fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

KSchonbeck

Hello community

As I'm new to this forum I have searched through the previous posts, to see if anyone had a similar issue with a fridge as I do - but no luck. Therefore this thread.

I have a small cabin equipped with a off-grid solar system. Specs are as follows:

12v -240v

2x solar panels of 100wp
3x 100ah 12v batterys
1x Modified Sinewave inverter 1600w continuous/ 3000 w peak (85% efficiency)

When i bought the cabin in april all my appliances ran perfectly well ( fridge (65w), microwave(1150w), Gas leakage alarm(50w), Vacuum cleaner(1000w)). After a month or 2 i accidentally ran to many appliances at once, and the inverter shut down. Not to worry the overload protection insures that i don't harm the inverter i thought. I reset the Inverter and start up my appliances one by one.

Vacuum cleaner still works. The microwave cannot start - just hums . The gas alarm starts up with 3 beeps as usual but after a while it starts beeping as though it is not getting enough current to keep running. The fridge ( which is my main concern:-)) power on, and the compressor start up and run for about 6-8 seconds (at start up the inverter reads 70% output power which then drops to around 30%) then stops and repeats the cycle after 2-3minutes.

I immidiately thought the inverter was toast, but it fused me that my 1000watt vacuum cleaner still worked?. So i purchased a Sealey 6/12V Battery Drop Tester to test my battery bank. Under no load all batteries indicated 12,6v-12,8 v. Applying a load on the battery the current dropped to 11 v which meant according to the chart provided by the test manufacture, that they had passed.

So i'm back to the inverter. Anyone out there who had similar experiences? I really don't wont to through out 1500$ for a new inverter if there is a quick fix out there:-)...

Photowhit

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Have you checked the A/C voltage?

BB.

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

My first guesses--Either the wiring from the battery bank is marginal (too small and/or long of wire from battery to AC inverter) or has a problem (loose/dirty connection). Too much voltage drop and the inverter will turn off (typically around 10.5 volts on the DC input to the inverter).

The next guess is that you may have over stressed/damaged the battery bank by drawing too much power.

At 1,600 watts, your inverter would draw:

1,600 watts * 1/0.85 inverter efficiency * 1/10.5 volts = 179 amps DC battery draw
3,000 watts * 1/0.85 inverter efficiency * 1/10.5 volts = 336 amps DC battery draw

For a typical flooded cell 300 amp battery bank, the maximum continuous load is around C/8 to C/5 usage (battery capacity divided by hours of discharge to empty battery--8 hour or 5 hour discharge rate) and C/2.5 maximum surge (AGM/GEL batteries can supply higher current values):

300 AH battery bank * 1/8 hour rate = 37.5 amps
300 AH battery bank * 1/5 hour rate = 60 amps
300 AH battery bank * 1/2.5 hour rate = 120 amps maximum battery surge current (few tens of seconds)

So--At this point, I would suspect that your battery bank was really too small for your power demands and probably finally is (slowly) giving up the ghost. A full size refrigerator would draw anywhere from ~500 to 1,200 watts starting surge and ~130 to 600 watt running (depends if auto defrost, model, etc.).

A side issue may be the wiring from the battery bank to the AC inverter is too small/long... At 12 volts, the minimum battery voltage is probably around 11.5 volts under load, and the inverter cutoff is ~10.5 volts... That leaves only 1.0 volt maximum wiring drop for "operational head room". At >180 amps, that requires some pretty heavy/short/well connected cables to manage that amount of power.

Normally, we would look at your power needs and work backwards to define battery bank capacity. Then how much charging energy you need to support the battery bank + loads (a large battery bank needs a goodly amount of solar panels just for proper charging itself).

And, just a wild guess, is that 200 Watts of solar panels is not large enough to really support your loads. Such an array would produce only around 400-500 Watt*Hours per day in an average climate/location. The average reasonably efficient refrigerator would draw >1,000 Watt*Hours per day. If you are in Denmark or similar northern area--You may get more sunlight during the summer, but a whole lot less during winter...

So, if you are there for a weekend, you may "squeak by" by "deficit" charging the battery bank, and they sort of recover over the next 5+ days for the next visit... But long term, your batteries are not going to last very long with this setup (guessing a bit on my part).

