Laser printers and inverters
zoneblue
Solar Expert Posts: 1,220 ✭✭✭✭
Heres a trap for young players, (guess that still makes me one).
A long time inkjet user, I probably hold some kind of record for managing to keep an 90s era inkjet running (just because i could) using a home made nozzle cleaning device consisting of a modified empty cartridge a syringe and some isopropyl.
But the fact is with the whole paperless era, the thing was getting used more and more infrequently, and the tiresome ink clogging thing finally got the better of me. So when the mrs innocently asked if i could "quickly" print something for her in the weekend, i buckled at the 50 odd buck price tag on a entry level laser, (Brother HL1110).
Plugged in in, inverter faults right off. That inverter is an 1100W, (with decent toroid in it), so this means the start up surge of that printer is decidedly unsignificant. Turns out this is a property of laser printers, but Brother are known to be on the high end.
A quick bit of reading ascertained the spike was large but brief, so the long extention cord trick did the trick, and was able to get it running.
Time to wire up the VFX i guess, and before i retire it to standby duties ill also do a review on the Stecca, as its a nice little unit, albeit uncommon.
http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/08/04/laser-printers-and-inverters/
https://www.donrowe.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/laser_printer_startup_surge.pdf
A long time inkjet user, I probably hold some kind of record for managing to keep an 90s era inkjet running (just because i could) using a home made nozzle cleaning device consisting of a modified empty cartridge a syringe and some isopropyl.
But the fact is with the whole paperless era, the thing was getting used more and more infrequently, and the tiresome ink clogging thing finally got the better of me. So when the mrs innocently asked if i could "quickly" print something for her in the weekend, i buckled at the 50 odd buck price tag on a entry level laser, (Brother HL1110).
Plugged in in, inverter faults right off. That inverter is an 1100W, (with decent toroid in it), so this means the start up surge of that printer is decidedly unsignificant. Turns out this is a property of laser printers, but Brother are known to be on the high end.
A quick bit of reading ascertained the spike was large but brief, so the long extention cord trick did the trick, and was able to get it running.
Time to wire up the VFX i guess, and before i retire it to standby duties ill also do a review on the Stecca, as its a nice little unit, albeit uncommon.
http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/08/04/laser-printers-and-inverters/
https://www.donrowe.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/laser_printer_startup_surge.pdf
1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar
http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar
Comments
-
Re: Laser printers and inverters
Hmm, my HL-2270DW printer measured in at 40W constant, no way to grab the surge though...
KID #51B 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
West Chilcotin, BC, Canada -
Re: Laser printers and inverterswestbranch wrote: »Hmm, my HL-2270DW printer measured in at 40W constant, no way to grab the surge though...
If you look at the graphs in the two links, youll see that the draw is very spiky. With energy star and all that the idle is coming way down with agresive power managment. The second link by samlex shows start surges, adn periodic fuser warm spikes of 3-4kW. Ouch. Who would have thought such a small innocent looking appliance could draw so much.1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar -
Re: Laser printers and inverters
I've had good luck running my two HP laser printers both color and b&w off my 2000 watt MSW inverter.
Fusers do take a lot of power for a short time especially with card stock paper. -
Re: Laser printers and inverters
Yes, i think you need a 2kW inverter. 1.5kW may work, but 2kW may occasionally not. It all boils down to being able to supply that 4kW surge.1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar -
Re: Laser printers and inverters
I run an early '90s HP 4 ML laser printer from a 300 W Morningstar inverter. The inverter will sound the alarm if the low battery voltage is set to 11.5 and it's night. It works fine in either direct sun or if the inverter setting for low battery voltage is 10.5 (DIP switch on the face of the inverter).
EDIT:
I concluded that the alarm is caused by drawing from the batteries at about the 10 hour rate. YMMV -
Re: Laser printers and inverters
Indeed. Like so many things newer more often than not equals higher draw. The Mrs, managed to find a 1000W iron at the junk shop, and it works a treat on our 1100W inverter. Unlike the 2kW things you get these days. You used to be able to get 1300W induction hobs, now they too are 2kW. Its all about speed/haste.1.8kWp CSUN, 10kWh AGM, Midnite Classic 150, Outback VFX3024E,
http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar
Categories
- All Categories
- 222 Forum & Website
- 130 Solar Forum News and Announcements
- 1.3K Solar News, Reviews, & Product Announcements
- 191 Solar Information links & sources, event announcements
- 887 Solar Product Reviews & Opinions
- 254 Solar Skeptics, Hype, & Scams Corner
- 22.3K Solar Electric Power, Wind Power & Balance of System
- 3.5K General Solar Power Topics
- 6.7K Solar Beginners Corner
- 1K PV Installers Forum - NEC, Wiring, Installation
- 2K Advanced Solar Electric Technical Forum
- 5.5K Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems
- 424 Caravan, Recreational Vehicle, and Marine Power Systems
- 1.1K Grid Tie and Grid Interactive Systems
- 651 Solar Water Pumping
- 815 Wind Power Generation
- 621 Energy Use & Conservation
- 608 Discussion Forums/Café
- 302 In the Weeds--Member's Choice
- 74 Construction
- 124 New Battery Technologies
- 108 Old Battery Tech Discussions
- 3.8K Solar News - Automatic Feed
- 3.8K Solar Energy News RSS Feed