Inverter Is Noisy

54d18
54d18 Solar Expert Posts: 81 ✭✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
I recently helped a friend to install a system at his cottage,
2-235w Sharp Panels, Outback 60A controller, and a
Magnum 4400w inverter, 120/240v on 48v battery bank.

It seems to be running good, but I noticed that the inverter
makes a constant humming sound, ok for him as it is located
in the garage, but if it was near a living area, it would be very
annoying to say the least.

I would like to upgrade my system to 24v from 12v, and I am
curious as to what inverter to get, 24v and about 2000w, 120v.
Does anyone have any opinions as to what would be the
best choice, performace, noise, and of course, cost.

Thanks...
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Comments

  • Joe_B
    Joe_B Solar Expert Posts: 318 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    I have an XW 4024 and it hums a bit. Mine is in the basement so not an issue but if I was sitting next to it all the time, it would bug me. The amplitude of the noise varies a lot depending on the load. Also my XW SCC's have loud relay clicks at night.
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    Could well be that the hum is more or less normal for that model. Very unlikely to be a "defect" as such, just a pain in the ear.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #4
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    Make sure you have the dc wiring supported well too. There is a lot of 120 Hz current in there.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • ggunn
    ggunn Solar Expert Posts: 1,973 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy
    BB. wrote: »
    Make sure you have the dc wiring supported well too. There is a lot of 120 Hz current in there.

    -Bill
    In where? Not in the DC wiring, surely.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy
    ggunn wrote: »
    In where? Not in the DC wiring, surely.


    Shirley is ! under heavy load, the inverter pulls power from the batteries, through the wire, and, it's at a 120hz rate ! If batteries are too small, they may literally shake themselves apart in this process.

    The DC wire also develops a magnetic field, and this will vary (pulse) too !


    -
    I am serious. And don't call me Shirley
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • techntrek
    techntrek Solar Expert Posts: 1,372 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    Roger, Roger......
    4.5 kw APC UPS powered by a Prius, 12 kw Generac, Honda EU3000is
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #8
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    Just to be clear, I am talking about off-grid inverter to battery DC connections.

    Also, with MPPT and PWM solar charge controllers, there are modes where you have pulsed DC current too (who knows what frequency, from below audio to above audio frequencies (vendor, model, mode, etc.).

    I would doubt there is 120 Hz fundamental in the Solar Panel to GT inverter.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    54d18,
    out of curiosity what is the capacity of your battery bank? also what are the specs on your pvs?
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    Just to be sure you grasp the 120 Hz pulsing in the DC supply to the inverter - - consider that the inverter puts out it's power in AC pulses. It draws power from the battery pretty much exactly as needed from instant to instant. Since it's draw from the battery matches and tracks it's power output from instant to instant, the battery load will be in pulses too. Like rapidly switching a DC light bulb on and off, the current coming out of the battery will only flow when the light is pulsed on. Pulse the light and the current coming out of the battery pulses to match.
    Hope this helps.
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  • 54d18
    54d18 Solar Expert Posts: 81 ✭✭✭
    #11
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy
    niel wrote: »
    54d18,
    out of curiosity what is the capacity of your battery bank? also what are the specs on your pvs?

    The battery bank is 460AH, it consists of 8 460AH Surrette batteries
    configured for 48v. As for the panels, right off hand I do not know
    the specs, but they are the Sharp 235w panels.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    you may have a problem here using only 2 sharp 235w pvs as i looked them up (all 6 of em) and none have a vmp above 30.1v making the combined voltage vmp as 60.2v. this is cutting it too close to charge a 48v battery bank imho. a bit of heat on the pvs and that voltage plummets and your batteries will fail to reach a proper charge. get another pv to put in series with the 2 you have already and it should do fine.
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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #13
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    Back to the inverter, I have been very happy with my Prosine 1800 on a 24v battery bank. I originally purchased it for since it is popular for boats and it would live outside (in an electrical box) but it has been a real work horse with out issues. Beware of some inverters who's high voltage cutoff is 30 volts or less, this will creat issues when equalizing.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #14
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy
    Photowhit wrote: »
    Back to the inverter, I have been very happy with my Prosine 1800 on a 24v battery bank. I originally purchased it for since it is popular for boats and it would live outside (in an electrical box) but it has been a real work horse with out issues. Beware of some inverters who's high voltage cutoff is 30 volts or less, this will creat issues when equalizing.

    I have the Prosine 1800/12 volt unit for a year or more now, and likewise, find it to be a real workhorse. VERY pleased with it! Re noise however, no problem for me, it's out in the solar shed, but under large loads it's fan runs on full speed, and on light loads around 100 watts, runs slowly in a stuttering, pulsing fashion, sort of an erratic, PWM kind of control which keeps hitting the motor with eratic pulses of full voltage to maintain speed, resulting in a kind of rattle that would be very annoying if mounted in a living space. I take it that it's just the way it's designed, but surely they could have come up with another way to run the fan on reduced speed that would allow it to be next to silent. On full speed the motor is quiet, the only noticeable sound being the whir of the fan blades. But it's in an outbuilding, so no problem for me and I otherwise love the way this inverter works.
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  • 54d18
    54d18 Solar Expert Posts: 81 ✭✭✭
    #15
    Re: Inverter Is Noisy

    My main noise concern is that I use my remote cabin system
    more in the winter, and thus everything is located indoors, to allow the
    batteries to warm up for best performance, and because of this,
    I don't want to have the constant hum, or sound of a fan running
    when light loads are being used., The inverter I have now is an
    Eliminator 1750w from Canadian Tire, 12v, with no hum or fan running.

    I simply wish to upgrade to 24v but wish to avoid the background noise.
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