# Hooking up an inverter, easy?



## dc6947 (Aug 20, 2011)

**dumb newb question alert**

I have an inverter which i plug into my cigarette lighter in the front of the van (a 2008 fiat ducato conversion - professionally converted by a company). But the back of the van / leisure battery has NO connections for me to plug in 12v stuff, which really sucks because i work on the internet and therefore i find myself severely limited in my wildcamping as i have to go to a site every second day to plug in my stuff to charge / let my daughter watch the TV, etc. unless i drive for hours on end to make sure i can charge my stuff without running the van batter down.

Anyhow... what is the simpliest and easiest way for me to get power for my laptop/ low power tv / mobile phones, etc? Is it really stupid if i simply connect my inverter directly to the leisure battery? Will this mess up my electrics in the rest of the van? (the electrics currently go through a control panel type of thing on my wall with fuses and everything). If i can just hook it directly that would be great, i did this before when i used to be a busker to hook up my amp to the power - but i didn't have other electrics to take into consideration then. I don't want to cause damage to the system by wiring it directly into the leisure battery alongside the other main connection. 

Help much appreciated on this newbs quest to get out of this CC site, I feel like my summer has been spent touring the CC facilities a bit too much!


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## kimbowbill (Aug 20, 2011)

dc6947 said:


> **dumb newb question alert**
> 
> I have an inverter which i plug into my cigarette lighter in the front of the van (a 2008 fiat ducato conversion - professionally converted by a company). But the back of the van / leisure battery has NO connections for me to plug in 12v stuff, which really sucks because i work on the internet and therefore i find myself severely limited in my wildcamping as i have to go to a site every second day to plug in my stuff to charge / let my daughter watch the TV, etc. unless i drive for hours on end to make sure i can charge my stuff without running the van batter down.
> 
> ...


 
some folk will be along to dispute the use of inverters but before i went all 12v, i wired my inverter up to the leisure battey, i had no probs at all, obvioulsy you still need to drive to keep your leisures topped up and the inverter does use up more power, sorry i cant be of much more help, but theres lots of info on here somewhere about ampage and all that techni stuff but its way beyond me.

Jen


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## dc6947 (Aug 20, 2011)

*should i wire up some 12v sockets instead?*

If i wanted to do a quick/cheap DIY job of this, is it possible to hook up some 12v cigarette lighter style sockets myself in the same way? I mean connect them directly to the leisure battery like i would with the inverter? It's only my laptop i'd definitely need the inverter for, cos i have a MAC and i'm yet to find a 12v plug for it, i have been looking...  guess i should go back to using my trusty PC laptop and more easily get 12v adapters. I don't want to blow myself up


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## vindiboy (Aug 20, 2011)

Providing you fuse them and use the correct size cable I can see no problem ,make sure any cable runs won't chaff on any sharp  surfaces too.


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## n brown (Aug 20, 2011)

maplins etc sell 3 or 4 way extensions for fag lighters,just plug it in.if you hardwire in new sockets to the batts make sure to put an inline fuse and use the right size wire


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## kimbowbill (Aug 20, 2011)

dc6947 said:


> If i wanted to do a quick/cheap DIY job of this, is it possible to hook up some 12v cigarette lighter style sockets myself in the same way? I mean connect them directly to the leisure battery like i would with the inverter? It's only my laptop i'd definitely need the inverter for, cos i have a MAC and i'm yet to find a 12v plug for it, i have been looking...  guess i should go back to using my trusty PC laptop and more easily get 12v adapters. I don't want to blow myself up


 
If you go to Mapplins they will advise you on what size cable and fuses you need, they were very good with me, but dont get the YTS dude, go for the manager, usually know their stuff, be careful with DIY you can cause big problems i'm sure if you google what you want to do you will also find the answer


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## cooljules (Aug 20, 2011)

kimbowbill said:


> If you go to Mapplins they will advise you on what size cable and fuses you need, they were very good with me, but dont get the YTS dude, go for the manager, usually know their stuff, be careful with DIY you can cause big problems i'm sure if you google what you want to do you will also find the answer


 
if your in or around sheffield, use NR bardwells on Abbeydale road, a electronics and electrical shop going back before the war....and good prices too.  i know naff all but i use them all the time when im stuck or need to know anything


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## dc6947 (Aug 20, 2011)

*thanks*

Thanks for the recommendations / help. I'm currently just north of Inverness and making my way up to John O'Groats, but live in the Midlands so will be coming back down south soon enough, may schedule in a stop at either Maplins or NRBardwell in Sheffield on the way . I think i need to speak to someone who will recommend me exactly the right thing. Thanks everyone for your help, this is a super friendly forum considering my 'dumb' question .


