FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR BOATS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
How do i know what my 12 volt power demands are ?
Answer = First step is to make a list of all electrical items and appliances used in a 24/hr period. Calculate the number of amps the items use and the amount of time the item runs for each day which gives you your amps/hour. Total all your amps/hour for all items to determine your daily power demand needs.
Can my battery or batteries sustain my daily power requirements ?
Answer = An easy rule to remember is battery size or power storage should be four times your daily power requirements. Example : If your daily amp/hours required is 75ah then you require 300ah battery or storage capacity.
What kind of battery should I have ?
Answer = We recommend using a deep cell battery for longer power storage, much more efficient than a regular 12 volt battery.
Do I include my engine starting in my daily power requirements ?
Answer = We recommend you have an adequately sized and fully charged battery that is dedicated to starting your engine.
Should I have a voltage regulator ?
Answer = An external voltage regulator that has adjustable settings is recommended. This will allow you to customize your voltage regulation based on the amount of engine running time. If engine running time is minimal, then a higher setting will be needed to give you a fast charge without damaging your battery or batteries.
What is a power inverter ?
Answer = An inverter is a tool that takes 12v DC power and through modern technology transforms it to 120v AC current to feed all your electrical items and appliances.
Which inverter do I need ?
Answer = First you must determine the maximum power you require, figure out how many electrical items or appliances will be running at the same time and how long will they be running. Determine how many watts will be drawn at any given time and this will be the size of inverter required. If appliance information plate indicates power in amps,then convert this measurement to watts. The formula for this conversion is Volts X Amps = Watts. (Example : 120 Volts X 4 Amps = 480 Watts)
