IntelliVerter
is a device that connects to your RV inverter using the remote port*.
Once connected, it cycles the inverter automatically in order to s -
t - r - e - t - c - h the reserved battery life of your coach. This
control economizes your inverter usage. Extending the time between
charges.
Why is it needed?
The modern RV relies more and more on battery power. While driving
or connected to shore power, the batteries have the opportunity to
charge. When not connected to one of these power sources, the coach
relies on the power stored in the house batteries. The batteries
then supply the electrical requirements of the coach. That includes
essential loads such as:
·Lighting
·Furnace
·Refrigerators
·Water pump
·Monitoring devices including LP leak detectors
·Small electronic DC powered devices like small TV's
In addition to these required loads, the batteries supply power to
devices that make our RV a home away from home. Devices that require
AC current and that operate off of inverter power like:
·
Residential Refrigerators supplied in many modern coaches
·
Televisions and satellite equipment
·
DVD and CD players
·
Stereos
·
Charging handheld devices
·
Small appliances
To care for all these needs, house batteries need to be high
capacity, with the ability to provide high amp/hour power. But this
leads to adding weight to the coach, while taking needed space with
battery banks consisting of large cells and or a number of cells
connected in parallel. Additionally, these batteries are expensive
and must be maintained. The greater the demand for power in the RV
the faster the batteries discharge. The more they discharge, the
longer it takes to recharge them.
More and more RV's are supplied with high capacity inverters making
it possible to have AC while not connected to shore power. Yet even
if no loads are being powered from the inverter, the inverter itself
takes power from the house batteries draining them for no real
reason. For this reason, many manufacturers have equipped the
inverters they make with the capability of switching them with a
remote control. That way the inverter can be controlled from in the
coach if they are routed to do so. However, that usually requires
the coach owner to have cabling routed and installed in the RV.
To save battery power the RV owner should turn off the inverter when
not using AC loads. Oops, a problem. What if you have loads that
can't be turned off say...through the night at least not all night.
Devices like residential refrigerators or other essential loads
should not be left off for extended periods of time. Guess you have
to get up several times a night...or you get something to control
power from your inverter, cycling it off and on automatically.
Something like IntelliVerter. As far as
we know, the first product of it's type
on the market.
How does IntelliVerter Work?
IntelliVerter
cycles power automatically by switching*
your existing inverter. The time off and on are selectable and
programmable from within your coach. The
IntelliVerter has two outputs, one of which controls the
inverter using the remote port. The inverter output timing cycle can
be bypassed remotely, allowing the use of devices directly connected
to the inverter AC output like TV's.
The auxiliary output cycles off and on at the same programmed rate
as the inverter output. If you bypass the inverter timing cycle, the
auxiliary output continues to cycle at the rate programmed. That
means if you have a refrigerator or other load tied to the auxiliary
output^
it will continue to cycle, but you can watch TV with no
interruption.Let's see you do that with
an inverter remote. But perhaps you want to bypass the timing
cycle on that auxiliary output. No problem, that's also a remote
function. Bypassing the auxiliary output timing cycle will turn on
the output and automatically turn on the inverter.
When you are through watching TV or using your inverter and or the
auxiliary output, the remote allows you to return to the normal
timing cycle.
* Note:
IntelliVerter
is not intended to switch the battery leads to the inverter. It
provides a "dry" contact that switches the control of the inverter.
This contact is considered pilot duty and is rated at no more than 1
amp.
^ Note:
The auxiliary output provides a "dry" contact that can operate a
remote relay. The auxiliary output contact is considered pilot duty
and is rated at no more than 1 amp.
How Effective is the IntelliVerter?
Let me tell you a sad story, sad but true. My wife and I purchased a
new RV. Fancy in my book complete with a French Door Residential
Refrigerator...wow.
The coach came with a 1000 watt inverter
and two "deep cycle" 12 volt batteries. After charging while driving
all day, we stopped for the night and awoke to the LP sensor beeping
3 hours later. No gas leak, it was low voltage on the house battery.
Great...started the generator at 1:30 in the morning.
After a few nights of this I was ready to sell the RV and go home. I
made the situation somewhat better by changing the batteries out to
two 6 volt "golf cart" batteries connected in series. Then I could
go 7 1/2 hours on the batteries (I turned the furnace way down). No
more room for additional batteries now what? Ok, that's why I made
the IntelliVerter. But, since you're not
my therapist let me get to the point.
After installing the IntelliVerter on my
coach, the 7 1/2 hours of run time extended to 36 hours. I had a
remote temp readout in my freezer and the temperature never went
above 13 degrees. Of course, no one opened the freezer during that
time and the heat was not on in the coach. Your results could vary
based upon the insulation of the refrigerator and the ambient
temperature.
NOTE:
The RV was powering only the load of the refrigerator for this test.
IntelliVerter
Android Bluetooth Application is available on Google Play
You can also download it below by clicking
the image.
Screen shot of IntelliVerter Android
Bluetooth Application
INSTRUCTIONS
A list of compatable inverters and instructions for the operation of the IntelliVerter can be found
by following this
hyperlink.