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## vindiboy (Aug 21, 2011)

n brown said:


> maplins etc sell 3 or 4 way extensions for fag lighters,just plug it in.if you hardwire in new sockets to the batts make sure to put an inline fuse and use the right size wire


 Be careful with these extensions you can overload the feed cable to the existing  fitting if you try and draw too much current ,the result could be a fire, or at least  blown fuses [:scared: Hopefully ]:scared:


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## cooljules (Aug 21, 2011)

vindiboy said:


> Be careful with these extensions you can overload the feed cable to the existing  fitting if you try and draw too much current ,the result could be a fire, or at least  blown fuses [:scared: Hopefully ]:scared:


 
good point.  people forget or dont know about amps.


just look at what happens if you use really thin cheap jump leads between 2 cars......melts and smokes!!!


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## NicknClair (Aug 21, 2011)

Have no issues with using inverters at all, I happily use a Sterling Combi 1500W unit for a microwave and the wife's hair dryer. The important factors are having the battery capacity and also it is vital that there is the least amount of resistance in the connection to the battery as possible.
For best results connect to the leisure battery using only the supplied length of cable, do not be tempted to extend it, as the manufacturer's generally supply that specific length of cable for a reason. If no DC cable is supplied, then ideally try if possible not to exceed 1.5m in length.
The thicker the cable, the better (e.g my inverter uses 50mm cable to cope with the amount of demand I want from the Battery to the inverter, which is connected within 1m of the 270ah battery). Most good quality inverter manufacturer's give you a guide to what the best of diameter cable to use. 
It has also been advised in a previous post to fuse the inverter............................ no question!!!!

Good luck with your purchase :cool1:


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## Chri (Aug 21, 2011)

*try 12v supplies*

Hi

Like you i need internet in the van. I carry a Laptop, netbook, phones & a 3g router, plus 12v hairdrier & other odd things. I used to  use an inverter to charge these through their normal 240v plugs. But I've found it much easier to buy a series of 12v power supplies for all the kit. My inverter has a fan. Whilst the load from Laptops etc is quite light I think the inverter is quite inefficient electricallyc. The 12 volt suppliers are easy to find (on ebay maplins etc), typically £7-10. You need to make sure your getting the correct output, which will be on the labels on the power supplies for each bit of kit. Also get the right plug sizes - you can often get multi plug 12v power supplies (the sockets are often changeable- to allow them to be used with many different bits of kit for the given output).

Good luck


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## TrevorandRachel (Aug 21, 2011)

*Hooking up an inverter*

Hi if you`re in the Coventry area my husband Trevor is a retired electrical engineer he`ll willingly sort it out for you He`s put ours into our leisure battery tel 07853231342 Cheers Rachel Parsons


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## dc6947 (Aug 22, 2011)

*got some bits*

Went to Maplins in Inverness today, the manager there was very helpful. I have got a 12v socket and some wire and connectors and fuses, and a 'cripming tool' to connect them, and he told me how to put them together so i'll have a go at that later. :cool1: 
Can also hook my inverter up of course too but may leave that in the front of the van afterall if i can get 12v adapters for most of my equipment. I asked him how dangerous it was and if i could really hurt myself and he thinks not :cool1:, he said i'd more likely jump from the huge spark than from the shock... oh, and to not hook +ve and -ve the wrong way as the wires could get red hot and that would be pretty dangerous, but dumb as i am i don't think even i could manage that? (hmmm... maybe i speak too soon..)


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## dc6947 (Aug 22, 2011)

TrevorandRachel said:


> Hi if you`re in the Coventry area my husband Trevor is a retired electrical engineer he`ll willingly sort it out for you He`s put ours into our leisure battery tel 07853231342 Cheers Rachel Parsons


 
Thanks for the offer Rachel, i'll definitely contact him if i run into problems and it's always useful to know people who can do things like this too. When i'm not on the road, we live in Worcestershire so not all that far away.


