Inverter Location?

[Mike459]

Hello All, Looking for the Inverter location in my 4100 SCB dual helms. The book has it under the seats in the salon but I had that completely apart and its not there. I also find it strange that every plug on the boat comes from the inverter with a 7.5 amp fuse. I'm plugged in at the dock but don't actually have an outlet from that source. Any ideas?
Thanks

[shrew]

Originally Posted by Mike459

........ I also find it strange that every plug on the boat comes from the inverter with a 7.5 amp fuse.

Could you elaborate on this portion? Are you referring to outlets? Where are you seeing the fuses?

Did you check the engine compartment around either the batteries or battery charger?

[Mike459]

Thanks Shrew, for your reply. Admittedly, I discover new stuff about the boat almost every time I go... I plugged in a heat gun to shrink some sleeving and blew a fuse located in the star. locker on the swim step. All the 120v outlets were dead on the boat until I replaced the fuse. On another occasion I guess I overloaded the inverter and it shut off. so I jumped the inv battery from the house and reset it (found info on this forum). I'm still looking for the inverter/charger. I did look in the back hatch and I replaced 4 8d batteries there but didn't see it. I'll look again. When I had to reset the inv with jumper cables, I did notice fan noise from under the area of the setee when I restarted the inverter using the remote panel on the wall. Future plans are to install a 20amp outlet above the electrical panel wired to shore power for items that draw a lot of power.

[dbriceno]

I would have thought an inverter would get located under the helm seat near the breaker panel if there was room. (I didn't have dual helms, I had the dinette) Otherwise check under the dash or in the utility room where the vacuflush & holding tank are.

[Mike459]

Thx for the reply. Not under the helm seat. The aft A/C and Electrical panel wires are there. I spent lots of time in the mid cabin side hatch removing and replacing the water heater and I didn't see it.

[kenyu73]

The inverter should be next to the largest battery bank or attached to an off location standalone bank. If you look in your manual, the DC wiring section should give an appx location of the inverter is its a factory install.

You should have three fuse locations... when I say fuse, it could be an actual inline fuse or a breaker in the breaker box panel.

Fuse 1: AC in (ie: Breaker in box that says Inverter) -- Maybe 20-30amp
Fuse 2: AC out (ie: Inverter breaker sub panel) -- Same as Fuse 1
Fuse 3: DC between battery and inverter which is could be as high as 250amps

Note: You will probably have a 4th breaker from the sub panel to the outlet breaker(s) which would probably be a 15amp

Fuses are based on wire size and not really inverter power. The inverter will usually trip or reset on its own if you try to pull too much power (watts/amps)

More then likely the AC fuse(s) should be a 15-20 amp AC fuse and the DC should be based on the DC battery wires which could be something as small as a 100amp DC fuse for 2 AWG or 250amps for a 2/0 AWG cabled (2000watt inverter). Plenty of fuse wire sizes charts on the net.

In my 4600 it "would" have been here... by the table or where maybe where the black/fresh water tanks are.

[Mike459]

Hello Kenyu73, Thanks for the reply. Good info, Power: I have the fuses as you describe. The outlets are wired with 14 ga wiring. The elec panel has 2 15 amp switches for port and starboard outlets but the power for them appears to come from that 7.5 amp fuse and the inverter / battery only. I expected some outlets to run from shore power. My thoughts are I need to wire up another outlet for shore power only, to access 15/20 amp AC at the dock. (I know the A/C and battery charger are drawing heavy AC current at the dock with 15 amp breakers - I need access thru an outlet also.) Location: I have a very clear desc. in my manual of where the inverter should be (under the starboard setee cushions in the salon) but its not there. I took most of the setee out to run wires so its not hidden behind anything. The Trace Eng. remote panel is there on the wall and the wiring appears to run aft in the wall. It's working so I don't want to tear off any wall panels, but I want to adjust it. I did hear a fan start up that appeared to be under the lower helm so searching the mid cabin area is my next step. Thanks again for the info, Mike

[kenyu73]

If its wired correctly, the shore power should pass right through the inverter to the outlets with the rated amps of the outlet breaker (15amp if its 14awg). The wire from the shorepower breaker (30amp/10AWG) would run to main breaker box and you'd have a 10 or 12 AWG running to the the "Inverter On/Off" breaker switch. From there it would go to the outlet breakers via subbox perhaps.

