How to wire up a circuit for the inverter

[John Z]

I had the bus out over the weekend and just had a great trip. While out, i started to wonder how everyone has their inverters wired in. I run a few lights, tv, and stereo on the inverter. Right now i manually move two extension cords from the inverter to an outlet in order to switch that circuit from inverter to genset/shore power. This works but of course is cumbersome. How have you "old heads" wired this up? TIA

[gumpy]

It's really going to depend on your inverter and it's capability.

I use a Trace SW4024, which has a 60 amp transfer switch in it, as well as a charger. I built a transfer switch to go
in front of the inverter to select the input to the inverter, whether generator or shore power. Plugging into shore
is automatic. Shore power is routed to the inverter inputs. The inverter sync's it's output to the incoming power, and
activates the transfer switch, sending the shore power through the inverter, and to the bus breaker box.

In a nutshell....

craig

[TomC]

I have three breaker boards.  First has four 50 amp breakers- two for land line and two for generator with a metal plate slider that only allows one set at a time to be used.  The power from the main board goes to the circuit breaker board for all appliances not running through the inverter.  I also have a 30amp breaker that goes to the inverter, and then the power coming out of the inverter goes to another breaker board for powering the appliances that are run by or through the inverter (when power is present, the 30amp from the main board is passed through the inverter by an electronic switch to run from either the land line or generator directly-so no unplugging or plugging in manually).  What I have powered by the inverter- front and rear plugs for TV and stereo; plug for ice maker; plug for kitchen counter top; plug for microwave and toaster oven-but can only run one at time; outside plug; bathroom plug; bathroom heater; primary water heater (have two 10 gal water heaters plumbed one into the next with the final one wired through the inverter for hot water going down the road-then don't have the additional coolant lines and the expense of a heat exchanger water heater).  It has worked well for me for 12 years.  Good Luck, TomC

[maria-n-skip]

 Same as Gumpy's but with a 30 amp auto switch between shore and generator. Shore power
master switch is 30 amp. Switch on the house batteries to switch all off, DC house only, DC to invertor only, and both on.
Also have a switch between house and coach DC for running the invertor going down the road tied into the house DC switch.

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[John Z]

Sorry to bump this, but wanted to thank you guys for your help. Sounds like the easy fix is to install a switch ahead of the ciruit. Sometimes things get looking like they are more complicated, just from spending too much time thinking about them. Thanks again!