all,
i put an inverter into my 2520 fifteen years ago and it is about the
best idea i ever had..........having 110 aboard, whether for a microwave
oven (my main use....hot meals are happiness...i dont prepare them
aboard, just warm them up) or a hair blower is really a fine thing to
have.....an inverter is also a BATTERY CHARGER PAR EXCELLENCE,
having a complex three (or even four) stage charging algorithm which
can put 15-20% more charge (amp hours) into your batteries than
an automotive type.....
the inverter is temperature sensitive and cannot go in the engine
room...........the inverter pulls a lot of current from the house batterh
and the wire run must be brief (avoid "short" in talking electrics)......
thus, both the house battery and the inverter MUST go into the cabin area
........several points
[1] they are heavy enough together, DO NOT put them on the same
side of the cabin.....the boat will list noticeably to that side......
[2] a group 31 in way too small for an inverter, and a single d8 is
the minimum to even think about.
[3] you should explore an EXTERNAL VOLTAGE REGULATOR for
your alternator..
[4] you definitely need an AMP-HOUR-METER with a shunt on the
negative side of the house battery.......you must KNOW what is
going on the the electrical system.......no "out of sight out of mind"
here.
[5] i solved several "logistical" problems during my installation,
and i would be happy to get as specific for you as you like
i is a great upgrade, ie you can plug in on shore and both charge ALL
batteries well beyond the usual level in complete safety, but run a
ceramic heater and/or cook food in a kitchen model microwave.....
makes spending the day or the night aboard QUITE CIVILIZED......
what you dont want to do is view this as a weekend project......this
would be a full winter project......also, you dont want to try this on
a shoestring budget.....the inverter will be about $500, the external
regulator $200, and amphour meter about $400, the d8 battery about
$500, and the 1/0 marine cable you will need to go back to the engine
(red wire and black wire!) isnt cheap......you will need to do a lot of un
and re-bundling of wiring, a lot of soldering and heat shrinking, and
a lot drilling and creating new supports/braces......lastly, you will need
to add heavy duty fuse blocks several places and battery switches in
several places........lastly, you need to have a COMPLETELY PLANNED
AND DRAWN BLUEPRINT FOR THE JOB, which can/will prevent you from
doing un- and rebundling multiple times........or having the space for one
thing and two things to go there..........i would say $2000 and 100 man
hours.....dan