AC-DC Power Inverter and Battery installation in Houseboats?

by Neal
(Tampa)

I'm thinking of installing my Power Inverter in the "midship area" of our houseboat bilge?

Can anyone think of any reasons I should not put my inverter and batteries in my mid-ship bilge area? Please help me prevent an accident.

Thanks Neal.

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Reply - Answer
Well Neal, that's a good question, and preventing accidents is a GREAT ATTITUDE to have.

Installing batteries and power inverters in a bilge area can either create a safe, or a dangerous situation.

Here are a few recommendations for a good installation:

1) Always remember that fuel, cleaners, and battery vapors anywhere, especially in a closed environment like a bilge can be explosive, so always make the installation safe and secure from sparks. Proper ventilation is required.

2) Be sure to install batteries in secure battery boxes, and with the "negative & positive" posts covered. It protects from accidental shorts. Preferably with battery covers on the boxes.

3) Always use Marine wire & cable (not SAE wire), heat shrink tubing, appropriate fuses and breakers, with the right sized terminals and connectors. There's charts available to calculate "voltage drop" ( ex: 3% or 10% drop) for precise wire gauge calculations in respect to amperage, current, and distance.

4) My last tip is more geared towards "knowledge", and one of the simplest methods is watching educational DVD's, and there's some
great 12 volt DVD's available.

5) Once you decide on an action plan, you can always pass it by someone knowledgeable in your area or marina.


Lastly, hopefully some of our readers will share and post comments about their houseboat battery & inverter experiences.

Feel free to use the "Click here to post comments." link found near the bottom of this page.

Thanks again for sharing, IAN from all-about-houseboats

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