inverter fuses blown

[SunEagle]

inverters really are the weakest link in PV. especially the large 2000w ones. another pure sine wave inverter crapped itself. they dont like hot days. from now im using modified sine wave only because they are alot cheaper. doing away with high wattage appliances, going to get a gas / DC fridge. stick to smaller cheaper inverters no more than 600w

That is probably a good idea. Some appliances put a big strain on an inverter due to their high "starting" load.

[almac]

here is some reading about an inverter bought off ebay from taiwan http://ludens.cl/Electron/chinverter/chinverter.html

[SunEagle]

That warning just reinforces what a number of us have been saying about those cheap inverters. Although "Buyer Beware" is not strong enough of a warning in my book.

[almac]

this inverter is a 2000w pure sine wave that crapped itself 2 days ago. it is not dead, there is no obvious damage to any components. it started pulsing the lights. it was like the current was over correcting like a car trying to steer a straight line but constantly over correcting. placing a load on the inverter steadied the current for a while but the pulsing returned then eventually became so severe that nothing would run on this inverter any longer. what component would cause this?DSCN0001.JPG

[SunEagle]

this inverter is a 2000w pure sine wave that crapped itself 2 days ago. it is not dead, there is no obvious damage to any components. it started pulsing the lights. it was like the current was over correcting like a car trying to steer a straight line but constantly over correcting. placing a load on the inverter steadied the current for a while but the pulsing returned then eventually became so severe that nothing would run on this inverter any longer. what component would cause this?[ATTACH=CONFIG]n301289[/ATTACH]

Not sure what you mean about pulsing lights. Are they your load or indicators on the inverter?

You really need to get a meter and measure both the voltage and current at different points to see if the batteries, load or internal components are causing the pulsing. Or is could be a safety set point programmed in the inverter that is making it perform that way.

[almac]

i meant the lights in the house were pulsing, the current from the inverter was uneven. eventually it wouldnt run anything. had to reconfig some of my batteries to 12v so i could use the remaining 12 inverter i have. it runs fine. its a MSW but runs the fridge and everything else like a sine wave , anyway having experienced too many large wattage inverters fail, (no inverters 600w or under have failed on me) i think the components are not up to withstanding large loads , plus they are expensive. can get by without my 1450w coffee machine. the 600w runs the washing mashine and fridge and everything else so it will do. this has made me think off grid PV is in its infancy, trying to make stand alone fit into grid transmission voltages so you can use transmission voltage appliances wont work . there needs to be stand alone appliances designed around DC voltages . then the inverter will be obsolete

[jflorey2]

here is some reading about an inverter bought off ebay from taiwan http://ludens.cl/Electron/chinverter/chinverter.html

That is a great analysis of a lousy inverter by someone who clearly understands power electronics design. It reminds me of Solarguppy's fixes of the horrendous first generation Trace ST grid tie inverters.

[sensij]

this has made me think off grid PV is in its infancy, trying to make stand alone fit into grid transmission voltages so you can use transmission voltage appliances wont work . there needs to be stand alone appliances designed around DC voltages . then the inverter will be obsolete

Inverters exist and are reliably used every day at much higher powers than you require. The problem is that you don't want to pay for a good one, and as you are finding, generic ebay inverters don't last. In your threads, the point has been made repeatedly that going cheap with off-grid equipment is likely to be more expensive in the long run, and you are proving it. Thank you.

[almac]

have a look at the 2000w inverter pic. does it look cheap could you provide a link to a good inverter 2000w or larger?

[Mike90250]

these inverters are not likely to let you down.
http://solar.schneider-electric.com/.../conext-sw-na/ but they will cost as much as 10 POS fleabay inverters. You save big time not having to replace them every month.

[sensij]

If you don't like Mike's suggestion, some other respected brands include Xantrex, Magnum, Outback, and Samlex.

[almac]

ok thanks for the suggestions, at those prices off grid has no future. so far my 2 x $40 30 amp PWM solar CCs have been bullet proof. this little 600w inverter i bought from dick smith for $110. everthing on sale reduced because they are in receivership and the banks want their money back, it is the best MSW inverter iv had to date. runs everything. if it lasts i will just stick with this DSCN0380.JPG
DSCN0381.JPG

[almac]

bought this little 2000w MSW off fleabay for $68au free post from china.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2000W-Car-Vehicle-USB-DC-12V-24V-to-AC-220V-Power-Inverter-Adapter-Converter-New-/301762080133?hash=item46426bed85:g:ZAAAAOSw5VFWFk~R

it is quite small and light for a 2000w , also i thought the cables were not thick enough for the 100 amp current. so i didnt expect it to perform anything near 2000w. set up 4 junked batteries and tested it out 1st on a 1400w hair drier and it works! runs the coffee machine 1450w even runs the fridge! very impressed so far for the price. will see how long it lasts DSCN0416.JPG
DSCN0414.JPG

[Mike90250]

The better question is
How long will the fridge last on ModSine power ? that extra 20% heating has to get dumped out of the coolant loop. Hotter motor, longer runtimes,......

[almac]

The better question is
How long will the fridge last on ModSine power ? that extra 20% heating has to get dumped out of the coolant loop. Hotter motor, longer runtimes,......

doesnt matter about the fridge, actually its a chest freezer. picked it up for $20image_6790.jpg