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## cooljules (Aug 22, 2011)

dc6947 said:


> Went to Maplins in Inverness today, the manager there was very helpful. I have got a 12v socket and some wire and connectors and fuses, and a 'cripming tool' to connect them, and he told me how to put them together so i'll have a go at that later. :cool1:
> Can also hook my inverter up of course too but may leave that in the front of the van afterall if i can get 12v adapters for most of my equipment. I asked him how dangerous it was and if i could really hurt myself and he thinks not :cool1:, he said i'd more likely jump from the huge spark than from the shock... oh, and to not hook +ve and -ve the wrong way as the wires could get red hot and that would be pretty dangerous, but dumb as i am i don't think even i could manage that? (hmmm... maybe i speak too soon..)


 hope it goes ok (just glad im soooooo far way in sheff where im safe lol)

dont forget volts dont kill ya, its the amps!!   

i dont really have a clue what im doing, so always good to ask someone who does


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## dc6947 (Aug 22, 2011)

*How is this?*

Behold, the image of my first wiring attempt since A Level Physics!

I just wanted to check that it looks OK to anyone reading this before i go ahead and plug it in and maybe blow myself up? It's ok, i accept full responsibility, just wanted to see incase there was something glaringly obviously wrong here. It has been "built from scratch" and i'm so proud of myself!

+ve red wire goes from battery clip to inline fuse to the 12v sockets +ve terminal. Then we have the -ve wire coming from the -ve terminal on the 12v socket going right back to the black battery clip via the black -ve wire. Have i got it right? Marks out of 10 please? .

The fuse is 15amp and the wire is rated 16amp i think, and were the ones recommended to me by the maplins man. I thought they looked kinda skinny but it is only for a single plug to charge one thing at a time, laptop, phone, power my 300w inverter, etc.


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## Admin (Aug 22, 2011)

Your 300w inverter will most likely need 33A at 300w output. So you may find you blow the fuse.


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## dc6947 (Aug 22, 2011)

How about if i only plug one thing into the inverter? (eg my laptop which i think uses around 70w? i can easily get 12v adapters for other stuff like phone charger)... does the inverter still draw that much or is it dependent on what i plug in? Well i have some spare fuses so i can give it a go i guess, and if it doesn't work can just use the inverter in the front of the van and get 12v adapters for everything i can.


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## tozey (Aug 22, 2011)

Correct. 

Inverters are surprisingly efficient, typically 90%, and they will only draw the required current based on the load being powered. So for a 70W load, your inverter will prob draw 80W ish, which is only around 7A at 12v.  

With a 15A fuse, the max load you could connect to the inverter would be approx 130W. If you connect too much the fuse will blow - not a big deal!


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## Haaamster (Oct 19, 2011)

TrevorandRachel said:


> Hi if you`re in the Coventry area my husband Trevor is a retired electrical engineer he`ll willingly sort it out for you He`s put ours into our leisure battery tel 07853231342 Cheers Rachel Parsons



Hi Rachel,i'm in Coventry and have leisure battery issues,if I can't resolve it myself would it be possible to ask for a bit of help?


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## Bigpeetee (Oct 19, 2011)

cooljules said:


> hope it goes ok (just glad im soooooo far way in sheff where im safe lol)
> 
> dont forget volts dont kill ya, its the amps!!
> 
> i dont really have a clue what im doing, so always good to ask someone who does



The old saying goes:

It's the volts that jolts, it's the mill's (milliamps) that kills.

However, has the human body has a high resistance, you need quite a high voltage with current capacity to kill you.

Ohms law:  V/IR  therefore current = Voltage /Resistance

_The Fatal Current

 Strange as it may seem, most fatal electric shocks happen to people who should know better. Here are some electro-medical facts that should make you think twice before taking that last chance. 
It's The Current That Kills

 Offhand it would seem that a shock of 10,000 volts would be more deadly than 100 volts. But this is not so! Individuals have been electrocuted by appliances using ordinary house currents of 110 volts and by electrical apparatus in industry using as little as 42 volts direct current. The real measure of shock's intensity lies in the amount of current (amperes) forced though the body, and not the voltage. Any electrical device used on a house wiring circuit can, under certain conditions, transmit a fatal current. 

