Inverter backup with deep cell batteries

[Northwoodsman]

Greetings everyone !

I'm working on a inverter backup for my EKO 40 system and need a little advice.

I purchased a 450 WATT/750 VA inverter and planned to remove the 12V battery that came with it and hook up (2) 12V deep cell batteries to it. I also plan to put a 50 amp DC fuse/circuit breaker on each battery connection for saftey.

My questions are:

1.) The small 12V battery that came with the inverter says it is a valve regulated rechargeable battery. What exactly does this mean? Will a standard 12V deep cell work OK with the inverter?

2.) Besides the breakers/fuses, are there any other saftey items I should consider installing?

Thanks !

BC

 

[Nofossil]

I dunno about the batteries. One think I learned is that the EKO fan (at least on mine) runs much more slowly off a 'modified sine wave' inverter than it does off of wall power. The controller and circulator seem to work fine.

 

[Robby]

I don't know much about inverters, but a true sine wave that small is not real expensive.
The battery's: You should take a hard look at two 6 volt deep cycle hooked up in series. No more money, much better performance. Yes there are real 12 volt deep cycle, but most that are advertised for marine etc. are a combination start/deep cycle. Not the same thing.
Golf cart 6 volt are a reasonable, and if treated well will last many years.

Robby

 

[sweetheat]

can anyone point me to a thread with info on this subject. we have frequent outages that last 30 minutes to 3 or 4 hours. every now and again it might stay off for a day or so. LP is expensive and I figured an inverter backup would work for less $ than a transfer switch and LP powered generator. sweetheat

 

[Starlight]

Greetings everyone !

I purchased a 450 WATT/750 VA inverter and planned to remove the 12V battery that came with it and hook up (2) 12V deep cell batteries to it. I also plan to put a 50 amp DC fuse/circuit breaker on each battery connection for saftey.
My questions are:
1.) The small 12V battery that came with the inverter says it is a valve regulated rechargeable battery. What exactly does this mean? Will a standard 12V deep cell work OK with the inverter?
2.) Besides the breakers/fuses, are there any other saftey items I should consider installing?
BC

Hello all. I just joined the group as I am investigating the use of a boiler at our home in Montana.

As to your question: A valve regulated battery is a sealed battery design, usually GEL or AGM. You can not replace water that is lost in the charging process. The "valve" maintains the seal but allows pressure to release if overcharged. It is important to note that a GEL battery should not be charged above 14.1 Vdc. AGM's can be charged at higher voltages but still need regulation.

If you are going to use flooded batteries then you have no worry about the charge voltage. The voltage will be a little low so you will need to do more corrective charging (equalizing) over time. You could purchase a larger GEL or AGM battery but they are about twice the price of flooded. I recommend using a true deep cycle battery like a Trojan T-105 6 volt. There are no true deep cycle 12 volt batteries until you get into the 8D size and above. If the outages are only occasional, you can use cheap 12 volt batteries.

Circuit protection should be located at the power source; in this case the battery. The protection should be sized for the wire you are using. Example: 10 gauge wire use a 30 amp DC fuse or breaker as close to the battery positive as possible.

If you need help with this project, let me know. I work with PV, batteries and charging systems every day.

Larry