Seneca inverter

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by MD3

With the blue wires to the ignition port unplugged will the main power disconnect for the coach shut off the invertor or does it stay on ?
Wondering if why it’s wired this way so the invertor is shut off when the main disconnect is shut off...... just a wild guess.

(Mine is at the dealer or I’d go try it myself)

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So, MD3 your wild guess is correct! With the wire connected, when you turn off the coach with the master disconnect it turns the inverter off too. With the wire disconnected when you turn off the coach master disconnect the inverter stays on. So the way I see it, PS1 (factory default) setting is the best setting to use the coach in. It depends on how you are going to store the coach when not in use. If stored with disconnect on with shore power to keep the batteries charged then you can just unplug the Ignition Port with and turn inverter off at remote panel. If you store with no shore power connected then when you turn off the master disconnect it shuts the coach and inverter down. I could see maybe adding a switch to the main panel to turn the Ignition Port wire off and on so you could have both choices from inside the coach.

[MD3]

Nice, thank you for figuring that out !!
Gotta love figuring this stuff out.... so many mysteries.


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[RVermont]

I confess to inverter ignorance as well. This information helps however I am trying to figure out if or why I need to turn it off. Is it due to the amperage draw and reducing my batteries or is this to preserve the life of the inverter? Or both? As it is I forget to turn the water heater and pump on if I turn them off , now do I have to do the same with this?

I tried to turn it off when I first got the rig but was not successful so I just assumed it was meant to be on and forgot about it.

[Rustynuts]

Well, the owners manual says to turn inverter off when not in use and Magnum Dimensions says it’s best to turn off when not in use. For me, when it’s in storage it’s in my pole building and plugged in, why run the inverter and power going to all the TVs, microwave and such so I want to turn it off. If boondocking, I would like to turn it off if I’m not needing anything it powers as it is drawing off the batteries.....but now I just added solar so maybe I won’t need to worry about it when boondocking. Our old motorhome didn’t have an inverter so this is all new to me but so far I love having one 😁

Have to agree with MD3, so many things the manual barely covers or is very vague on...that’s what makes these forums so valuable. Our PDI was a joke, I knew more that the dealer did about our new Seneca from reading the forums!

[RVermont]

As you said very vague. They say to turn it off but then make it difficult to turn it off. Something to investigate over the weekend and come up the the best option of how we use our unit. Thanks for the research.

[MD3]

I am running two 160 GoPower solar panels and will still run the batteries down just sitting parked. For some reason my DirecTv box turns on every once in awhile.... that with 4 tv’s on the invertor it runs the batteries down just sitting.
Not sure how much juice the 4 tv and the switch/transfer box and microwave all draw while off but it’s enough to run the batteries down.
This is why I need an easy way to power off the invertor.


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[Rustynuts]

I put 4 - 100 watt panels up with a MPPT charger and with all interior lights on, satellite on 3 TVs on and both bathroom fans on low for 6 hours and the battery started at 12.4 and charged up to 13.1 in that time so the solar had no problem staying ahead of the draw. I am running 4 Trojan 105’s so that probably helps.

[MD3]

I’m still on the 4 12v batteries that came from the dealer..... maybe that is a Big part of the issue. Time to do some battery shopping.


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