What can I run off of 1 battery ??

So far I have 1 deep cycle marine battery ( I have a long way to go, lol ) which is rated at 100AH. If I had an inverter could this run my 27" TV at all ? If not what could it run and for how long ? This is all very new to me. Thanks.

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: What can I run off of 1 battery ??

    What's the nameplate label on your TV ? 200Watts 300Watts ??

    use about 75% of that label as a guess as to what it will draw on average.

    Some electronic appliances don't mind the square wave output of the cheap inverters, but some need pure sine wave (not modified sine) power. If it smokes on the cheap inverter, you have discovered which your appliance liked.

    You should only run your battery to 50% discharged, further discharge will quickly ruin the battery, and you can buy a new one.

    You will need a charger to charge your deep cycle battery, a typical car charger will only get it about 90% charged, and not completing the charge cycle, will ruin the battery too.

    Guessing you have a 300W TV, you need a inverter that can deliver more, to allow for minor surges, so a 400W inverter would be the least I would use, and likely a 500 or 600W could leave a little room for future expansion.

    add about 25% for inverter losses, and you are pulling 300W from the battery.
    At 12V, that's 25 amps, and if you ran for 2 hours, your battery would be 50% discharged, and you need a recharge .

    Your mileage may vary.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • SolarJohn
    SolarJohn Solar Expert Posts: 202 ✭✭
    Re: What can I run off of 1 battery ??

    Madman,

    One of my reasons for setting up a small PV system was to have electricity during an extended power outage. If that's important to you, you might consider a smaller TV. Then you'll also be able to run a few cfl's, recharge your cell phone, use a fan, etc., for hours. But get a sine wave inverter, not a modified sine wave inverter.

    John
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: What can I run off of 1 battery ??
    mike90045 wrote: »
    Some electronic appliances don't mind the square wave output of the cheap inverters, but some need pure sine wave (not modified sine) power. If it smokes on the cheap inverter, you have discovered which your appliance liked.

    "If it smokes on the cheap inverter, you have discovered which your appliance liked."
    Ha Ha! I love that statement. It's so true.
    Most of my items have worked fine with MSW at least short term, but some will not work properly at all (NiMi chargers); one item has smoked the circuit board (bread maker); one started to get hot, but I caught it just in time (Kill-A-Watt unit); while other things work just fine (computers, TV's, CFs, Skill saws, drills, etc). Like mike90045 indicates, when you see the smoke, you know.
    You are definitely taking a chance running some items on MSW.
    Wayne
  • nigtomdaw
    nigtomdaw Solar Expert Posts: 705 ✭✭
    Re: What can I run off of 1 battery ??

    Re MSW inverters I ran DR 2424E MSW for 6 months , it smoked instantly 2 PIR secuirity lights , but took its time in killing a Dewalt XRP Charger and 3 mobile phones chargers, so although some units seem towork with MSW passive smoking gets them in the end. LOL
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: What can I run off of 1 battery ??
    nigtomdaw wrote: »
    passive smoking gets them in the end. LOL

    Is that like secondhand smoke ??
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: What can I run off of 1 battery ??
    nigtomdaw wrote: »
    Re MSW inverters I ran DR 2424E MSW for 6 months , it smoked instantly 2 PIR secuirity lights , but took its time in killing a Dewalt XRP Charger and 3 mobile phones chargers, so although some units seem towork with MSW passive smoking gets them in the end. LOL

    I know this is an old post, but I wanted to say that I doubt that the Dewalt charger was killed by the MSW unless it was made before 2000, I was worried about that as I had read that MSW did not work well with chargers and found an information that only the earliest Dewalt chargers had issues with MSW.

    To back this up in 2001 I built a 500 square foot 'A' frame with a Dewalt 18 volt saw and drill often charging the 3 batteries more than once a day, the 5 3/8" saw did not cut 2 lenghth cuts in 3/4 plywood on a charge! (the newer 6 1/2" and newer batteries work much better, perhaps 2 1/2 lenghth cuts)

    I had no problems with the charger. In fact I don't know that I'm not still using it today as I've picked up other Dewalt tools and charges, I can't recall one ever failing. FWIW Black and Decker "pod" type batteries will also charge in a Dewalt charger and I hear they often go out. Amazon regularly has the Dewault chargers for $20 or so.

    OK so I like the Dewalt tools, They have worked well for me... I saw this thread while looking for Bread machine threads...lol
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: What can I run off of 1 battery ??

    that's great that they changed their charger circuitry so it is suitable for msw. how would one know if it was pre 2000 for is there something that sets them apart to know which one they could be looking at? i know most of what would be seen in a store would probably be newer, but some places could have a few of the older ones in stock or you could see one at a flea market.