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Balancing Your Houseboat Electric System
Are you thinking about adding a microwave oven to your houseboat galley? Do you want to install a new inverter or beef-up your battery bank? If so, you’re like most houseboat owners who are always looking for ways to make things just a little bit more comfortable onboard. But before you go out and make that purchase, you may want to consider its impact on your overall electric system performance.
The amount of electricity that you use on your houseboat determines the size, complexity and cost of your electric system. Ideally designed, the supply side of your system will balance with your typical electric usage. If your system capabilities are inadequate to supply your usage, you are destined for disappointment in every aspect of its performance. If it’s too large, you will have invested more money than necessary and will continue to pay for its inherent operating inefficiencies.
Also to be considered is balance within the supply side of this equation….your electrical production, storage, conversion and distribution components. Like a chain that is no stronger than its weakest link, your electric system will only offer reliable performance that is equal to its component of least capability. For example, I’ve heard many complaints about inverter performance (conversion), only to discover that the inverter never had a chance to operate at its potential due to an inadequate battery bank (storage) and/or a means of keeping the batteries adequately charged (production).
There are a few good books, web sites and magazine articles that can show you how to determine your electrical usage. With that information you can calculate your supply requirements and the capacities you will need for each of its components. While the calculations are relatively simple, drawing useful conclusions from them without a technical background can be a difficult task. You may be best served by finding a marine electric supplier who will do this analysis for you.
Electrical balance on your houseboat will ensure that you enjoy peak performance at optimum efficiency….resulting in lower initial cost and significant reductions in fuel expense, noise and wear. In a future installment I will show you how to take advantage of the way you use your boat to minimize system upgrade costs and operating expenses.
So before you haul that microwave oven out to the lake, you might want to bring along the other components that will be necessary to supply its electricity and keep the balance of your electric system running smoothly.
Article Compliments:
Marty Zwisler
Onboard Electric
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