inverter

adubree86 · Feb 15, 2017

How many people have installed a power inverters in their trucks? I picked up a 750/1500 watt inverter. Looking to install this to power misc. items in the cab of the truck. I have the 15a 150w plug but it won't run a printer scanner combo. I work on construction sites alot and having the ability to print in my truck is huge. My question is what size inline fuse would I need?

Damion · Feb 15, 2017

The fuse size really depends on the size of the inverter. I like to use a fuse slightly larger than the fuses that are on the inverter. ( if there's 2 25a fuses on the inverter, I'd use a 60a fuse ). I'd recommend installing a circuit breaker instead of a fuse. At least that way if your on a job somewhere and it pops, your not stuck without spare fuses.

baum · Feb 16, 2017

i would agree with the circuit breaker idea, but oversizing is not the right thing. manufacturers put the fuse they do in there for a reason its also to protect the internal parts of the inverter. by up-sizing it you can not only cause damage to the inverter, but the to items its also powering. and if you hard wire it in also the wiring can melt

adubree86 · Feb 16, 2017

The inverter I picked up is a cheaper harbor freight inverter. It said it has a single 35amp on board fuse.

Damion · Feb 16, 2017

I'd use a 40a fuse / circuit breaker at the battery. I didn't mean to use a slightly larger fuse in the inverter itself, just the one at the battery.

The fuse at the battery isn't to protect the inverter / amp ( depending on what your hooking up ) that's what the fuses in the said unit are for. The battery fuse is to protect your vehicle in the event of the wire getting chafed / cut. ( if you got in an accident for example ). If the wire grounds out it'll snap the fuse, without the battery fuse, be prepared for a fire.

If the wire your using melts, or starts to melt, it's too small for the amount of current draw that's being put on it.

bcbouy · Feb 16, 2017

i didn't bother with a fuse,my 1000 watt has an overload shutoff built in.i also have no room to mount it so i used old 12 foot long 3 ga.welding cables and crimped fittings on and alligator clip them to the battery when i need it.otherwise it's stored in the truck camper.

603photog · Feb 17, 2017

I installed this MSW (modified sine wave) inverter under the hood. Mounted it to the fusebox cover with a 125A ANL fuse installed inline to protect the circuit. Only needed the 500W for my needs but I'm now considering installing a larger PSW (pure sine wave) inverter in the bed to power my lighting equipment on remote photo shoots.

Do not listen to anybody who tells you not to bother installing an in-line fuse or breaker. Ask any electrician worth his/her salt - the fuse IS important even if you are only occasionally plugging in your inverter. It is not there to protect the inverter but, rather, to protect the circuit from burning up and potentially setting your truck on fire. If the wiring gets chaffed and shorts against the frame somewhere, it will overload the thermal capacity of the wire which will cause the wire to heat up very quickly, melt its sheathing, potentially ignite the gases emitted by your battery (if the meltdown is close enough to the battery) and generally cause very bad things to happen. How do you think these cars you sometimes see engulfed in flames on the side of the highway get that way??? Don't waste your time building a great inverter setup only to skimp on the circuit protection. It's like taking a watergun to a forest fire.

WillDiver · Feb 17, 2017

Check DC wire ampacity. For your 35A device, the minimum is #8 wire, on a 40A fuse. Better is #6 on a max 50A fuse. You can easily find the setup at Walmart, as a car amp install kit. It'll give you a battery terminal, in line fuse, and big wire.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

adubree86 · Feb 17, 2017

WillDiver said:
Check DC wire ampacity. For your 35A device, the minimum is #8 wire, on a 40A fuse. Better is #6 on a max 50A fuse. You can easily find the setup at Walmart, as a car amp install kit. It'll give you a battery terminal, in line fuse, and big wire.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

That's a good idea. I had originally bought cheap jumper cables from harbor freight that I was going to cut the ends off of. But an amp kit would probably be better.

Damion · Feb 17, 2017

Be a little wary of Walmart amp kits. Their wiring gauge is usually smaller than advertised. ( an advertised 4ga kit actually is 6ga wire.

I'd get my wiring kit from a reputable car audio install shop.

Damion · Feb 17, 2017

603photog said:
I installed this MSW (modified sine wave) inverter under the hood. Mounted it to the fusebox cover with a 125A ANL fuse installed inline to protect the circuit. Only needed the 500W for my needs but I'm now considering installing a larger PSW (pure sine wave) inverter in the bed to power my lighting equipment on remote photo shoots.

Do not listen to anybody who tells you not to bother installing an in-line fuse or breaker. Ask any electrician worth his/her salt - the fuse IS important even if you are only occasionally plugging in your inverter. It is not there to protect the inverter but, rather, to protect the circuit from burning up and potentially setting your truck on fire. If the wiring gets chaffed and shorts against the frame somewhere, it will overload the thermal capacity of the wire which will cause the wire to heat up very quickly, melt its sheathing, potentially ignite the gases emitted by your battery (if the meltdown is close enough to the battery) and generally cause very bad things to happen. How do you think these cars you sometimes see engulfed in flames on the side of the highway get that way??? Don't waste your time building a great inverter setup only to skimp on the circuit protection. It's like taking a watergun to a forest fire.

See my post above great minds think alike. :favorites13:

bcbouy · Feb 17, 2017

i don't believe anyone advised the op to not use a fuse.

603photog · Feb 18, 2017

bcbouy said:
i don't believe anyone advised the op to not use a fuse.

Technically correct. However, if somebody with absolutely no electrical experience comes along and reads a comment such as "I didn't bother with a fuse because it has one built into the unit" (paraphrasing), they could be left thinking that that's an acceptable installation practice. I mean absolutely no disrespect to you at all (genuinely) but...it's not.

As already pointed out by a couple people, the built-in overload protection in the inverter only serves to protect the unit and does nothing to protect the overall circuit that you are tying into in your vehicle.

I agree about the Walmart-brand setups being sketchy. If you have the time and patience, OP, I would start with pulling up a wire gauge chart online, spend a few moments working out the math for determining the proper gauge wire and fuse/breaker, and then building the wiring circuit yourself. You'll learn a lot, it will last longer, and you'll have the pride of having done the work yourself. :happy107:

Good luck and, whichever route you choose, post up some pics so we can see your results!

bcbouy · Feb 18, 2017

agreed,and if you read my post,my inverter isn't tied into my truck,so for my application a fuse isn't needed.not to say there shouldn't be one,just no easy way to do it with a 3 ga wire clipped to the battery.no offence intended.

adubree86 · Feb 19, 2017

Thanks for all the info. I ordered an amp kit off of Amazon. Now I just gotta figure out where I want to install the inverter and how I want to run my wiring.

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