May I get some help concerning inverter?

[79vwbus]

I've been running a small WalMart Haier 1.7 dorm fridge in my bus. I have a Renogy 150watt panel, Renogy 30amp charge controller, Xantrax XPower 1000 inverter with Xantrax ATS. For the leisure battery, I am running a deep cycle marine. This set up has been powering ONLY the fridge. I have been having issues with the inverter tripping for a while now. But in the past two weeks, the problem has risen to the inverter now won't turn on at all. When I turn it off and back on, the red/fault light just stays on. I can't even reset it.

Is this inverter shot and, if it is and I need to replace it, should I upgrade to an at least 1500 watt one?

Thank you for any help. If I need to provide more info, just let me know.

[Mike90250]

I'd suspect the battery.

How old is it?

How is it kept charged ?

Does it reach FLOAT daily?

What has water usage been like?

[79vwbus]

Thank you, Mike, for your response.

The battery is probably a couple of years old. Maybe close to three years. It is charged by the solar panel and it is also set up to be charged by the alternator when the bus is running. I honestly do not understand what you mean by the last two questions. Can you please explain them?

Again. Thank you.

[Mike90250]

There are several stages of charging a battery, Bulk, Absorb and finally, Float. To reach float, the battery must complete it's charging. With a panel flat on the roof, it will not generate it's full power, maybe only 60% of it.

As batteries are charged, the water breaks down into Oxygen and Hydrogen gas, and goes away. The rate of dispersal is indicative of the amount of charging, and the water must be replaced wit the addition of Distilled water, generally monthly.

Do you have a volt meter and can you measure the battery voltage at noon, and at morning ?

3 years is a full life for a deep cycle marine battery in daily use, you got your moneys worth from it, and it's now likely time to replace it.

[79vwbus]

Wow. That's good information. My panel is mounted flat on the roof. Another piece of information in this is that I do garage my bus. When I do, I plug into the house so the fridge runs off the house power and then turn the inverter off. I also do mostly shore power camping. So again, when I plug up, the ATS switches operation of the fridge to shore and off of the battery. I'm not sure if this information is vital to this, but thought about it and thought I'd share. I also do not "live" or even camp in my bus but maybe a few times a year and for only a couple of days each time.

I do have a voltmeter and can/will check that information in the morning( a few hours for me) and at noon and will report back. I guess I need to put the bus outside so the sun can do its thing. I have checked it before and, if memory serves correct, it was reading at a decent level. The charge controller always shows it at 13.1, too.

Again, thank you.

[79vwbus]

It's an hour earlier than noon, but I did want to report that at 0630, I pushed the bus out of the garage and the battery was at 12.8. By 0900, it was at 13.8. Just now, I checked it and it was at 13.9.

I disconnected the battery cables at the battery and at the inverter for a couple of hours, hit the reset buttons on the inverter and just plugged it all back in with the same result. Still at 13.9 on the battery and a red(fault) light on the inverter. I've also left the fridge unplugged from the inverter so there is nothing being powered by it.

[Mike90250]

Next step, check for voltage sag when the inverter is turned on. Connect a small-med INCANDESCENT bulb to the battery and turn the inverter ON. Does the bulb dim or flicker?

Try the inverter on another vehicle, or are you able to start and run the RV engine and be charging the battery the inverter runs off ? If the inverter fails that, then I'd suspect the inverter. Does the owners manual for the inverter indicate what the light means (besides fault) ?

[79vwbus]

I'm not sure how to connect a bulb to a car battery.

Otherwise, the set up includes a relay which allows the leisure battery to be charged by the RV's alternator while the RV is running instead of charging off the panel. The inverter still will not cut on or lose the fault light being on.

Here is the run down of what the fault light can mean:

No output voltage; Fault Light is on.
Low input voltage
High input voltage
Thermal shutdown
Unit overload
Output is short circuited.

[jflorey2]

I'm not sure how to connect a bulb to a car battery.

Bulb has two terminals, battery has two terminals. Connect them.

[79vwbus]

It does not flicker or dim.

[79vwbus]

The light just stays on.

[Mike90250]

Well, the lights behavior would indicate the battery voltage is not sagging, and that the inverter has failed.

[Matrix]

I think I would try connecting the inverter to another battery and see what happens. Even using smaller loads than the fridge.

[79vwbus]

Mike. I did as also advised and hooked that florescent light directly to the input leads on the inverter from the battery and got full, stable power to that light from there as well. I went with that and ordered a new inverter. It'll be here in a couple of days and I'll swap it out and see what happens.

Matrix. I was going to try your suggestion, but want to go this route first upon seeing that the battery seems to have all its ducks in a row. Thank you for your suggestion, though, sir.

[Mike90250]

Mike. I did as also advised and hooked that florescent light directly to the input leads on the inverter from the battery and got full, stable power .......

i specifically stated to use an incandescent lamp, as a LED or florescent systems have a ballast that stabilizes the voltage and hides voltage flaws exactly of the sort we are looking for.