 While any amount of current over 10 milliamps (0.01 amp) is capable of producing painful to severe shock, currents between 100 and 200 mA (0.1 to 0.2 amp) are lethal. Currents above 200 milliamps (0.2 amp), while producing severe burns and unconsciousness, do not usually cause death if the victim is given immediate attention. Resuscitation, consisting of artificial respiration, will usually revive the victim._

12v/24v as used in motor homes is quite safe to touch, even with wet hands (lower resistance), but the current capability of a lead acid battery is enormous.

If you are hard wiring anything to a battery, via a fuse, make sure the cable is protected. A flex draped around a MH that can be stood on is not ideal, wire the multi lighter outlet in and make it a fixture, hiding the cable where ever possible.


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## kev1 (Oct 19, 2011)

dc6947 said:


> Thanks for the recommendations / help. I'm currently just north of Inverness and making my way up to John O'Groats, but live in the Midlands so will be coming back down south soon enough, may schedule in a stop at either Maplins or NRBardwell in Sheffield on the way . I think i need to speak to someone who will recommend me exactly the right thing. Thanks everyone for your help, this is a super friendly forum considering my 'dumb' question .



Bardwells are excellent


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## scubydoo (Nov 1, 2011)

dc6947 said:


> **dumb newb question alert**
> 
> I have an inverter which i plug into my cigarette lighter in the front of the van (a 2008 fiat ducato conversion - professionally converted by a company). But the back of the van / leisure battery has NO connections for me to plug in 12v stuff, which really sucks because i work on the internet and therefore i find myself severely limited in my wildcamping as i have to go to a site every second day to plug in my stuff to charge / let my daughter watch the TV, etc. unless i drive for hours on end to make sure i can charge my stuff without running the van batter down.
> 
> ...



As you probably know you can get inverters that nock out various amount of power. I installed one that produces 300watts enough for the TV, mobile phones to use for a couple of hours. After connecting to the two leisure batteries I connected the output to a separate Socket. I therefore can plug into that. I can also plug my mains inlet into that socket too so the whole vehicle is on "mains" when wild camping.


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## RAGGLETAGGLE (Nov 2, 2011)

*inverter connection*

Hi Scoobs, I've not read the whole thread so you may have it covered, but my experience was with an inverter I bought from Aldi, £14 and it blew the cigarette lighter fuse, swoped it for another and it did it again, then connected it to the battery direct and it runs a mini telly & computer, lighting etc not the fridge well not for long anyway. In the end added some extra 12v sockets directly off the battery to the back, bought another inverter from Go Outdoors (£28) since I didn't trust the other one and cleared off to the Alps for three months in the winter!


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## Firefox (Nov 2, 2011)

Decent sized inverters, 500W + will come with their own thick cables which you connect to the battery direct.

The problem with the ones you plug into the cigarette lighter is that you can't use them for much any more than about 100W. The cable and fuse to the cig lighter is likely to be 10A max. 8A at 12V = 96W so 100W is about the max you can use even if the inverter is rated for more.

A 1000W inverter draws about 80 Amps at 12V (12V x 80A = 960W). If you think of your electric oven at home that will use less than half this current.  80A is a massive current and needs really thick cables.


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## nivagp (Nov 3, 2011)

dc6947 said:


> If i wanted to do a quick/cheap DIY job of this, is it possible to hook up some 12v cigarette lighter style sockets myself in the same way? I mean connect them directly to the leisure battery like i would with the inverter? It's only my laptop i'd definitely need the inverter for, cos i have a MAC and i'm yet to find a 12v plug for it, i have been looking...  guess i should go back to using my trusty PC laptop and more easily get 12v adapters. I don't want to blow myself up



Hello .... check this out ... they work great, and are available for all macs

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004BFX7MS


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## Deleted member 12051 (Jul 13, 2012)

Hi

If I wire the inverter to the leisure battery with the leads supplied, can I plug an extension cable to the socket in the inverter. My battery is at the side of the drivers door so I would need to extend with the extension lead to plug things in out of sight making it more convenient.
Patricia


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## n brown (Jul 13, 2012)

...........................yes...............................


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