Need help with upgrading to lithium battery to install a 1500 watt inverter

[Golden4U]

Hi I am new to the form. 

I have a small van that already has items installed. It currently has a 500 watt pure sine inverter, VMAX 100AH AGM battery, Epever Tracer 30A MPPT, 200 watts of solar and uses a battery doctor 100amp isolator that charges from the van battery when running the van and from the roof solar panels. 

I wanted to upgrade to a 1500 watt inverter. The inverter is currently 500 watts. It connects to a small 6 panel fuse box and the battery is also connect to the fuse box. If I go up to a 1500 watt inverter, can it still be connected to a 6 panel fuse box or do I need to connect it directly to the battery? The current invertor is about 10inchs of wire to the fuse box and the battery is about 3ft of wire from the fuse box. 

 I am also limited on space for the battery. I found that VMAX makes a 100AH lithium battery the same size as the current AGM. So I can get it to fit. From what I read, I think I cannot use the Battery Doctor 100AMP isolator because it’s not compatible with lithium. Does that sound correct? Is there a isolator that you could recommend for me?

I know I need to reprogram the Epever MPPT for the lithium battery. I have the Bluetooth box from Epever and their phone app. I saw on Battle Born blogs on how to reprogram a Epever MPPT for lithium.

I would love to use the Battle Born battery but it will not fit. 

Any recommendations would be great full. Thank you.

 

[bullfrog]

The more important question is what do you plan to run with the 1500 watt inverter and how long. The lithium battery will require changes as well the larger inverter most likely. Even though you are doubling the usable battery power you are tripling the usable wattage. I would be more concerned about 200 watts of solar keeping up with charging the battery. If your present system is working well except for cooking with 120 volt ac appliances lets say I would consider a 2000 watt propane generator for those times and to supplement the solar on cloudy days. The system you have seems well balanced and reasonable for most with 12 volt DC appliances, but even the best solar systems don't work well on cloudy days or inclement weather weeks. A small propane generator solves all that and runs most 120 volt AC appliances when you need them.

 

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[PlethoraOfGuns]

That 1500watt inverter can draw excess of 120amps. Not sure if they make a fuse block big enough for that. You're going to need like 2awg cable to power the inverter. Better to come off battery to big fuse and then right to the inverter.

Lithium is the way to go if you can. But the way you charge it needs to be correct. So a solar charge controller setup for lithium. And if charging off the alternator/starter battery, you need a DC to DC charger made for lithium batteries.

 

[tx2sturgis]

The 1500 watt inverter will need to have heavy cabling directly to the battery posts. You can use a MTBF (marine terminal battery fuse) for protection, depending on the load you intend to plug in to the inverter, but probably around 100-150 amp fuse.

You can buy MTBF terminals with 2 or 3 fuse positions to accommodate larger and smaller loads, and to keep one circuit operating even if the other blows a fuse.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/5191/MRBF_Terminal_Fuse_Block_-_30_to_300A

Yes you will need a lithium compatible DC-DC or shore power charger and/or solar charge controller.

If you intend to use this system to accommodate short duration, high power items such as a 5 minute microwave blast or a power tool to cut a couple of 2x4s, it might work, but dont try to run a high power load such as a convection oven or space heater for hours and hours....it aint gonna work.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Correction:

 "MRBF" 

Dang I hate when I do that.

 

[DLTooley]

Yeah, direct wire to the inverter with a separate fuse.

 

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