Your thoughts? And welcome to the forum too.

-Bill

Cariboocoot

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Welcome to the forum.

You've got a problem, all right. Have you got a generator? It's a good idea to check those things that won't work out against a known good power source.

Which brings us to the MSW inverter. Not a good choice for motors, really. Your vacuum cleaner probably works because they have a pretty low start-up demand as they just spin in free air. A refrigerator tries to start against the load of the compressor. That can demand up to 5 times the running power, which would put quite a load on the 1600 Watt inverter. Especially since the MSW type produces a poor waveform causing the motors to draw perhaps 20% more power than they normally would.

So what you check first is the output Voltage of the inverter under no load, and then under load. It is possible that one MOSFET has fried in it and it can't deliver full power. Normally you'd see this as low output Voltage, especially under load, but an MSW is going to look like low Voltage anyway. That makes this a matter of interpretation of whatever numbers you do get.

The second thing to test is the DC Voltage at the inverter. Again both with no load and a load applied. If it drops too much the inverter may not be able to supply full output power. It can even cause it to shut down because it sees low Voltage on its input.

I hate to say it but the inverter is the #1 suspect here.

KSchonbeck

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Thanks for the comments.

1. The wiring is thick 50mm2 battery cables with only 50cm from battery to the inverter.
2. The refrigiator is a small 65watt with low power demands and with the gas alarm, is the only appliance that is always plugged in.
so given that i rarely use the microwave or the vacuum cleaner my total power demand is 65 + 50 = 115 watt
3. I rarely stay for more than a day, and i will only be using it from april to september - so my guess is that the battery bank and the solar panels will be sufficient?!

KSchonbeck

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Unfortunately i dont have a generator, which i agree would be ideal way of testing. I know that the MSW inverter is not the best way to run a fridge, but since it worked fine when i purchased the cabin i didn't think it would be an issue. I will try to test the voltage on the inverter next time am there.

again thanks for the tips.

Cariboocoot

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Well if the batteries are wired together perfectly (three in parallel is difficult to manage without bus bar/common point connections and equal length wires) you'd have 300 Amp hours @ 12 Volts. That would be about 1.8 kW hour maximum (a bit less with inverter consumption and conversion to AC).

Your 200 Watts of panel is really not sufficient for recharging that much battery. In fact you may benefit from leaving one of those batteries out of the mix. Those panels should supply around 5.7 Amps, so together you'd have about 11.4. On 300 Amp hours that is a meager 3.8% charge rate, which is below the recommended 5% minimum. For 200 Amp hours it would be 5.7% which would just about do for a part time cabin.

Now the load may total 115 Watts, but that doesn't give you the number you need to compare against battery capacity: Watt hours. It is important to know how long those Watts are used. Since the refrigerator will cycle on and off it isn't 65 Watts continuous. This is where you need to use a Kill-A-Watt and get some actual consumption numbers.

For example those two panels would provide 400 to 500 Watt hours per day AC, depending on insolation and system efficiency. This is the equivalent of a bit more than one of your batteries used to only 25% DOD.

If the refrigerator runs for more than 7 hours per day (and it's likely to) it will consume over 400 Watt hours and possibly exceed the amount of energy the panels can 'harvest'.

Do you have a hydrometer you can check the specific gravity of the batteries with? There is the possibility that they have been deficit charged the whole time and have gone down in capacity (and may be unrecoverable).

KSchonbeck

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Okay. The capacity issue with the solar panels seems odd, since the cabin has worked fine for the last 4 years with that solar system. Maybe i got it wrong with the panels. It occurs to me that one panel is larger than the other, so maybe i read the numbers wrong.

batteries are closed cell deep cycle gel batteries, so i dont think a hydrometer is an option...

BB.

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

A 65 watt compressor (and no defrost heaters) should only draw around 5x surge power (~325 VA maximum draw)--Should not be a problem with your AC inverter.

MSW (Modified Square or Sine Wave) inverters can be tough on some AC appliances. Typically small AC transformers, some less expensive power supplies (for some computers, DVD player power adapter, small battery/tool chargers) can overheat. And some motors (which can draw ~20% more power on MSW vs TSW true sine wave / utility power) can overheat too (some refrigerator compressors).

