SureSine standby mode with low watt LED bulbs

Steve961
Steve961 Solar Expert Posts: 93 ✭✭✭✭
I've been using my Morningstar SureSine inverter for a while now, and generally really like it. I am having a problem with an EcoSmart A19 8.6 watt LED bulb I bought at Home Depot though. The SureSine standby mode threshold is ~8 watts, and the LED bulb does not consistently trigger the inverter to exit standby if it is the only bulb turned on. If the inverter does not exit standby mode, the LED bulb goes into a slow strobe state as the inverter sends out a searching pulse every second or so.

I thought it might be due to the electronics of the LED, so I picked up a small 4 watt incandescent night light. I thought if this didn't strobe I could use it as an additive load to the 8.6 watt LED to exceed the inverters standby threshold. Unfortunately, the incandescent bulb also strobed in standby mode.

While my 9 watt Phillips CFL's work just fine, I was hoping to replace them with all LED bulbs in the future. Is there any way I can keep my inverter in standby for the power savings and still be able to use a low wattage LED bulb?

Thanks.

Steve

Comments

  • RCinFLA
    RCinFLA Solar Expert Posts: 1,484 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: SureSine standby mode with low watt LED bulbs

    You have got to get the power up. The LED is likely using a capacitor ballast so it has a very capacitive power factor which may further impact the ability to detect load.

    Try the 4 watt incandescent and 8 watt LED together. 8.6 watt LED is very close to the 8 watt standby sense.

    You are burning about 6 to 8 watts (assuming it is a 300 watt inverter) in the inverter when it is active so a few extra watts of load it not going to matter much.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: SureSine standby mode with low watt LED bulbs

    The only way I can see this working (efficiently) is to setup a two pole switch for every load... One pole turns on the local AC branch circuit, the second pole uses the remote power connection to turn on and off the inverter itself. Parallel all the Remote Switches so that any one on will turn on the inverter.

    But--will it be worth it for you to wire in extra signal wire to every light switch?...

    Otherwise, for low power LED's, either manually turn on the inverter at night, use 10 watt filament loads instead, use DC power for LEDs, etc...

    Something interesting might be to use a motion detector to turn on the Inverter when people are walking around--but that is stupid talk... :roll:

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Steve961
    Steve961 Solar Expert Posts: 93 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: SureSine standby mode with low watt LED bulbs

    The only reason I won't use the 4 watt night light as an additive load is because it's annoying to have the light strobe on and off every second. Is there by any chance some other kind of 1 to 2 watt load I can plug into my electrical system that doesn't light or make noise and will not get damaged by the constant inverter pulses?
  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: SureSine standby mode with low watt LED bulbs
    BB. wrote: »
    The only way I can see this working (efficiently) is to setup a two pole switch for every load... One pole turns on the local AC branch circuit, the second pole uses the remote power connection to turn on and off the inverter itself. Parallel all the Remote Switches so that any one on will turn on the inverter.
    -Bill

    That's basically what I did with my fridge and freezer, had the thermostat control a 2 pole relay. One starts the inverter, the other connects power to the compressor.
    Same with my water pump. The pressure switch has dual contact sets. One fires up the inverter (if it's not already on), the other connects the motor to power. Works great:D
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: SureSine standby mode with low watt LED bulbs

    This seems vaguely familiar.
    Something about a resister in parallel with the bulb - only when the switch is on. Some value ... 12 k Ohms? 1 Watt ... just enough so when the light is switched on the draw on the circuit is over the 9 Watt threshold. Something like that.

    A light bulb you can't see could be on all the time and keep it awake without keeping you awake. :p
  • rgk1
    rgk1 Solar Expert Posts: 134 ✭✭✭
    Re: SureSine standby mode with low watt LED bulbs

    I use a low watt led light over my shed door on a photocell for dusk to dawn lighting. I had the same issue with it and the lights on some of the rechargeable tools. While I did put that light on its own switch should I ever want to completely cut it off, and the tool chargers on a power strip, I just leave the inverter on all the time. It doesnt consume much battery. At first I didnt like the idea of having it on all the time, but I guess its made for that and many people here on the forum have had them in use 24/7 for years.
    4-Risen 320 watt in series/parallel, 8-215ah 6 volt GC2 batteries in series, Exeltech 1100 watt/48 volt inverter, Tristar 45 MPPT controller.
  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: SureSine standby mode with low watt LED bulbs
    rgk1 wrote: »
    I had the same issue with it and the lights and some of the rechargeable tools. I just leave the inverter on all the time. It doesnt consume much battery. At first I didnt like the idea of having it on all the time, but I guess its made for that and many people here on the forum have had them in use 24/7 for years.

    rgk1, that's exactly the same path I took! At first I just couldn't see "wasting" power leaving an inverter on 24/7, but finally gave in and for about 3 years now, ONE of my Morningstar SureSine-300 inverters is always on. It supplies all lights, rechargeable tools, TV, Sat, this computer, even - believe it or not - my oil fired hot water furnace! Yes, I've learned that the little extra it consumes, at least with my system, means nothing in the larger scheme of things, and also that those little SureSine inverters are powerful little pieces of work! Yes, the lights dim for a second while the furnace burner (high efficiency Rello) comes up to speed, and sometimes if I have too many other things on at the same time, the inverter will kick out, give me time to turn off the TV, then restart on it's own, and after the furnace is up and running, I turn the TV back on and all is right with the world. Could easily avoid that inverter kick-out by switching the furnace over to the Zantrex 1800, but I figure it rarely happens, and the SureSine is running anyway, so - - - . I do push that little sucker and hard! It never gets hot, nothing more than just the chill off it, and I don't have to worry about it's fan wearing out - it has none. Really outstanding design in my opinion. The other SureSine is dedicated to it's own loads and is switched by those loads, and the Xantrex 1800/12 is in power-save mode most of the time. It all comes together to appear almost exactly as if I am living with grid power, except that during big storms, I still have power:p Ask me if I'm happy with it, but I think you already know the answer :p:p:p
  • 2manytoyz
    2manytoyz Solar Expert Posts: 373 ✭✭✭
    Re: SureSine standby mode with low watt LED bulbs

    This topic was discussed recently: http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?p=90224#post90224