Toast

Update: Everything is installed and running well. The only problem is that the batteries seem to be almost constantly charging even though, from what I can tell, they are full. So that fan turns on every couple of minutes. I'll let it run for a few days and see what happens. Especially after load shedding tonight when it should in theory discharge slightly and recharge by the time I wake up. Updated DB photos... So we removed and terminated the disused circuits for the stove and heat pump, moved the essential lights and plugs to the same circuit, and put the non-essential plugs on another circuit with their own earth leakage. A new DB was installed with the inverter as added protection and to isolate it.

Cape Town

Thanks. I'll send photos later today of what I (the electrician actually) has done. We decided on a separate DB for the inverter protections and then essentially what you have described with putting everything from the inverter E/L onto the same neutral rail.

Thanks iiznh That helps a lot. I am getting an electrician to some and do it for me. He is registered and comes with great referrals, he just can't do the COC so I'll need someone else to come and do that.

Thanks Scorp. I haven't drawn any of the earth wires in but it will be there. So do I need a fuse on both the live and neutral between the battery and inverter?

How I imagine rewiring this should work:

Turns out my oven is single-phase, so two of those breakers are unnecessary (The stove top is gas). So, as far as I understand it, I can put the oven and geyser on their own phase and then put the stove lighter and the one plug circuit that I don't want on the inverter (with its own earth leakage) on the second phase and put all the other plugs and the lights on the last phase with the inverter. Right? I'd then just disconnect, insulate, and label the unused heat pump and the unused stove wires.

HUGE thanks in advance to anyone willing to look at this and comment. This is my DB in the attached picture. To me it looks like a complete mess and I am not sure how this passed inspection before I bought the place last year. Maybe it's compliant, I don't know. I bought myself a 3k Lalela Inverter and 2x Mecer 12.8V 200Ah LIFEPO4 Batteries. I wanted to get someone to help me install it but every electrician I speak to has a lead time of weeks, if not months. I want to exclude the geyser and stove completely and, if possible, one of the plug circuits (all my high draw things like the washing machine, microwave...etc... are on the same plug circuit). Other than that I want everything connected. I have done an audit and with everything on my maximum draw is around 1440W and there is no reason for everything to be on at once. How easy would it be to reconfigure the DB to exclude those and only connect everything else? What other safety precautions do I need to make in terms of breakers and fuses to ensure nothing blows up or causes a fire. Don't laugh at this question - How does a three phase board like this connect to the inverter with only 1 live and 1 neutral inputs? Did I get the wrong inverter? Should I have bought a 3 phase inverter? Do such things even exist? I would love some general tips and advice and some discussion around this. Related questions: The inverter says that it switches over between the inverter and Eskom automatically. Do I still need to (or can I even) install a changeover switch? If so, would a 40A one work (I have a NSIS-63 that the electrical shop man sold me telling me I need it) The same electrical shop man sold me a 100A fuse to go between my battery and the inverter. Do I not perhaps need two fuses? One for the neutral and one for the live? You guys rock! Any tips or advice would be welcome.