All About Inverters
Choosing an Inverter - Home Power Magazine

If you avoid using the larger appliances, your ~115 watt average load should be "OK" on the battery bank:

• 300 AH * 12 volts * 0.85 inverter eff * 1/8 nominal discharge = 382 watts max recommend load on your battery bank...

And an average of 115 watt load would last (to 50% discharge on battery bank for longer battery life):

• 300 AH * 12 volts * 0.50 max discharge * 1/115 watts * 0.85 inverter efficiency = 18.4 hours recommended discharge per charging cycle

Your "average loads" are probably "OK" for that size battery bank and for your one day a week type usage--Although, did you get a real Deep Cycle type battery or did you use Marine or Automotive type battery. "True" Deep Cycle batteries should last longer than other types of batteries.

For charging, we recommend around 5% to 13% rate of charge for best battery health/life (upwards of 20-25% rate of charge is possible too--but another discussion). A 300 AH @ 12 volt battery bank:

• 300 AH * 14.5 volts charging * 1/0.77 panel+controller derating * 0.05 rate of charge = 282 Watt array minimum
• 300 AH * 14.5 volts charging * 1/0.77 panel+controller derating * 0.10 rate of charge = 565 Watt array nominal
• 300 AH * 14.5 volts charging * 1/0.77 panel+controller derating * 0.13 rate of charge = 734 Watt array "cost effective maximum"

At the very least, I would suggest that you get one more 100 watt array to better/more quickly recharge your battery bank. If you were there full time/multiple days, I would suggest closer to 565-734 watts (numbers are approximate, solar is not that accurate. Just using "exact" numbers so you can follow my math).

Using this website to estimate the amount of sun:

http://solarelectricityhandbook.com/solar-irradiance.html

You may get and average of 4 hours of sun per day (to 5+ middle of summer)... A 200 watt array will output at 4 hours of sun:

• 200 watts * 0.52 system efficiency * 4 hours of sun = 416 WH @ 4 hours of sun
• 200 watts * 0.52 system efficiency * 5 hours of sun = 520 WH @ 4 hours of sun

If you assume 115 watt load, that would be:
416 WH per day * 1/115 W load = 3.6 hours per day support

So--From the load point of view--The present 200 watt array is pretty small and would take many days to recharge your 1 day of discharge.

Your 50cm 50mm² cable should be fine for your power needs.

Checking your input DC voltage and AC output voltage will be the next step... Not that with a "cheap" DMM (not True RMS reading meter) will probably read closer to 200 volts or a bit less for a "230/240 VAC" MSW inverter--That is normal (MSW wave form reads "low" on a typical DMM which assumes a true sine wave for voltage measurements).

-Bill

BB.

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

GEL batteries (many times) have a C/20 or 5% maximum charge limit--So in your case, the solar array is probably a better fit than going with a very large array (GEL batteries are not recommended for solar power because they do not take higher charging currents which are really needed for the "average" daily use cabin/home).

In Europe, there are some GEL type batteries that can take C/10 or higher charging current--But you need to check the specifications to be sure.

4 year life is not bad for those batteries (and AGM/GEL batteries can supply more "peak/average" current vs flooded cell, so you are sort of OK there. Note that you sill do not have much storage or daily charging capacities--So the bank+panels cannot supply that much average energy per day).

-Bill

BB.

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

By the way, I always like to suggest a Battery Monitor--particularly for sealed batteries (AGM/GEL/VRLA). Victron makes a couple of very nice units (out of Europe).

-Bill

KSchonbeck

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Thanks for the great pointers Bill. I will check the specifications on the batteries + current on the inverter, next time i'm at the cabin.

Cariboocoot

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

KSchonbeck wrote: »

Okay. The capacity issue with the solar panels seems odd, since the cabin has worked fine for the last 4 years with that solar system.

At first glance this may seem odd, but even with flooded cells this can happen. The problem is that the panels can put back most of what is used every day, but not quite all. This is deficit charging. It does not show up as instant failure, but as shortened battery life (if indeed this is the problem).

