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To: eastforker

Hello,

For what its worth, I would offer this:

Definitely look into getting a “Kill-A-Watt”-type meter that can show you power and energy usage. It should be under $100 and could save a lot of headaches. Power and energy usage are usually horribly labeled on devices. I have manual-defrost deep freezers that are misers with both and a frost-free house refrigerator that is an electrical beast. The labels say the opposite.

Your 8-Amp air conditioner is more like 80-Amps at 12 Volts. It will suck batteries dry pretty quickly.

40 Watts continuous is about 1kWH a day, so your TV and computer may each be more than 1 freezer, for me. A powerful inverter may draw about this much.

I have only 800 Watts of fixed solar panels, but they easily generate more energy than my 5kW generator running for an hour and a half. I wish I was on a boat, then I would follow the sun and get more energy. A gasoline generator seems great for emergencies or periods of no sun, but the gasoline is expensive.

I am using deep cycle RV lead-acid batteries. The jury is out on how long they will last, but I keep them close to full charge daily.

Good luck to you!


26 posted on 09/12/2025 5:16:43 PM PDT by Empire_of_Liberty
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To: Empire_of_Liberty

“I am using deep cycle RV lead-acid batteries.”

I get about five years out of mine the same. But I rotate them a couple times a year so that some do not get more primary input charging than others. If you leave them in one configuration the first couple batteries closest to the charge coming in cook more than the rest. So rotating them helps this issue and extends the lifespan.


33 posted on 09/12/2025 5:31:25 PM PDT by Openurmind (AI - An Illusion for Aptitude Intrusion to Alter Intellect. )
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To: Empire_of_Liberty

Desulfate your batteries and they will last longer.


48 posted on 09/12/2025 6:26:16 PM PDT by meatloaf
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