Hi all,
The Admiral has requested that I install a small microwave oven aboard our 27' express cruiser. I did a little web research and found that 110V microwave ovens are significantly cheaper and at the same time more powerful than 12V DC units. However, they have a significant current draw (as do 12 V ones). I have several questions regarding this. The notion of being able to heat up a cup of soup or hot chocalate while away from shore power/dock is very appealing to us. The way my boat is currently wired (OEM), however, has the inverter wired only for the purposes of charging batteries while under shore power. Based on that, I was wondering id it was possible to use the same inverter and re-wire it somehow (by a certified marine electrician) to handle the job of providing 110V to a microwave oven for short durations? Or would I need to install a seperate inverter to handle that job? would this even be worth it rather than relying solely on shore power (or portable generator)? Finally, based on your experience, is it worth going the 12V microwave oven route? If so, what brands could you recommend? The only true 12V unit I've been able to locate is sold under the RoadPro label - very expensive and large current draw (850 watts/12V = 71 amps....)
Thanks!
GG
The Admiral has requested that I install a small microwave oven aboard our 27' express cruiser. I did a little web research and found that 110V microwave ovens are significantly cheaper and at the same time more powerful than 12V DC units. However, they have a significant current draw (as do 12 V ones). I have several questions regarding this. The notion of being able to heat up a cup of soup or hot chocalate while away from shore power/dock is very appealing to us. The way my boat is currently wired (OEM), however, has the inverter wired only for the purposes of charging batteries while under shore power. Based on that, I was wondering id it was possible to use the same inverter and re-wire it somehow (by a certified marine electrician) to handle the job of providing 110V to a microwave oven for short durations? Or would I need to install a seperate inverter to handle that job? would this even be worth it rather than relying solely on shore power (or portable generator)? Finally, based on your experience, is it worth going the 12V microwave oven route? If so, what brands could you recommend? The only true 12V unit I've been able to locate is sold under the RoadPro label - very expensive and large current draw (850 watts/12V = 71 amps....)
Thanks!
GG