]

Agree with Drover...that's how I have wired inverters in the past...I used good battery cable straight to the inverter with shortest run possible...of course if you have a shunt fitted as I have then to the negative of the shunt...

 

[jazzeddie1234]

Mine has as short a run as possible with a good ANL fuse, fat lugs and bolts. The potential weak point is the shunt in the negative return as it has to also terminate all the other caravan loads. I had several goes at solid connections that didn't generate heat....a handy hint is to run the inverter at full load and touch everything in the run, and return, for heat (except the shunt itself which will probably get hot)

 

[achjimmy]

Just redid my batteries into a box to comply as added a second battery . Using a 2600w inverter I went to batteries to Dual ANL fuse , one side direct to inverter in 95mm2 and the other side to vans fuses for everything else. this also the incoming charge cable.

ideally short as possible , least joints and fused. theres a strong argument for having an isolator as well though it wasn’t practical for my application and I had a few joints due to the batteries in box (stupid idea) and the dual shunts (JHub and Victron ) so far has worked well

 

[garfield28]

Thanks for the replies

I think maybe the best way I should go then is have my inverter connected direct to the battery and run the rest of my items onto the busbar so I don't have too many connections stacked up on the battery terminal, that sound correct

 

[Drover]

Thanks for the replies

I think maybe the best way I should go then is have my inverter connected direct to the battery and run the rest of my items onto the busbar so I don't have too many connections stacked up on the battery terminal, that sound correct

That would be the best way to go, I always wire up a buss bar to connect the normal van stuff off even the solar, high draw connections will be direct off battery, no need for a xmas tree of wiring off battery, from my battery there is a feed to the buss bar and a feed to an external anderson as my compressor tries to suck the battery out of its compartment when it runs, my 500w Inverter is happy off the buss bar it only charges a laptop and batteries so not a biggy otherwise it also would be hanging off the battery..