Noises from inverter!

[choob]

Pottering about in the power room I heard the inverter make a noise, almost sounded like arcing. My staff say they hear it often, but had never told me about it.

The system is working fine and there are no large loads connected to it - the largest being a 90W fridge. Inverter rating is 1500W.

I thought it might be dust contamination and blew it out with a compressor but it still makes the noise. Not sure if it has always made the noise or not. Does this sound normal??

[GRickard]

My SolarEdge inverter was making a noise like a Geiger counter and it turned out to be harmonics caused by dimmable LED bulbs.

GR

[Sunking]

Nah. What you are hearing is the windings of an Inductor beating against each other. They use Switch Mode Power Converter which changes the DC input into High Frequency AC so the Voltage can be stepped up. So what you are hearing is the as the Transformer windings are energized acts like a electromagnet with the copper winding around a iron core which in turn vibrates the winding and causing them to beat against each other. Over time the wax or glue they used to secure the windings has broken down allowing the winding to work loose and vibrate.

Or it can also be a failing capacitor. singing. Either way spells trouble is in your near future. Either the insulation on the transformer windings will be worn off, short out the windings, and let the magic smoke out. Or the Capacitor will sing its last song followed by silence and darkness.

[Anthony A Bobo]

So what can be done to get rid of that noise?

[Mike90250]

So what can be done to get rid of that noise?

Tear the inverter apart, and look for the cause, If no bad caps, then the main transformer ( about 80 lbs) could be removed and re-impregnated with epoxy resin.
or wait till it dies, and the bad part will be more apparent.

Neither is simple, both void the warranty