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Spudmasher1
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# Posted: 24 Jun 2013 11:13pm
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I am building an 18x20 foot cabin in a stand of 100 acres of timber. No running water, an outhouse and no grid power available.
I own and am using a Honda EU3000is generator for power for my saws while building. Wow what a quiet and powerful generator this is! I have never regretted buying it.
I now have walls and a roof up and will soon be thinking about insulation and inside walls.
My questions are about using the generator for power along with a battery bank. Is there a way of wiring the cabin so I can use the generator for power as needed, charge a battery bank using and then using the batteries at night for the small amount of lighting and a ceiling fan?
Do I need an inverter? Do I wire the same as for 110? How many batteries will I need?
I think the EU3000is already has a built in battery charger. Will this charger do what I need ot too?
Has anyone done this?
Thanks in advance. I have read TONS of other posts and am more confused then before I started thinking about my power issue. Doug
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2013 07:27am
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Well Do you want 110 volt appliances or 12 volt? If you want both have two sets of wiring. A bank of ten twelve volt batteries hooked in series will make 120 volts of DC power. A few appliances need AC though. If you want to use 110 volt power with fewer batteries then you need a inverter.
You can find a lot of equipment that will run on 12 volt. If you're happy with that, you can run everything from one or more 12 volt batteries hook in parallel. Then just charge them with your 12 volt outlet on the gen.
That's as far as I will advise, because there are many here that know more. Wait for them to add their knowledge.
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VTweekender
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2013 09:04am - Edited by: VTweekender
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I would wire the cabin 110v AC with an inlet plug to your breaker box........this inlet will allow you to plug to your generator.......when you are using the generator you can simply plug from an outlet a 6 or 8 amp car battery charger to charge your batteries at the same time you are using the genny for other things.....from the battery bank to a 1000w inverter ,then plug in a lamp or other type 110 light fixture and fan into the inverter. I might use just one large 200 AH battery.
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GomerPile
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2013 09:35am
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The 12V from the Honda generators are not that great for charging batteries. Yes, you will get some charging but at a very low rate and it tapers off quickly as the battery charges up. I would say it makes a decent trickle charger thats about it.
You are much better off getting a Sears 30 amp charger and plugging it into the generator as others have described.
A very safe way to use an inverter is to take the plug you normally connect to the generator and plug it into the inverter. That provides a natural safety interlock so you dont accidently connect the inverter and generator at the same time.
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Spudmasher1
Member
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2013 09:21pm
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Thanks all for the advice. I guess I still need to decide about 110 or 12 volt. Could I use both with the same wiring and maybe a two way switch? My guess is the bulbs and fan won't work on both power sources.
Were do I start looking for good 12 volt lights and a fan?
I also need to think about power for my bipap machine I use to sleep. Any ideas there?
Thanks again all. Doug
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evrmc1
Member
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2013 02:13am
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Try this to start: Google: 12 volt fans and lights
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justincasei812
Member
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2013 03:28pm - Edited by: justincasei812
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for the bipap machine a simple inverter 175w and a deep cycle battery will work. I do it all the time at the cabin. I have a 5000w genny (needed to run the well pump otherwise a smaller one would do) that I hard wired into a panel that runs the entire cabin and I have a battery charger that recharges the deep cycle battery when the generator is on. At night I simply plug the machine into the inverter that is connected to the battery. The battery should be good for the weekend but I like to make sure it is topped off.
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rayyy
Member
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2013 06:25pm
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Sure my whole cabin is wired like this.I have 12 standard 120 a/c outlets wired up to the 120 volt outlet on my generator.Then I have a separate,120 volt battery charger plugged into my genny hooked up to 3 deep cycle 12 volt d/c batteries.from those,I feed my entire lighting system,all 12 volt.a cell phone charging outlet and my water pump is 12 volt.That way I have light,cell phone charging and running water at night even with the genny off.I run the genny in the evening to watch t.v. or play on my computer all the while running my fan,and sterio as well as the battery charger.It's worked great going on 3 years now.I don't miss that electric bill one bit!I do recommend you use a good quality120 volt battery charger rather than the one on your Honda.Mine died after one month of use.(Honda eu2000i).And also ,use the oil that Honda recommends in your genny.I found that using standard motor oil gum's up Honda genny motors.Mine is in the shop right now getting un-gunnked!
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