Need help on inverter/charger

Zakarume · November 2015

Need some help here plz. I am looking a good inverter/charger.

Specs that i am looking for

1. 24v
2. Pure Sine Wave
3. 1000 - 1500 watt. Perferably 1500 watt
4. Price $500 - $700. I know i wont find one in this price range but i am hoping i can. If not around $1000
5. Good Quality

I need for it to plug into wall to charge batteries in case of no sun.

westbranch · November 2015

check out Cotek and Samlex, both offer inverters in that voltage range and at about that price range.
Do you need it to be hard wired (code compliant)?

Zakarume · November 2015

Just something that is easy like a plug and play unit kinda. Just plug into wall. And hookup to batteries. I am still connected to the electric company. I would like for them to be together instead of having a Inverter and having a charger

inetdog · November 2015

There are no grid tie inverters which can legally and safely be plug connected to an existing receptacle.
And an off grid inverter (with batteries) cannot be connected to your house system in any way. You need separate receptacles isolated from the house system or you need a transfer switch.
A true hybrid inverter, which combines off grid and grid tie functions is way outside your price range.

Zakarume · November 2015

I never said anything about a Grid Tie Inverter. I am looking for something similiar to this.

Except it must be 24v and Pure Sine Wave

vtmaps · November 2015

It sounds like you do not want to hardwire the inverter/charger. That means you should look into marine certified inverter/chargers. I think Sterling Power and Victron both sell what you are looking for.

--vtMaps

zoneblue · November 2015

We cant really support "plugging into the house" because it is illegal, and dangerous. Ok so done carefully, is one thing, but the first time you forget to shut off the street power, you might kill the power worker that came to repair the fault. If you are wanting to not use a dedicated subpanel, them you need a transfer switch, and that means hardwired, and that means a electrician. Sorry but thats the official line, wed be irresponsible to provide anything else.

Zakarume · November 2015

Why cant anyone listen to what i am saying. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT A PLUG AND PLAY GRID TIE INVERTER. I AM TALKING ABOUT A INVERTER/CHARGER. Just look at video i posted earlier. Front of inverter shows a power cord that goes to a household plug. Turn the switch to on position to charge the batteries.That is used to charge the batteries. Back of inverter shows where you connect to the back of inverter to the batteries. Turn switch on and you have 110 power. Just watch the video and hopefully you will understand what i am looking for.

tabbycat · November 2015

It sounds like you need a converter not an inverter. Converters in an RV convert AC to DC for battery charging and to run DC components in an RV. Usually the lights, water pump, and fans in an RV are 12 volt DC.

Zakarume · November 2015

tabbycat said:

It sounds like you need a converter not an inverter. Converters in an RV convert AC to DC for battery charging and to run DC components in an RV. Usually the lights, water pump, and fans in an RV are 12 volt DC.

NO AGAIN. I DO NOT need a Converter. I am talking about a Inverter/Charger

BB. · November 2015

The "Plug and Play" kind of confused people--That has been a sales term for GT inverters (typically the ones that are not "Legal" in the US).

For what you are asking about--You might try your luck on Alibaba... There are a lot of suppliers out there--Just need to find one that will sell direct or can lead you to a local importer. For example (I know 12 volt and you want 24 volt):

http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/1500W-Pure-Sine-Wave-Power-Inverter_60314809505.html

-Bill

jcheil · November 2015

It's unlikely you will find a "decent" mid-range inverter/charger for $1000. There are some mid-range inverters(only) around $1000 but in reality, just bite the bullet and spend the $1800 on an Outback Inverter/Charger. You'll be a lot happier in the long run. Less problems, less hassle. I've been there myself and many of my friends and neighbors have also.

You think you're saving money but in the long run you will wish you had just bought the Outback. If you can't afford it now, then simply wait another 6 months (or whatever) and save up for the Outback. You'll be glad you did.

They have a 5 year warranty, have great current capacity, great chargers. UL Listed, etc. Nothing to "rig up". No hassles at all.

WaterWheel · November 2015

It looks like you're just looking to keep a few charged batteries around which in a power outage situation you can then use to supply an inverter to run a few lights ect... Is this correct?

If so I'd drop the 24v requirement, buy a decent marine type battery charger (deep cycle) for $150 and a 1500 watt pure sine wave inverter (around $400) and hook it up when the grid goes down to power your fridge.

As earlier posts mentioned your 1st post sounded like you wanted to add power to your home's wiring (local grid). To do that you need an inverter that matches the local grids AC cycle with the ability to cut off the grid if local power goes down (islanding) to avoid frying some poor lineman repairing your local grid wires. That's why people at first were so strong questioning your opening post.

To the best of my knowledge as of 2 years ago there were no UL approved automatic islanding grid matching plug in inverters allowed in the US.

BB. · November 2015

If you go with the "low cost" inverter + separate charger, you can get (or even make) a simple relay based automatic transfer switch:

PowerMax PMTS-30 Automatic Transfer Switch

-Bill

Zakarume · November 2015

I am looking to go this way. It is the cheapest.
http://www.amazon.com/NOCO-G26000-UltraSafe-Battery-Charger/dp/B004LX14Z2
http://www.solar-electric.com/inverters-controllers-accessories/inverters/sasiwain1/samlex-pst-series-pure-sine-wave-inverters/samlex-pure-sine-wave-inverter-pst-1500-24.html

zoneblue · November 2015

That will work. Just dont try to plug the ac out into the house. Also:

- so called marine inverters and those used by tradies on the back of their truck, have one hazzard for the unwary. In order to protect youself from earth faults (because the ac side is ungrounded) you should only use a single item at once, or, double insulated items, or/and a GFCI, either as part of the inverter, or in addition.

- the other concern is that no inverter or a battery big enough to power one, is ever simple. You need to ensure adequate fusing, and cable protection, to protect yourself against electrical fires.

For the charger in the us, people seem to like iota. In the pacific area powermaster is also good.

Zakarume · November 2015

Decided to go with a different battery charger than stated before. But looking at 2 different ones
1. http://www.amazon.com/ProgressiveRC-PS-DLS27-40-DLS-27-40-Power-Supply/dp/B00NJ137FW
2. http://www.amazon.com/PowerMax-PM3-40-24-Battery-Charger-Charging/product-reviews/B008041SNQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

If you were to buy 1 which one would you get?

Blackcherry04 · November 2015

I have a Powermax and several IOTA's, the Powermax is not dependable and it control function never did work. The IOTA you listed is the plain model without IQ4 that is good as it gives you more charging options. You can buy the IQ4 as a plug-in module from the sponsor.

http://www.solar-electric.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=IQ4+Smart+Controller&cat=0

There may also be a way to change the voltage output of the charger, some of the boards have changed so I hate to tell you how to do it. A search of this site you should find posts about it or post back.

Need help on inverter/charger

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PowerMax PMTS-30 Automatic Transfer Switch