I've seen too many systems that were designed to minimum specs. They start out working, but inevitably stop working before they should. It is normal for batteries to go down in capacity over time no matter what. If they aren't charged properly they will go down faster.

The old "it will charge back up over a few days" theory has proven to be key to short battery life. So are things like trying to charge 24 Volt systems from 30 Volt panels because there is not always enough Voltage available to bring them up.

A system that doesn't have enough margin for error in it is one that will disappoint sooner rather than later.

unicornio

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

i think at first, seems impossible that with these solar panels, that inverter and those batteries (also in parallel!...) has operated the refrigerator, microwave oven, vacuum cleaner...what more?...and for 4 years!... even it seems impossible that it worked more than half an hour!...really is a very strange event, however, what happens now is much more real, obvious and clear!...

KSchonbeck

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Just checked with the manufacture of the fridge. it consumes 112 kWh pr year, which means around 334 watt pr day. Now lets assume that this is the only thing plugged in to the inverter. With 300 ah batteries and 200 w solar panels yielding 416 wh according to Bills assumptions, shouldn't the fridge at least be able to run normally?. By normally i would suspect the fridge when plugged in to run the compressor until the temperature has dropped according to the thermostat. Instead i get these 6-8 seconds where the compressor is running and 2-3 minuttes silence.

waynefromnscanada

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

KSchonbeck wrote: »

Just checked with the manufacture of the fridge. it consumes 112 kWh pr year, which means around 334 watt pr day. Now lets assume that this is the only thing plugged in to the inverter. With 300 ah batteries and 200 w solar panels yielding 416 wh according to Bills assumptions, shouldn't the fridge at least be able to run normally?. By normally i would suspect the fridge when plugged in to run the compressor until the temperature has dropped according to the thermostat. Instead i get these 6-8 seconds where the compressor is running and 2-3 minuttes silence.

Your system, even if everything is operating perfectly, (batteries in top shape, no shading whatever on your panels, no lose connections or connections that have built up a bit of resistance, and assuming there is likewise no problem with the fridge) would be operating right on the edge of success, so all it would take is some little change, and down goes your system.
Obviously, if it used to work and now doesn't, there is a problem, and it will take some investigation to uncover the cause. A good multi-meter would be a start, checking battery voltage right at the battery output posts while under load. Checking the charging current coming from your panels, checking to see if the batteries are indeed getting properly charged, checking the voltage at the fridge while running, and the amps thus flowing, is the compressor actually running, or just sitting, rotor locked until it kicks out on overload? Is it running at less than full speed, and then likewise kicking out on overload, is the compressor getting hot? I read what the manufacturer SAYS the fridge should consume, and they could be right - - or not - - and of course in hot weather it will consume more than during cooler weather, but that consumption should be verified, not just taken as Gospel because the manufacturer says so.
Have you checked battery SG? (if you have flooded batteries)
When the compressor stops, is there still voltage available to run it? 7 seconds "run" time followed by 2.5 minutes "silence" would be in line with the compressor cutting off on overload, IF there were enough power available.

KSchonbeck

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

waynefromnscanada wrote: »

Your system, even if everything is operating perfectly, (batteries in top shape, no shading whatever on your panels, no lose connections or connections that have built up a bit of resistance, and assuming there is likewise no problem with the fridge) would be operating right on the edge of success, so all it would take is some little change, and down goes your system.
Obviously, if it used to work and now doesn't, there is a problem, and it will take some investigation to uncover the cause. A good multi-meter would be a start, checking battery voltage right at the battery output posts while under load. Checking the charging current coming from your panels, checking to see if the batteries are indeed getting properly charged, checking the voltage at the fridge while running, and the amps thus flowing, is the compressor actually running, or just sitting, rotor locked until it kicks out on overload? Is it running at less than full speed, and then likewise kicking out on overload, is the compressor getting hot? I read what the manufacturer SAYS the fridge should consume, and they could be right - - or not - - and of course in hot weather it will consume more than during cooler weather, but that consumption should be verified, not just taken as Gospel because the manufacturer says so.
Have you checked battery SG? (if you have flooded batteries)
When the compressor stops, is there still voltage available to run it? 7 seconds "run" time followed by 2.5 minutes "silence" would be in line with the compressor cutting off on overload, IF there were enough power available.

