Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

jpistrit

Does anyone have any experience with this product? Its pretty new (introduce late last year)

http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/297/p/1/pt/7/product.asp

It seems pretty feature-ful, pure sine wave and a good price.

But i'd love to know someone who's using it before buying one. My application is a relatively small off-grid cabin type system. There's already a battery charger in place there (and Iota 55) and thats doing fine. The inverter needs to be replaced at that location and i'd like to go pure sine wave.

Thanks for any real world experience out there !

Dapdan

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

jp,

I have had a prowatt sw1000 running 24/7 for about 6 months now. It powers a 5500 btu window unit, computers, ceiling fan and printers in my small 10 x 10 office and it has worked like a dream. So well that I have bought another one as a backup and have it in storage. When I got the unit i was surprised by it weight compared to the mod sine xantrex 1000xp it was replacing. I got it for about $240 us pretty darn good price for the a 1000w pure sinewave unit. I love the fact that it has a digital display of power output and battery voltage. My only complaint is that the power output display is way off as compared to my killawatt meter on small loads, however larger loads it is more accurate. The other complaint (sorry that should have been two complaints) is that the voltmeter is also off as compared to my DVM and subsequently it goes into low voltage shutdown to soon. That is not a problem since I have it hooked up to a large 2600Ah bank so my voltage does not really drop alot when the ac is on.

Overall, for the price it is a damn good machine. I would buy a third one.

Cheers...
Damani

BB.

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

Check the VA (Volt*Amp) / Power Factor with Kill-a-Watt meter--I wonder if the Xantrex is, perhaps just measuring Volts and Amps, and not accounting for phase angle/current wave forms.

Also, many devices just are not that accurate at low range of readings...

-Bill

System2

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

I've been using the Xantrex ProWatt SW 2000 since this past August in an RV. I am delighted by it. It runs every device we require including our microwave and has a minimal draw on standby. We live for extended periods of time in the trailer and it has fulfilled all of our needs.

InverterExpert

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

JP,

Looks like a great product for the price. This is a pretty new release and it would be a month or two before any serious installer checks it out and gives a review.

If you just need an inverter, go for PowerWatt SW 2000. If you really need a charger and an inverter that is pure-sine I would say the Freedom SW2000 looks pretty attractive to what you will find on the market. The cost and 2x times surge capability on the inverter stands out to me. But it does not have any option to add AGS unlike the 3000 in same series. I have installed many Xantrex inverters chargers over the years, some of their products are really high-end top quality and they also makes dirt-cheap modified stuff which doesn't work well with many installations.

BB,

The VA rating is confusing, but i guess this folks are trying to be technically correct rather than how we are use to talk about. The Watts is a V*I*p.f., but the p.f. is based on type of load on the AC. Pumps will have somewhere round 0.8 and few heaters and coffee-pots are close to 1.0.

-Rob

System2

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

Oops... Thought I saw "Freedom SW2000" As I need an inverter/charger, this one will not work for me. Sorry!

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I currently have a Freedom 458 - 2512 MSW in my RV. The SW2000 looks like a good replacement for it.


*** Looks like the 2000 is single in/out. Might have to go to the SW3000 ***


My question is - Will my Link 1000 work with it?

Would hate to have to spend another $300 for a new remote!



Harold

RWB

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

I have been testing the Xantrex SW2000 Pure Sine Wave Inverter for some time now with a 160Ah LFP Battery which actually gives me 200 Amp Hours.

I have ran constant 1700W loads on the inverter that kicked off and on as I had a 1800w Hair Dryer plugged in and it would kick the heater on and off constantly. I did this for a few days straight and the inverter never gave me any problems which impressed me.

The Triple Cooling Fans worked great to keep the unit cool as it would get warm when I ran constant 1700-1800W loads on it. Its rated for 1800w Constant.

The Voltage reading on the inverter was pretty accurate and would be off by only a few points compared to the reading off the battery that was displayed by the battery monitor.

With this Inverter I also did not get the early low voltage cut off before the voltage dropped below 11V. Can't remember but I think the alarm starts at 11V and cutoff is at 10.5V. My old 1750W Modified Sine inverter would alarm and cut off way before the battery voltage was actually at 11v.

The inverter is basically the same output as a regular 1850w wall AC outlet, at least thats how I think about it. It was able to power up anything I plugged into it besides a 80 Pint Kenmore Dehumidifier, it could not handle the the compressor start up.

For the price you can not beat this inverter, its very small and lightweight and best of all it works perfectly.

PhilS

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

I installed a Sanyo mini-split A/C system last July (another thread here) and replaced a Xantrex ProSine 1000w inverter with one of these ProWatt 2000w inverters. I didn't want/need charging capability for this circuit (lights/entertainment and now A/C).

