power inverter question

[ray fischer]

I picked up a 1500 watt inverter on sale at black & decker for 59.00 Can I run wire from the battery up to the front wardrobe so I could use it for emergency power for my CPAP machine in case of power failure during night. I have the large 12 volt deep cycle marine battery. Also to catch news on TV for a short time, no other use. My only concern is the CPAP which is very low draw. Would this run the battery down too low.I could always connect to tow vehicle to run in slides and legs if I Had to move. Thanks, Ray

[HamRad]

Ray,
Unless your CPAP machine uses much more juice than mine does you should have no trouble. With a battery that is in good condition and charged up you can easily run your CPAP all night with no worries.

We do some boondocking and thus must use an inverter to run my CPAP. I could get the 12 volt connection but am too lazy and cheap! We're currently starting our second week at Quartzsite out in the boonies. I just make sure the batteries get charged up each day. I have two batteries but one will certainly work for you.

By the way a 1500 watt inverter is a good size and probably will have a fan on it. The fan is going to take some power. If the fan runs a lot then it may use up a lot of your battery power. I use a small fanless inverter to run my CPAP. It is only a 150 watt unit. So take that into consideration when figuring whether or not you have enough battery.

Good luck.
Dennis

[firetrucker]

Measure the current draw from the battery when the normal loads are on and when the CPAP machine and the tv connected. That will give you a good idea how long your battery will last and whether you need two batteries or not. Remember that the battery will run the fan on the furnace all night, as well as sundry other minor loads.

Bob

[Tom S.]

Check your CPAP - some are made to run on 12 volt DC as well as 120 volt AC! If so, you won't need to use an inverter.

[grampachet]

I ran mine on battery for three nights without charging batteries and was still going strong.
I tapped off the landing jacks with a 10 gauge wire and fished it up with the hydraulic lines to my inverter under the closet side of the bed, within easy reach. The down side is the noise of the inverter. A while back someone else posted pictures of how they wired theirs.
Sleep well.

[ray fischer]

I'll have to check on the 12 volt. Not sure. My CPAP has a humidifier thats heated which ca be disconnected. The heater may use too much power. Thanks for the replies.

[Farmhawk]

You need to be careful on the distance you run your wire between the battery and the inverter, you will run the risk of over heating your line unless you increase our gauge significantly. It may be better to mount the inverter in the front compartment and then run normal 12 or 14 gauge wiring to a household type receptical or with an extension cord. You will notice the inverter probably came with a 4' piece of 4 gauge wire (mine did), that is the maximum recommended length for that gauge. I wanted to put the inverter in the entertainment center about 10' away from the batteries. After consulting with a couple of electricians it was decided 0 gauge welding lead is what would be recommended for that length of run. I realize you are not planning on being a heavy user of power through the inverter, but just a word of caution.

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by Farmhawk

You need to be careful on the distance you run your wire between the battery and the inverter, you will run the risk of over heating your line unless you increase our gauge significantly. It may be better to mount the inverter in the front compartment and then run normal 12 or 14 gauge wiring to a household type receptical or with an extension cord. You will notice the inverter probably came with a 4' piece of 4 gauge wire (mine did), that is the maximum recommended length for that gauge. I wanted to put the inverter in the entertainment center about 10' away from the batteries. After consulting with a couple of electricians it was decided 0 gauge welding lead is what would be recommended for that length of run. I realize you are not planning on being a heavy user of power through the inverter, but just a word of caution.

Ditto. Our cables from batteries to inverter are the same size as those connecting the batteries together. Ours was a custom installation. Don't scrimp.

Orv