Question Do you ever turn off your inverter?

[Neal]

I personally leave the inverter on all the time. Who here turns theirs off and if so, why?

I would imagine if I was in a boondocking situation trying to maximize battery and have zero gen run time relying on solar then this would be the one scenario.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Nope! Always on.

TJ

 

[J&JD]

Nope! Always on.

TJ

What he said.

 

[Neemer]

Mine has been on since day one, and that was a long time ago.

 

[Chargerman]

I’ve always turned mine off when on shore power. My reason was/is that I was “giving it a rest” ?. Although, honestly, I never knew if that was what it was really doing when I shut it off. I guess I thought I was prolonging it’s life. So help me understand this. Why leave it on all of the time? What actually turns off when you turn it off? What does the manufacturer recommend? Just trying to clearly understand this as my coach is the first one I’ve owned and didn’t have any instruction when I bought it.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

Always OFF when in storage.
Why leave it on, when nothing is being used?
Only asking for problems; heat, failure, worse while unattended.

And, if not on even minimal shore power, batteries get drained with a couple weeks...even with nothing running. Been there-got the shirt.

 

[Neal]

Why leave it on, when nothing is being used?

I do have things on when in storage:

• Refrigerator: Like light bulbs things go bad when cycling on/off - I prefer leaving it on forever. I also don't empty it as I do use my coach frequently
• Some electronics remain on such as a web cam - honeywell c2 for security

Right now I'm in my most minimal storage config due to the pandemic so I could turn it off. It's just not necessary for my use so it's always on. Quartzsite would have been the one case I should have turned it off at night although not sure it would have mattered, the 12V heating draws a lot of battery in cold weather.

 

[J&JD]

Refrigerator: Like light bulbs things go bad when cycling on/off

@Neal , the refrigerator cycles itself on/off all day and all night regardless. Might as well shut it off in storage.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

It is my understanding that refrigerators don't do well being shut down for long periods. Compressor seals dry out and leak.

I think it is better to let them run in their normal cycles. At least, that's what we do. We put 3-4 jugs of water inside just to provide some thermal mass and prevent frequent cycling.

TJ

 

[Neal]

My refrigerator remains stocked other than the current time where I wanted to avoid going to the grocery store as long as possible so all RV food including pantry came into the house.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

It is my understanding that refrigerators don't do well being shut down for long periods. Compressor seals dry out and leak.

I think it is better to let them run in their normal cycles. At least, that's what we do. We put 3-4 jugs of water inside just to provide some thermal mass and prevent frequent cycling.

TJ

I’ve heard the same...although it WAS from a “repairman”. ?

 

[J&JD]

It is my understanding that refrigerators don't do well being shut down for long periods. Compressor seals dry out and leak.

I think it is better to let them run in their normal cycles. At least, that's what we do. We put 3-4 jugs of water inside just to provide some thermal mass and prevent frequent cycling.

TJ

Here’s a GE recommendation for short and long term refrigerator storage. From everything I read there is no discussion about seal damage. I would bet that some new ones sit for many months in storage before use.

Refrigerator - Vacation / Storage Recommendations

products.geappliances.com

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Take a look at the back of your fridge. Motor is built into compressor models and no moving parts on propane units, with exception of doors and controls. If we begin talking about electronics, rare on AC units, Capacitors have a failure rate that might take down a control board. Capacitors would require a verrry long storage cycle to be much of a problem.

Storing food in an unattended propane fridge I would not recommend, to much bad history, I use 115VAC fridges now in my RV.

 

[AbdRahim]

Doesn't the inverter also charge the batteries? Or is there a separate charger in the DP's"

 

[Chargerman]

The charger is separate in my Coach

 

[Joe Hogan]

The only time the Inverter is turned off is when the RV is in storage. "Sales man" switch does not turn off the inverter in my RV due to solar power wiring. Otherwise always on.

 

[Rich-MLsRV]

When in long term storage (> 30 days) I turn off everything. With the batteries disconnected the inverter is then off. I have a trickle charger on the batteries.

For less than 30 days I leave batteries connected as we leave items in the RV (fridge and pantry) so it takes less time to get on the road.

 

[JRW-NAW]

I also turn the inverter off when the coach is in storage.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

For those of us who empty the reefer, there’s really not much other reason to keep an inverter running and generating heat...or worse.

if you’re one who needs to maintain electronics such as security and wifi, this will mean switching those sources to 12v.

The challenge on newer coaches, is that there are a lot of items that are parked on 110v, just constantly running and creating heat; like routers, networks, compressors, and water pumps. Yes, I 110v air compressors and water pumps.

Pretty hard, if even possible, to go around an kill all those sources. So, dropping the inverter makes the best solution from my POV.

Now...for those who like to cut the CHASSIS batteries with a Cole-Hersee, I’d suggest you consider something first. Some items, such as the trans, ECM, Dash, and radio, need to see a 24/7 source of 12v power in order to maintain their memory. For a trans, this would mean dumping the “driving pattern” that’s developed over time. Is that worth it? For me, and others, no.

HTH

 

[AbdRahim]

I guess every situation is different. I looked at the manual for my inverter. It is an inverter/charger, so, since the rig is outside all winter, it is not possible to shut it off and use an external charger (two chargers - one for the house and one for the chassis).