I didn't read the specs well enough. My lights and TV and sat take 250w. The max that the Sanyo takes is 1600w. No problem with this inverter providing 1850w tho the specs say it'll only handle 1800w continuous. It was only when we added another 100w that there was a problem. I only read what I wanted to see: 2000 watts w/ 3000 watt surge.

This inverter has since been replaced with a Magnum 2812, and moved to our RV replacing another ProSine 1000w (woohoo, now we can use the microwave when we are 'camping').

The only actual problem with this ProWatt inverter was "pulsing" lights. I never got to the point of using a multimeter to find exactly the condition that caused it, but when some lights/TV were running, the lights would start pulsing... only way I can describe it. Not any particular combination of loads, it'd do it sometimes and not others. EX: TV, sat, one bathroom's lights on. Turn on the other bathroom lights, and the lights would 'pulse' (best description).

Having lived on inverters for 30 years, this was the only inverter that ever did this. We haven't yet gone out with the RV so I don't know if the problem will follow, but that home circuit had been powered by the ProSine 1.0 with no "pulsing lights", and before that by a Heart Interface 2.0 also with no "pulsinig lights".

But the price ($350) was GREAT (vs the $1700 for a Magnum to replace it). Anybody need a cupple of ProSine 1.0 inverters or a heavy old Heart Interface? [just some humor, I'm not trying to use this forum to sell anything].

Phil

RWB

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

Hum, I'll have to test that light theory.

Were they CFL lights?

I can easily plug in a heater and a CFL light and see if I get the same thing.

PhilS

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

RWB wrote: »

Hum, I'll have to test that light theory.

Were they CFL lights?

I can easily plug in a heater and a CFL light and see if I get the same thing.

Nope, one light on the circuit is CFL but on or off it didn't seem to make a difference. The lights that were "pulsing" are incandescent... the ones in DW's bathroom. I could turn on the lights in my bath and it could start her's pulsing (CFL in my bath and no pulsing), or I could turn on the hall lights (3 incandescent) and it could start them and her's pulsing. Didn't see any "pulsing" on any CFLs that were on, only the incandescents. And the CFLs on that circuit could be on or off, it just didn't seem to make a difference.

Having powered these lights for many years without pulsing, it simply had to be the inverter. No pulsing with the Heart Interface MSW inverter, no pulsing with the ProSine inverter, only with this inverter and only sometimes.

Eventually I could have done more detailed measurements to try and figure out the exact combination that caused it. Instead I replaced the inverter and the problem disappeared. For a time I just didn't turn on my b-room lights if she was in front of the makeup mirror.

I'll note that the pulsing never bothered me but, in the morning getting ready for work, her lights pulsing bothered her a lot. She's happy now. When camping season starts we'll see if we get the situation in the RV with that inverter.

Note: by "pulsing" I don't mean going on and off, I mean they were going a little dimmer a couple of times a second.

Phil

RWB

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

Thanks for the heads up.

jpistrit

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

Thanks everyone for the detailed replies! Thats the kind of experience i was looking for. I'll keep an eye on this thread in case more show up...

2manytoyz

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

CFL bulbs are an inductive load. Inverters don't like purely inductive loads. The result is exactly as described. The bulbs will illuminate, turn off/on/off/on. Slow strobe effect.

The fix is to add a resistive load in conjunction to the inductive load. This is usually enough to offset the inductive load enough to fully power up the inverter.

niel

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

"Anybody need a cupple of ProSine 1.0 inverters or a heavy old Heart Interface? [just some humor, I'm not trying to use this forum to sell anything]."

phil,
i wanted to mention this before to you, but i had forgotten to. you are not in business so please feel free to sell the inverters here as they are just your old used personal property.8) we ask that you give a description and a price on the forum and do the dickering and transaction thing privately either by pm or email if you have it.:D

PhilS

Re: Xantrex SW 2000 inverter

niel wrote: »

"Anybody need a cupple of ProSine 1.0 inverters or a heavy old Heart Interface? [just some humor, I'm not trying to use this forum to sell anything]."

phil,
i wanted to mention this before to you, but i had forgotten to. you are not in business so please feel free to sell the inverters here as they are just your old used personal property.8) we ask that you give a description and a price on the forum and do the dickering and transaction thing privately either by pm or email if you have it.:D

Thanks, Niel. I did not fully understand the rules. I come here for information and help, as one that lives "off grid". That means: if the power goes out, I don't get to call anybody.

I do have two ProSine 1000w inverters and one 2000wMSW? (not exactly sure) Heart Interface that are just taking up room in my garage. If anybody has any interest in them, PM me. (I weighed the HF and it was about 80 pounds, the ProSines are lighter).

Phil