So i checked the batteries with a multimeter today - idle and under load. With the inverter power on and no load i read 13,6 volts input and 172 volts output. I then plugged in the fridge and the volts dropped to 13 volts input and increased to 180 volts output. then i used a "energi-meter" ( i really dont know if thats the right term) to check the power consumption and got the following readings from the fridge when the compressor was running.


Volts: fluctuating around 180
Amps: 3
Watt: 400-500
Hertz: All over the place. From 20 hz to 80hz ( this really puzzles me!, is this a sign of inverter malfunction?)

on a 2 hour duration i got 30 Wh. So 30Wh x 12 = 360wh per day. And even though the fridge consumes the power specified, the temperature didn't drop considerably...

Blackcherry04

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

KSchonbeck wrote: »

So i checked the batteries with a multimeter today - idle and under load. With the inverter power on and no load i read 13,6 volts input and 172 volts output. I then plugged in the fridge and the volts dropped to 13 volts input and increased to 180 volts output. then i used a "energi-meter" ( i really dont know if thats the right term) to check the power consumption and got the following readings from the fridge when the compressor was running.


Volts: fluctuating around 180
Amps: 3
Watt: 400-500
Hertz: All over the place. From 20 hz to 80hz ( this really puzzles me!, is this a sign of inverter malfunction?)

on a 2 hour duration i got 30 Wh. So 30Wh x 12 = 360wh per day. And even though the fridge consumes the power specified, the temperature didn't drop considerably...

It is probably the meter you are using, you cannot get accurate readings without a True RMS meter. If it was as far out as your readings, it wouldn't last long. The battery reading seems good.

Cariboocoot

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

The AC Voltage readings you got were curious indeed. This is a 240 VAC inverter, right? Normally we expect to see "low" Voltage from an MSW inverter but that is about 1/2 Voltage. If the 'frige was receiving 1/2 Voltage the motor would loll over trying to start until the thermal cut-out disconnected things. Once it cooled down it would try to start again.

Frankly I think your inverter is blown. The only way to be sure is to try running the 'frige from a known stable power source.

SkiDoo55

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Are you using a Kill-A-Watt for measuring consumption? If so it will read volts on the AC side, along with power factor etc.
If you have a generator or can borrow one try running fridge on it and see what you get or if condition goes away. Also, you can check your voltmeter. For volt and freq. readings. Frequency should be stable even if volt reading is off. What make/model is your meter? Could also borrow a known good meter to check readings. Does the evaporator plate cool,off at all when it's running. I would verify volts and frequency before running it much as that high of voltage and freq. will harm the compressor sooner or later if its really that high. If really those,numbers then inverter is damaged and needs repair/replacement.

After seeing Cariboocoot reply had to go back to OP see that you do say 240 vac inverter! Is refrigator the same or 120 vac?

Still would try and get a,generator or known good inverter to check it out. Something is wrong with those voltage and frequency readings.

KSchonbeck

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

I have just looked up Kill a watt which on danish translates to energi meter :-). So yes i have been using a Kill-a-watt. Regarding the Hz: When the compressor is not running i get 50hz stable, as soon as the compressor kicks in, the hz bounce back and fourth from 20 to 80 hz. Unfortunately i am not able to borrow a stable power source. I will try to get a hold of a new inverter with a cash back guarantee - Just to be sure.

Caribooocoot: Yes the inverter is 240VAC inverter

SkiDoo55

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

I would check with the manufacture of the inverter and see if the have a replacement/exchange program for it? If any warranty is remaining.

KSchonbeck

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

SkiDoo55 wrote: »

I would check with the manufacture of the inverter and see if the have a replacement/exchange program for it? If any warranty is remaining.

Sadly the inverter is 4 years old - so no warranty :-(

SkiDoo55

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

KSchonbeck wrote: »

Sadly the inverter is 4 years old - so no warranty :-(

They still may have a repair/exchange program. Will have to compare cost if they do vs; a new replacement cost. 1 year+ warranty vs; 30,60,90 day on a repaired unit.

Good luck, please post outcome of findings.

