Using inverter socket when on EHU

Aly1

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This is probably a daft question but can I use my inverter socket as a normal electric socket when on EHU?
I’ve bought an electric blanket and the nearest socket is my inverter socket, all my other sockets would mean me trailing the wire across my van.
Also if I wasn’t on hook up would an electric blanket drain my batteries too much?
 
This is probably a daft question but can I use my inverter socket as a normal electric socket when on EHU?
I’ve bought an electric blanket and the nearest socket is my inverter socket, all my other sockets would mean me trailing the wire across my van.
Also if I wasn’t on hook up would an electric blanket drain my batteries too much?
you can run your inverter while you are on hookup, yes. When you say "as a normal electric socket" what exactly are you meaning? it will still be powered via the inverter and not from the EHU.
You can get a switch (either mechanical or electronic) that will switch a socket between the inverter source and EHU source.
It is often easier to just have separate sockets and move a device from an Inverter outlet to an EHU outlet when on mains power.

Ref electric blanket ... depends how big your battery bank is. I find using my electric blanket really nice to pre-warm the bed. Power Usage wise, I would say if you have a reasonable battery bank, you could do so.
If you get something like this power meter - https://amzn.to/2oB0p2k - when on hookup, and then use the blanket in your normal way, you will see how much power is used overnight by it. From that info you will get an idea of what effect it will have on a battery bank.
 
Yes on EHU's Ok
It probably wold be too much of a drain on battery if you weren't on EHU - depends how many batteries you have and how long it is on..

As a simple answer, anything you plug in that heats up will use lots of power.
 
Just for fun, I just went out to turn on my electric blanket :)

I would usually turn it off after a few hours if actually sleeping in the bed, but as I am not, I put it on setting 1 (out of 3) and will probably be on all night - and so will see in the morning what power it has used (right now it is pulling 3.7A @12.3V DC)
 
Ok, so I presume if it’s used in the inverter socket it is drawing from the battery and then the hook up is recharging the battery. I have 2 x 110w gel batteries and a 100w solar panel (that probably wouldn’t be doing much in the type of weather I would be using an electric blanket).
I will be interested to hear the results of your test wildebus.
I’m just looking for any alternatives to my noisy diesel heating.
 
SWMBO uses her electric blanket via the Inverter. I found a single 30w blanket as the 60w used a lot of battery power. Used overnight the battery bank 160A drops to 12.3v ( 70% ) it gets charged up again next day while driving for a couple of hours. No way this time of year would Solar be enough to recharge the batteries. We have a 650w Inverter.
 
When discussing extras for my new motorhome with the dealer’s technos I asked for extra sockets at the bed head for my CPAP. I also asked them to transfer my existing inverter. They suggested wiring the new bed head sockets to the inverter and keeping them separate from the external mains supply. An excellent arrangement which is working very well on and off ehu.
 
Ok, so I presume if it’s used in the inverter socket it is drawing from the battery and then the hook up is recharging the battery. I have 2 x 110w gel batteries and a 100w solar panel (that probably wouldn’t be doing much in the type of weather I would be using an electric blanket).
I will be interested to hear the results of your test wildebus.
I’m just looking for any alternatives to my noisy diesel heating.
My setut is a little different (all my outlets are inverter/EHU outlets so work on either depending if plugged in or not).

Anyways... NOT on EHU and the blanket was plugged in just before 11PM. Just checked now and I used an extra 4.5% of the battery SOC between 11pm and 8am.
Comparing my setup to yours, that would be like you using 15%. If you don't want to run your batteries below half-charge (a generally good idea), that means if you used the same blanket for 9 hours on low you would have used up around 1/3rd of the MAXIMUM USABLE POWER of the bank (i.e. when fully charged). When I am on the PC, I'll see what power it did actually use.

So I would say if you are starting the night with pretty good charge in the battery bank, using the blanket to take the chill out the bed is perfectly doable plan. And if you are planning to travel the next morning (such as Froodie talked about), you could put in on for higher/longer (but you must have a way to keep an eye on your batteries to make sure you are treating them ok!).

