Your thoughts on inverter installation quote

W

Waynepj4

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Joined
Oct 13, 2008
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30904
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398
Without going into too much detail I received a quote of $950.00 to install an 1800watt inverter charger and one outlet. He would be hardwiring the inverter and integrating it with the AC panel.

This covers labor at $50.00 per hour and misc. parts, cables and such..Im already paying for the inverter itself and an extra 12v batt.

Is this a good deal or can I do better?
 
Wayne,

On most jobs you can figure about a 40% parts vs 60% labor expense. That would put his estimate at about 11-1/2 hours. There are several tings you have to consider:
- an inverter usually has two ratings ... max surge wattage and continuous duty wattage. Be sure that the inverter you are considering has enough continuous duty wattage to handle your heaviest load
- You also need to have a battery bank larger enough to handle the current draw without a drop in voltage. With too small a bank, the inverter comes on, the voltage drops and the inverter then shuts off to protect itself. I don't think that one 12V battery is going to be enough. If you are tying your existing batteries in too, be aware that while at anchor, the inverter could pull your batteries down enough that you won't be able to start your engines. I think you should always isolate the starting batteries from both the house and the inverter. Many people isolate the house from the inverter banks, but i don't think that's absolutely necessary.
- The size of the cable between the battery and the inverter will affect both the current and the voltage to the inverter. You don't want to go cheap there. Find out what size he is proposing and check it against West Marine's wire capacity chart for 3% drop.
- Be sure that he is locating the inverter in a ventilated space that doesn't communicate with the engine room since inverters are not spark proof
- why is he installing an outlet if it is going to integrated with the AC panel?
- you may want to have him split some loads off the main panel so that they can only be energized when connected to shorepower (ie. the water heater) so you don't draw your batteries down accidentally.

The quote doesn't sound bad, but be sure he knows what he's doing and is a qualified MARINE electrician. There are other issues on a boat that land based electricians don't need to deal with.
 
"install an 1800watt inverter charger and one outlet. He would be hardwiring the inverter and integrating it with the AC panel. "

not sure what that means... will the inverter power more than the new outlet or just that outlet?

$950 incl. wires and supplies is pretty good if the inverter is indeed hard wired to the panel and he is supplying the proper size marine wiring. 2/0 which is probalby what you need for that inverter on tghe DC side and it isnt' cheap...

one big unkonwn is how long it will take to run the wiring to and from the panel and to and from the batteries. that can be hours of work.
 
Pascal had a good point for you to follow up on. Is his panel integration to automatically switch the inverter on when the shore power goes off, or is he just getting charger power from the AC panel, and installing an outlet for the output of the inverter. The former is way more cool. Having a seperate output for the inverter would mean having to unplug the refrigerator every day, and switching it back later..

Before you make your choice there is one really important thing to learn from the installer. It goes something like this....
"If this were your boat, is this the same equipment you would use for this job, and is this how you would install it?
 
This electrician is also an avid boater. I sailed around the world in a 40' boat. The cool thing is the inverter will be integrated into the ac panel. In fact my ac panel has line 1, line 2 and genny. Well I don't have a genny so he isngoing to use that for the inverter. Switching to genny will transfer my ac panel and appliances to inverter power. Very cool and an investment that will broaden my boating to places beyond just mRinas with shore power. I'll have most of the comforts of home at anchorages throughout the bay and delta.

quote:
Originally posted by FindMe

Pascal had a good point for you to follow up on. Is his panel integration to automatically switch the inverter on when the shore power goes off, or is he just getting charger power from the AC panel, and installing an outlet for the output of the inverter. The former is way more cool. Having a seperate output for the inverter would mean having to unplug the refrigerator every day, and switching it back later..

Before you make your choice there is one really important thing to learn from the installer. It goes something like this....
"If this were your boat, is this the same equipment you would use for this job, and is this how you would install it?

Click to expand...
 
Connecting the inverter to a "genny" transfer switch is handy, it saves having to run dedicated circuits for the inverter. However at the same time YOU have to remember to turn OFF such things as ACs and water heaters and battery chargers or they'll kill your batteries in short order if they don't simply shut down the inverter.

My boat is set up this way and it works well, BUT I use a straight inverter. I'm not sure how an inverter/charger would be connected, as the inverter/charger ALREADY has an auto-transfer switch built in, and shouldn't need the manual transfer switch.
 
Whoops.I didnt sail around the world in a 40' boat..he did. He has a blog and its quite an interesting story. He set sail out of California in 1999 and arrived back to CA in 2008! What an adventure. Now he works on boats.

So yea, I definitely check and double check the AC panel for sure. I keep most things in the off position. Certainly wouldnt use the water heater using the inverter because its such a power drain. The project coincides with the release of the iPad..shucks..cant get both..I pretty much enjoy spending my spare dollars on improving my boat...
quote:
Originally posted by stmbtwle

Connecting the inverter to a "genny" transfer switch is handy, it saves having to run dedicated circuits for the inverter. However at the same time YOU have to remember to turn OFF such things as ACs and water heaters and battery chargers or they'll kill your batteries in short order if they don't simply shut down the inverter.

My boat is set up this way and it works well, BUT I use a straight inverter. I'm not sure how an inverter/charger would be connected, as the inverter/charger ALREADY has an auto-transfer switch built in, and shouldn't need the manual transfer switch.

Click to expand...
 
I know how you feel. I can't afford an iPad, after spending what I do on the boat! :(
 
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