Wagan Pure Line 3000 Inverter Alarm when using Water Heater

[wanzong]

Originally Posted by booster

Just noticed that the monitor you have does count watt hours. Does it count both up and down when charging and discharging? Some don't count on the charge cycle and some do but don't have a charge efficiency setting for the charge side. I need to look and see if I can find a manual on it.

It just keeps a running total of Amp Hours as far as I can tell. You can reset it to zero. To be honest I've not paid too much attention to it, but I believe the number has only gone up.

Here is a picture of the "manual". (sorry about them being sideways...they are right side up on my phone and computer)

2021-01-20 16.19.36.jpg

2021-01-20 16.19.44.jpg

[hbn7hj]

Does anyone have an example of a lead acid battery successfully running a water heater or similar load from an inverter?

We would want to know the battery brand and size and inverter brand and capacity.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by hbn7hj

Does anyone have an example of a lead acid battery successfully running a water heater or similar load from an inverter?

We would want to know the battery brand and size and inverter brand and capacity.

I have once or twice produced hot water by running the electric coil in my Rixens/Espar hydronic system using 440Ah of AGM (four group 31s) via our Outback 2800 watt inverter. It draws around 120 amps @ 12VDC. I have only done this under unusual circumstances. It would be crazy to do it routinely.

[hbn7hj]

Originally Posted by avanti

I have once or twice produced hot water by running the electric coil in my Rixens/Espar hydronic system using 440Ah of AGM (four group 31s) via our Outback 2800 watt inverter. It draws around 120 amps @ 12VDC. I have only done this under unusual circumstances. It would be crazy to do it routinely.

Agreed. If you have to do it routinely you need to have a parallel lithium system, at the least.

Just an opinion.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by hbn7hj

Agreed. If you have to do it routinely you need to have a parallel lithium system, at the least.

Just an opinion.

That was not my point at all. Rather,
if you do it routinely, you need a fuel-based solution, unless, perhaps your DHW needs are very, very modest. The energy has to come from somewhere. Lithium reduces the weight, volume and perhaps charging time needed to store a given number of amp-hours (but with several clear disadvantages). It does nothing for acquiring those amp-hours in the first place.

Yes, there may be a few narrow usage-pattern slots in which hot water from batteries may make sense, but they are few and far between. If you are in such a slot, lead acid can work just as well as lithium--you have to look at the tradeoffs to decide which is best for you. The fact that your amps happen to be being converted to calories is mostly irrelevant.

[booster]

Yeah, we have discussed often how the fossil fuels are still the kings of things that need to generate lots of heat energy, be it water heaters, furnaces, cooktops, etc. Almost all the "no propane" vans use fuel for heat, sometimes hot water, and less commonly for cooking, and they also have a lot more battery capacity than the 400AH of AGMs in this case plus they have the massive recharging capacity needed recover that usage in reasonable amounts of time. As soon as the start using AC or other high energy use items, they all also require vehicle engine running to recharge.



I think the recharge capabilities are probably the most commonly overlooked items in many of the DIY, and some factory systems.



In this system, it is probably less a question of if you can to run the water heater on electricity, but more a question of it it fits into the entire system and use patterns of the user without hurting other uses.


It may be time to take a step back and take a look at the entire system from top to bottom. Batteries, cable sizes, solar and controller, shore charger, alternator(s), any other controls in place, etc. With that information it can be compared to the anticipated use pattern which would include power use devices and use patterns, plus anticipated driving patterns, shore power use, typical solar conditions where going to be, etc


400AH of battery and 600 watts of solar would make a B with fossil fuel heat and water heating mostly self sufficient unless an electric cooktop or AC was used regularly, I think. Several of us have such systems and they are really capable.



As we have said so many times, energy balance if where it is at with all of this stuff, so you just gotta know what is going to be used and how it is going to be replaced. If you don't, you can wind up with power insecurity which can spoil all the fun of traveling.

[Bud]

"power insecurity"

booster, have you just coined a new term? I don't recall seeing, reading it.

Kinda like it.

Bud

[wanzong]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks so much for all your advice and input! I think we have learned a lot in this journey and have come to face reality with regards to electricity use in a van!

I did some further experimenting yesterday, and as suspected, testing on a fully charged battery is better, but the batteries still discharge quickly.

Basically we are planning to run the engine when using the high wattage devices including the water heater and microwave.

I don't want to open a can of worms on Lithium vs Lead Acid batteries, but I am curious what is meant by "Parallel Lithium system"... is that just adding lithium batteries to the battery bank (seems like they would have different charge profiles) or a completely separate system including solar charger, battery bank, inverter, etc?

Thanks again!!

Mike

[hbn7hj]

Originally Posted by wanzong

I don't want to open a can of worms on Lithium vs Lead Acid batteries, but I am curious what is meant by "Parallel Lithium system"... is that just adding lithium batteries to the battery bank (seems like they would have different charge profiles) or a completely separate system including solar charger, battery bank, inverter, etc?
Mike

Completely separate. We have tried hard to combine them but those efforts have not been successful.

https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...stem-8526.html

Gotta agree. For furnace and hot water, propane or engine fuel works a lot better. I use propane and have a generator for Air conditioning.

I didn’t know anyone used battery for hot water till this thread.