Incredulous comments below:
"HaKrause" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 07:08:07 -0600, Tamaroak
wrote:

The inverter I am interested in only has regular 110V outlets, not a
hardwire option. Why couldn't I make up a cord with male plugs on each
end to go from the inverter to my A/C system? This would wire up my
whole system from the inverter, right?

Nope, wont work, polarity would be reversed.

And what happens when I forget to unplug it and hook up to shore pwer?

Nothing.

I'm assuning HaKrause's answerr is intended as a joke (or a troll) but I'm
responding anyway, in case someone believes his response to be true. There
is no polarity to AC power in any real sense. The OP's system would provide
power throughout the boat but I wouldn't recommend it. As others have said,
the cord needed to do what the OP suggested is very dangerous. As will be
the shore power cord as it will have live prongs as well when it's connected
to the boat with the inverter on. Your inverter will probably go poof if
you forget and leave the inverter connected when you connect to shore power
though there is a slim chance the breakers or fuses in the boat may blow in
time to save it.

Why don't you just plug your shore power cord into your inverter? This
would provide power throughout the boat with no danger of exposed live
prongs and no chance of forgetting to unplug the inverter before plugging
into shore power.

--
Ken Heaton, Cape Breton Island, Canada
kenheaton AT ess wye dee DOT eastlink DOT ca

"Ken Heaton" wrote in message news:lmk3e.125730$ZO2.43212@edtnps84...

Why don't you just plug your shore power cord into your inverter? This
would provide power throughout the boat with no danger of exposed live
prongs and no chance of forgetting to unplug the inverter before plugging
into shore power.

Not advisable unless ground fault interrupts are installed on the outlets . . .

Without those, the damned inverter, if powerful enough, might go right on
its merry way electrocuting you.

CN

Comments below:
"Capt. Neal®" wrote in message
...

"Ken Heaton" wrote in message
news:lmk3e.125730$ZO2.43212@edtnps84...

Why don't you just plug your shore power cord into your inverter? This
would provide power throughout the boat with no danger of exposed live
prongs and no chance of forgetting to unplug the inverter before
plugging
into shore power.

Not advisable unless ground fault interrupts are installed on the outlets
.. . .

Without those, the damned inverter, if powerful enough, might go right on
its merry way electrocuting you.

CN

This is good advice. Actually, as you will find marinas don't have ground
faults on their shore power feeds, this is good advice for shore power use
as well. Ground fault outlets are inexpensive, easy to install and as only
the first outlet on any one circuit has to be ground fault (the others can
be fed through the first, see the instructions that come with the outlet)
there is no excuse for not having them on your boat.
--
Ken Heaton & Anne Tobin
Cape Breton Island, Canada
kenheaton AT ess wye dee DOT eastlink DOT ca

"Ken Heaton" wrote in
news:96v3e.158120$fc4.3505@edtnps89:

This is good advice. Actually, as you will find marinas don't have
ground faults on their shore power feeds, this is good advice for
shore power use as well. Ground fault outlets are inexpensive, easy
to install and as only the first outlet on any one circuit has to be
ground fault (the others can be fed through the first, see the
instructions that come with the outlet) there is no excuse for not
having them on your boat. --


I doubt many boats would ever have power if the marinas used ground fault
interrupters. They'd trip every time the boat was plugged in. Most GFIs
are set to something like 6-10ma of leakage. Same is true for washing
machines at home. A little corrosion from the humidity around the
motor....click, no power.....

What I have done on my boat is to hard wire the inverter to a switch.
The switch switches the 110V plugs on the boat to either the inverter
or the shore power. The switch has to be break-before- make. It also
switches both the neutral and the hot wire. So there is no chance of
ever connectiong the inverter to the shore power. So if I want to use
the micro wave, coffee maker, TV,VCR, power tools, toaster etc while I
am anchored out, I have to switch the deep discharge house batteries
to both.( I have a separate starter battery for the engine, so there is
no danger to drain the batteries so that I can't start the engine).
Then I have to switch the inverter on, and then I have to switch the
selector switch to "inverter". When I am on shore power, I make sure
the inverter is off and the selectro switch is to "shore". This system
has worked great, and I feel it is safe, but it may be too complicated
for some.
BTW to recharge the house batteries after heavy use on the weekend, I
have a parrallel switch to chrge the house batteries from the engine
and I ahve solar cells that recharge the batteries while I am away
during the week.

Let me voice an opinion: this is a very abreviated description of what
I have, if you don't understand this, then you should leave this to an
electrician. It is too dangerous to fool around with 110V on a boat.
Rolf