Fire Caused by Plug In Grid Tie Inverter

[chiques]

I see there are endless stories of how dangerous plug in grid tie inverters are. Does anyone have any recent references or news articles of structure fires caused by these sub $100 grid tie inverters?

[jflorey2]

I see there are endless stories of how dangerous plug in grid tie inverters are. Does anyone have any recent references or news articles of structure fires caused by these sub $100 grid tie inverters?

I doubt you will see very many accounts of this. When they do cause fires the user has a VERY strong incentive to not admit how the fire started. "I have no idea how the fire started! I certainly wasn't doing anything that might have caused it."

[azdave]

People can choose to gamble and use an illegal plug-in inverter just as easily as they can choose to hit the freeway on bald tires and gamble that one won't blow out and kill them. I could care less if an individual wants to risk injury to themselves but when a bald tire blows out and the car veers into a car full of kids then I have a problem with that kind of decision making.

They don't meet code for multiple safety reasons. If they could be made safe and to code requirements then you would see them sold by legitimate, name-brand manufacturers.

[bcroe]

Cheap illegal electrical equipment may be more fire prone, but I see anything handling electrical power
as a potential hazard. Stuff here tends to be in steel boxes, mounted on concrete walls, connected by
oversized wiring in steel conduit. I cringe every time I see a nice neat wooden panel or battery box.
Bruce Roe

[Spyro01]

hmm.. had a few questions about them grid tie inverters but now i wonder..
saw this video on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hANi5NbcY5g&t=583s
went to ebay and found (just like one he has but 1000w for around 100 bucks) https://www.ebay.com/itm/1000W-Grid-...sAAOSwBgtZ2km~
went to harbor freight other day and saw 100w systems they have (4x25w)
then i read some of the forum posts here like this one states it is illegal in usa (i live in southern ohio) and also a forum that mentions a fire hazzard. now i wonder if it is even safe or not.
now i wonder if it is something i should avoid entirely?

[SunEagle]

hmm.. had a few questions about them grid tie inverters but now i wonder..
saw this video on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hANi5NbcY5g&t=583s
went to ebay and found (just like one he has but 1000w for around 100 bucks) https://www.ebay.com/itm/1000W-Grid-...sAAOSwBgtZ2km~
went to harbor freight other day and saw 100w systems they have (4x25w)
then i read some of the forum posts here like this one states it is illegal in usa (i live in southern ohio) and also a forum that mentions a fire hazzard. now i wonder if it is even safe or not.
now i wonder if it is something i should avoid entirely?

For the pennies you might save using those illegal grid tie inverters you could spend thousands in home repairs due to a failure that causes a fire or damage to your electrical system.

[jflorey2]

went to ebay . . .went to harbor freight . . . .

Well, there's your problem right there.

now i wonder if it is even safe or not.
now i wonder if it is something i should avoid entirely?

Done correctly they are quite safe. If you are considering doing a very small system, look into a microinverter based system (like the Enphase system.) You can get each inverter for well under $200, pair it with a panel (or two, depending on the inverter and panels) and have the basis of a system. You'll also need racking and BOS components, of course, and will likely need to enlist the help of a solar installer to satisfy the AHJ.

[peakbagger]

Its not just the internet sellers, I have noticed both Northern Hydraulics and Harbor Freight slap stickers or copy bubbles on anything solar claiming the equipment qualifies for federal rebates. Sure there may be some iteration of a system that may be able to configured so the junk is legal but for the average Joe, its extremely misleading.

Heck I have even seen ads over the years claiming that the self contained solar walkway lights qualify for federal rebates!

[reader2580]

The reason people use the plug in solar inverters is because they are cheap and easy to install. The cost of hooking up a single microinverter to code is going to cost far more the cost of the microinverter.

I am not at all advocating anyone use one of the plug in inverters, but I understand why people do it.

[SunEagle]

The reason people use the plug in solar inverters is because they are cheap and easy to install. The cost of hooking up a single microinverter to code is going to cost far more the cost of the microinverter.

I am not at all advocating anyone use one of the plug in inverters, but I understand why people do it.

And I understand why people installed those "hydrogen" generators on their car engines to get better gas mileage, but that still doesn't mean it was a safe or smart action on their part.