When Battery Charging Through An Inverter Might Make Sense - PYS Tech Talk
20 August 2026 · 5 min · 3K views
What this video covers
Charging bow thruster batteries via an inverter-powered battery charger while underway provides a viable, albeit inefficient, solution when a dedicated DC-to-DC charging converter is absent.1:37 Many bow thruster banks installed post-factory rely solely on AC chargers connected to shore power or a generator, leaving them vulnerable to depletion during extended manoeuvring.0:49 While critics argue that converting DC to AC and back to DC wastes energy, Jeff Cote of Pacific Yacht Systems notes that this method prevents premature motor failure caused by undervoltage.3:00 Operating a thruster at low voltage damages the motor, making consistent charging essential.3:34 If the house battery bank receives sufficient charge from the engine alternators while underway, the energy loss from the inverter conversion remains an acceptable trade-off to maintain thruster battery health.4:06 Installing a DC-to-DC charging converter remains the preferred long-term solution, but using an inverter-powered charger serves as a practical interim measure to ensure reliable thruster performance.1:37
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