Inverter and converter

[Lin]

My current set up is with two house batteries and a converter.  I got a Trace 2512 inverter a while ago and never installed it.  I now bought 3 135 amp hour AGM's and will soon probably take up the job of relocating the battery bank, installing the new batteries, and installing the inverter.  My question deals with what to do with the converter.  It works fine, and as you know, takes care of all 12v needs when plugged in.  I have been warned the the chargers in these converters are prone to overcharge battery banks, and I certainly don't want to do that with the AGM's.  So my options are to just unplug it and leave it available for some future need, remove it entirely, or use it as a power supply, but block its access to charging my batteries, possibly with a diode.  What suggestions do the masters have?  I sort of like the last option if it is feasible, but wonder if I am missing some problem that it would cause.  I figure that if it would work, the batteries would be charged by the Trace when plugged in without constantly being taped since the converter would supply the 12volt.  Obviously, the converter would have to be set up to only work when there was shore/generator power.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Lin,

I always like redundency... i would isolate it and keep it for future emergency's if you have the space.

Other then that, don't take a chance in overcharging your AGM's or having it ruin your inverter.

Good Luck
Nick-

[Tenor]

This is probably a long shot, but some inverters now have very good battery chargers.  What model do you have?  Something else to consider - inverters are expensive, why not reduce the time you use the inverter and use the converter with it's own battery when you know you have shore power?  Just use a 3 way switch to select 12V power from the inverter or the converter.  Good luck!

Glenn

[JohnEd]

Unplug the converter and leave it in place as a backup.  When you use the converter you should have your bats isolated from the house and not being charged unless you select that.  I guess that would cover a "inverter" total crash.

Run your house off the batteries full time.  With no AC it will deplete the bats as God intended.  With AC the inverter will supply dc to the bat circuit and the house.  Is what was recommended to me.  Now my question is by doing this will I cause the inverter to "see" a low battery and keep the charging voltage at 14.5 volts DC even if the bats are topped off and in need of a trickle charge?

John

[Lin]

That's the trouble, I don't know what happens.  I once had a set of AGM's on another coach that was kept plugged in for a long period of time.  The coach had a three stage charger, so I though all would be alright and maintenance-free.  After a couple of months, the batteries were ruined.

[white-eagle]

i keep the batteries on for powering the 12v in the coach.  the old converter is available, just needs to plug in and move a wire.  but i now power all the 12v lights, appliances with the batteries.  we have a 2012 2000w xantrex w 6 gc 6v batteries.  seems to work so far.

[JohnEd]

Man,

If you are running your 2012 and you have a 12V load on....what is your battery voltage?  I think 14.5 for charge and 13.4 for maintain and 12.6 for bats alone.  I am ready to install my 3012 and that info would be helpful.

Thanks

John

[JackConrad]

That's the trouble, I don't know what happens.  I once had a set of AGM's on another coach that was kept plugged in for a long period of time.  The coach had a three stage charger, so I though all would be alright and maintenance-free.  After a couple of months, the batteries were ruined.

Was the 3 stage charger setting re-adjusted to match the AGM batteries.  I seem to recall that somewhere I read or heard that AGMs require a different charge profile?  Jack

[white-eagle]

my inverter does have a different charge profile that i would have to change to for agm's.