What I would suggest is you take a look at the diesel heater? Maybe there is a way to make it quieter? Very often they are installed and the fitter does not fit silencers to the exhaust and inlets - that can be a big difference to the noise outlet (electric blankets are handy (as is a water bottle, another handy thing to use), but neither warms the air you breathe :( ).
 
What I would suggest is you take a look at the diesel heater? Maybe there is a way to make it quieter?
Good advice, the Eberspachers can be very noisy if not modulated properly using a decent controller.

My van came originally with climate control but it had a minimum temp setting of 18 degrees and the climate controller did not seem to modulate at all, instead the D4 seemed to rely solely on the built in temp sensor which meant it went from NOISY to LOUD to slightly Less Loud then off repeatedly and constant Glow Plug cycles are not good for ones batteries!

Now that I have added a 801 controller and I am also using the built in secondary external sensor instead of the one in the D4, the blower fan and fuel pump modulates down properly, you can hear it but it is not obtrusive.

Must investigate electric blankets though they sound interesting.
 
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It’s actually a heated throw I’ve ordered so I can snuggle under it as well. My problem is I don’t like my nose getting cold when I’m in bed! I might have to invest in a balaclava as well 😂
On tuesday morning before I ventured from under the duvet and turned on the D4 Karen had pulled a bobble hat out from a hiding place.
I otoh was Bobble hat-less!
 
It’s actually a heated throw I’ve ordered so I can snuggle under it as well. My problem is I don’t like my nose getting cold when I’m in bed! I might have to invest in a balaclava as well 😂
Good plan :)
In my van I have a standard domestic mattress, with a feather topper on top of that, and have the electric blanket sandwiched in-between. Works well as it makes the bed nice and toasty for ages :love: .
However, like you, I don't like a cold nose and before I fitted the heater I used to have to pull the covers over my head to avoid the cold air 😷
 
What a load of wossies. When I was a lad we used to get ice on the inside of the windows. Lino floor no rugs. No thick duvets just blankets. Canoeing in the winter and winter camping with thick frost on the tent in the morning.

I often have a laugh at the antics of the Off Grid holidays on the C&MC site. Inverters to power microwaves, hair dryers, televisions, sky boxes and coffee machines.
 
What a load of wossies. When I was a lad we used to get ice on the inside of the windows. Lino floor no rugs. No thick duvets just blankets. Canoeing in the winter and winter camping with thick frost on the tent in the morning.

I often have a laugh at the antics of the Off Grid holidays on the C&MC site. Inverters to power microwaves, hair dryers, televisions, sky boxes and coffee machines.
When I was a lad we didnt get ice on the windows as we didn't even have windows. Or blankets. Used to just cover ourselves in the newspapers from the chips for supper. One sheet each. Eeee, we had to go to the posh chippies that used The Times as the Daily Mirror only covered our legs.
No beds either, just slept on the ground and used Cowpats for pillows.

Eeee them were the days before the wossies with their blankies and windees that we used to laugh at with their stories of ice. Ice? Pah. That was for the morning bath.
 
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Once upon a time there were four Yorkshiremen, they had it grim as well apparently.
 
What a load of wossies. When I was a lad we used to get ice on the inside of the windows. Lino floor no rugs. No thick duvets just blankets. Canoeing in the winter and winter camping with thick frost on the tent in the morning.

I often have a laugh at the antics of the Off Grid holidays on the C&MC site. Inverters to power microwaves, hair dryers, televisions, sky boxes and coffee machines.
You were lucky! I used to live in a brown paper bag in a septic tank!
 
You can get a 12v blanket to throw over you. Not as effective as a good 230v one under the sheet though.
 
We just use a couple of hot water bottles and snuggle up close to each other, luvly , problem ? is it often leads to other things and then it is too hot Hee Hee.
Does this lead on to a discussion about the need for corner steadies or levellers?:)
 

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