Photowhit

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

I think you were saying $1500 replacement for your inverter, if we're talking US Dollar (or Australian or Canadian) That's big bucks! I'd speak with the manufacturer about the cost of repair/replace, I expect quality inverters to last 10 years with out abuse. I'd also look into replacing it with a true sine wave inverter, perhaps you could live with a smaller inverter as well...

KSchonbeck

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Photowhit wrote: »

I think you were saying $1500 replacement for your inverter, if we're talking US Dollar (or Australian or Canadian) That's big bucks! I'd speak with the manufacturer about the cost of repair/replace, I expect quality inverters to last 10 years with out abuse. I'd also look into replacing it with a true sine wave inverter, perhaps you could live with a smaller inverter as well...

I did. I assumed i needed something like this http://www.victronenergy.com/inverters/inverter-12v-24v-48v-800va-3kva/

where a 2000watt inverter is around $1500 in Denmark. Fortunately i only need a 800w to power my fridge so $500 will do:-). If it works i can exchange it for a bigger inverter for my microwave and vacuum cleaner...

Btw do any of you have experience with Victron inverters?. I notice that the efficiency is 92-93% which is almost a 10% increase compared to my current inverter which is a cheap Taiwan MSW.

Cariboocoot

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Some of the forum members in Europe have Victron inverters; they aren't common in North America.

>90% efficiency is common for pure sine inverters.

Buying another cheap inverter would be throwing good money away in my opinion.

RCinFLA

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Many refrig's have the following scheme. They have a starting capacitor that is tied in series with a thermistor. The starter cap is only intended to be active for a 5-20 seconds maximum to get the compressor up to speed then the current running through the starter cap and thermistor drops as the thermistor gets warm.

The thermistor is also mechanically heat sink coupled to a temperature triggered compressor disconnect switch. If thermistor gets too hot, typical a protective function with a sinewave driven power source, when a restart up attempt is made too soon after power was loss. The compressor has high coolant pressure built up and until this bleeds down it is very difficult to spin up the compressor. It can take a few to ten minutes to bleed down compressor head pressure. In this situation the thermistor gets quite hot and trips the temperature dependent cut out switch, protecting the compressor from overheating and possible damage to its windings. You may notice a click sound coincident to compressor shutting off. Until things cool off it will not reconnect power to the compressor.

Now bring on a MSW inverter. The high frequency components of MSW results in starter capacitor having lower reactance, putting more current through the thermistor and starter windings of the compressor. It will increase the heating on the thermistor, which then pops the mechnical protection switch.

Short of changing to a sinewave inverter, the only possible work around is to reduce the capacitance of the starter cap to compensate for the MSW inverter waveform. Starter caps are not very expensive. You might try replacing the present starter cap with one that is about half its present value.

P.S. - repeated overheading of the thermistor can cause it to become intermittant and cause it to act as your present problem, even on a sinewave power source. The thermistor looks like a black carbon puck about the size of a 1 euro coin. It has silver metal on each face with the terminal wires curely-Q bonded to the silverized surfaces. The silverized metal and/or wire connections may become intermittant due to repeated overheading. The thermistor and klixon switch are in a thermal plastic enclosure screwed on side of compressor. The plastic cased component is sold as one piece.

vtmaps

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

KSchonbeck wrote: »

I did. I assumed i needed something like this http://www.victronenergy.com/inverters/inverter-12v-24v-48v-800va-3kva/

I've had my eye on that inverter... The 800 VA unit has a spectacularly low no-load draw of 4 watts (48 volt), 5 watts (24 volt), 6 watts (12 volt).

Unfortunately it is not listed for hard wiring into a home system --vtMaps

westbranch

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

KS, we have a Nilfisk vacuum that runs on a Honda Eu1000i generator that puts out max 900 watts, so to be sure the 1200 va model would be a better fit for your setup.

unicornio

Re: fridge power on but wont cool on 1600w inverter?!

Cariboocoot wrote: »

Some of the forum members in Europe have Victron inverters; they aren't common in North America.

>90% efficiency is common for pure sine inverters.

Buying another cheap inverter would be throwing good money away in my opinion.

you can buy in europe any outback inverter, in this case, like the FX2012ET (230vac/50hz/2KVA), more chaeap, and much better quality/service/capacity than a victron, and have charger function...