You think its a custom install? The factory install wouldn't have a AC inline fuse nor should a custom install really. The only inline fuse (or thermo breaker) would be the battery DC side.

7.5 amp AC fuse just doesn't sound right (=

Good luck and keep us posted!

[shrew]

I would start with the line side of the house battery and start tracing. If you get to a switch, start systematically branching out from there. You really need to understand both the AC and DC sides of your electric. This is the best way to start on the DC side.

[Miss Them]

1998 Maxum 4100 SCB - Inverter Location

Was wondering if you ever located the inverter?

I too have been searching high and low and cannot locate. It’s not where the manual says it should be.

Thanks

[Mike459]

No, never found it. I can faintly hear a little fan noise in the area around the inside helm station. Now I'm thinking about it and I wonder if I checked the bottom of the starboard v-berth closet. It has a vent on the bottom that I always thought was part of the A/C.

[shrew]

Are you sure it was installed? Was it an optional feature?? If you shut off all AC sources (shore-power, generator, etc) are you getting live AC anywhere (Outlets)?

I wouldn't expect large AC draw items (oven, stove, water heater, air conditioning) to run on the inverter. I would expect AC lights, outlets, or an AC entertainment devices (stereo, TV, DVD) to potentially work on the inverter.

If I were installing an inverter, I would be using a large gauge cable from either the house bank or the house isolation switch. I would also expect to see a fairly large inline fuse. I would start at the house battery bank and start following the largest cables.

[Miss Them]

Thanks, Shrew……whenever my house battery gets drained, all 120v outlets stop working even though I am on shore power….i also have a remote inverter control panel, which receives an error indicator…. So I am fairly confident an inverter is somewhere to be found….it just must be so hidden and cables real difficult to follow as they are fed through remotes spaces in the boat

[Mike459]

Thanks, Shrew. I'm the same except I have a dedicated 8d battery for the inverter along with a control panel. Both the small gauge controller wires and the large power wires disappear into a large bundle and I can't find where they break out. I know it's somewhere starboard between the beginning of the inside helm station and the bulkhead to the v berth area. If I'd bought the boat new, I would be writing a review complaining about the many things that were installed before the deck pan was installed, without any consideration for future access/repair. My invertor is working well so it's far down on my list of things to do. I do have a new non-contact voltage sensor tool that will help when I get back on it.

[shrew]

Originally Posted by Miss Them

Thanks, Shrew……whenever my house battery gets drained, all 120v outlets stop working even though I am on shore power….i also have a remote inverter control panel, which receives an error indicator…. So I am fairly confident an inverter is somewhere to be found….it just must be so hidden and cables real difficult to follow as they are fed through remotes spaces in the boat

That doesn't make any sense. If you're connected to shorepower, then the shorepower is pushing AC to the battery charger, which is pushing DC to teh batteries, which is pushing DC to the inverter, which is pushing AC to the 120V AC devices. Being connected to shore power and running the battery charger should never kill the batteries.

[shrew]

Originally Posted by Mike459

Thanks, Shrew. I'm the same except I have a dedicated 8d battery for the inverter along with a control panel. Both the small gauge controller wires and the large power wires disappear into a large bundle and I can't find where they break out. I know it's somewhere starboard between the beginning of the inside helm station and the bulkhead to the v berth area. If I'd bought the boat new, I would be writing a review complaining about the many things that were installed before the deck pan was installed, without any consideration for future access/repair. My invertor is working well so it's far down on my list of things to do. I do have a new non-contact voltage sensor tool that will help when I get back on it.

You'd be writing the same letter to EVERY boat manufacturer. My Mainship is the same way.

[Mike459]

Originally Posted by Miss Them

1998 Maxum 4100 SCB - Inverter Location

Was wondering if you ever located the inverter?

I too have been searching high and low and cannot locate. It’s not where the manual says it should be.

Thanks

Found the inverter / charger inside below the floor of the starboard v-berth, closet. remove about a dozen screws, pry the floor up and there it was. My big hint, which I missed, was the area has a vent on the front, below the door. I thought it was the AC.