inverter question small cabin

[Jason]

My plan is to buy the xantrex xpower 3000 converter run 2 6 volt batteries and us a battery charger and my honda EB 6500 generator to charge the batteries I will have a 1000 w refrigerator,1100 w microwave, 5 40w lights 100 w TV , 20w DVD player,toster and coffee maker I will also wire the inverter and generator to the braker box in cabin. so if the batteries go below volt level and inverter turns off AI will be abile to start generator and still have power my question is with this set up will I run the lowd generator all weekend or should I be ok ... the refrigerator will be the only thing running all the time and the lights will run for 4 hours a day at most and probbly only 1-2 lights at a time

[Phil_R]

If your batteries are golf cart 6v's... (T105's or similar) and you discharge 50%, you have enough storage capacity to run TV and DVD player eight hours. *No other load, just TV and DVD.

I use a Xantrex/Trace DR2424 and 16 - T105's (4 banks of 4) to provide 4,000 watts total, over a 20 hour period of "batteries only"... *12.5 KW gen-set runs 4 hours to charge battery bank, and provide for heavy demand electric use.

Allowing for 50% discharge of battery bank, xpower 3000 and EB 6500, for a 20 hour discharge + 4 hour charge cycle... I would use 8 batteries. (T105's or similar... 4 banks of 2) 4 batteries, (2 banks of 2) should go overnight without problem... run generator a couple times during the day.

[justmyluk]

Phil R is correct in saying your going to need more batteries.... Just trying to pull your 1000 watt refrigerator is going to require 83 amps at 12 volts (and that is only for 1 hour use) your 2/6volt batteries will be toast after about 15 minutes (that is assuming they will even pull 83 amps).

For what you have listed above you either need to:
1. Run your generator 24/7
or
2. increase your battery bank as Phil suggested.

[Jason]

thanks for all the input I think I will run 4 6volt batteries I would run 8 batteries but thats $800.00 in just batteries for a vacation home I will stay at maybe 2 times a mounth maybe I should look into a 12volt refrigerator and my 2 batteries but that refrigerator will run me $800.00 does anyone know a good place to get 6 volt batteries cheper then $100.00 each!!!! thanks for all the help !!!

[Phil_R]

Consider a small chest type (5 ~ 7 cubic feet) freezer. Adjust thermostat so it doesn't actually freeze... uses 40w or less per hour. Freezer this size is easily found at "home improvement" stores for around $200.00.

My 21 cf "frost-free" refrigerator averages 124w per hour over 24 hours... max draw 480w during defrost cycle. Auto ice maker, through the door ice machine, side-by-side doors. I used a Kill-a-Watt meter to measure watt usage over a one week time period... average: 124w / compressor off - 16w / defrost cycle - 480w "heater element on" to near 0w "element off".

Small chest freezer is manual defrost... no defrost cycle to waste electricity. (Used as a chest refrigerator, no frost/ice is created, no defrost needed. Better suited to inactive periods of time than a standard refrigerator.)