morning star 300 watt inverter not working

wellbuilt · May 2019

Hi all , I’m haviving a small problem with my morning star 300 watt pro sin inverter .
It’s been plug and play for the last 4 years .
I use the little inverter to pump water into my transfer tank 300 gallons at a time .
This past weekend I turned the inverter on plugged in the pump and no ac power ?
The green power light was on , the battery’s are 4 years old but was reading ok .
The unit work good last fall .
I checked the connections and had good voltage in the battery’s ..
what else needs to be checked ?
It a simple unit I don’t think it just died sitting there ?
I did tap it with a screw driver . Thanks in advance john

Estragon · May 2019

It can be wired with a toggle switch to turn on/off. Maybe check for a problem there?

BB. · May 2019

Check the toggle switch configuration... As Estragon says, check the remote on/off connection, see if in "search mode" (needs >6 Watt AC load to turn on (pump or pump wiring bad), and do you have an GFI outlet in the circuit (I have seen a few 10+ year old GFI outlets fail or even the buttons and springs pop out).

Try any other >6 Watt AC load...

And even MorningStar inverters fail...

-Bill

wellbuilt · May 2019

Thanks for the reply’s , I tried the the toggle switch and replaced the little jumper wire .
I only have a 3’ wire from the unit to a outlet and no gfi .
The pump works off my generator and my house inverter .
The green power light is on , and there are no faults .
There is just no ac out put .
It has been sitting since last fall with the power off in the cold with solar panels on Charging the battery’s.
I was really taken back when the inverter just stoped working, it has work flawlessly since day one.
Hmmmm I read that there are internal fuses ?
Any other ideas

billybob9 · May 2019

This recently happened to my AIM inverter 500w with the green light on and no power. I took it apart and tested every fuse in the unit. Then looked for something burned out. As I found nothing I checked the Internet to see if there could be a diode that was known to blow out. Most posts on inverters say unplug and check each board individually. End result was just replace board or complete unit. So like the song goes " Another one bites the dust ".

wellbuilt · May 2019

Thanks for the reply billy , it just seams funny that the unit died just sitting with no power .
I turned the battery’s switch to on the green light powered right up .
I turned the toggle to on plugged in my little pump and nothing .
I was surprised when it did not work.
I don’t really even need the inverter to pump water but I’ve been using it for 4 years and don’t know how it died just sitting .
I will pull it this weekend and try it with some new battery’s.
I thought it would give better service it’s only 4/5 years old .

icarus · May 2019

I had one die unexpectedly once as well, after ~ ten years of service. IIRC, it faulted red though when it quit. I have been running an identical replacement for ~5 years with no issues. Not to miss the obvious, but I assumed you checked the voltage at the terminals with a volt meter? Also, you could try switching the the hot and the neutral on the inverter.

Tony

wellbuilt · May 2019

No volt meter on site , but I was in full sun full sun so my solar panels would have had the voltage up on the battery’s .
I’ll check the battery’s this weekend , but in March the batterys had good SG .
I have a old Hart inverter from the 80s that is still making power .
Thanks for the reply tony

icarus · May 2019

I mean check the voltage on the output terminals of the inverter. T

wellbuilt · May 2019

I will check out every thing this weekend , I used a test light on my ac out put and I had nothing

NANOcontrol · June 2019

I don't know anything of this particular unit. But, switches do go bad if they sit around not being used. That is because most switches used in low voltage are not rated for that kind of use. They form an oxide layer that is non conductive and the voltage is too low to break thru the oxide layer and often there is not enough mechanical action to wear thru it. Appropriate contact materials are two expensive and you can generally get at least ten years in a dry environment.

wellbuilt · June 2019

Hi all , as it turns out I seam to have a rodent problem in my trailer where the inverter is installed , the wire that ran from my toggle switch to the inverter was chewed , indident know rats eat copper

icarus · June 2019

Apparently some wire plastic is vegetable based...soy maybe? Some is then irresistible to rodents, mice, voles, rats etc. IIRC Subaru had a real problem with wiring harnesses because of this.

Tony

BB. · June 2019

Tony/Icarus is right... You can find even a couple of court actions over this (at least one was tossed):

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-maintenance/how-to-protect-your-car-from-rodents/

Part of this was Europe requiring enviro-friendly materials for plastics/insulation/seat foam, etc.

Honda has some anti-chew tape (with mixed reviews), and some other items to separate you from your money:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=honda+rodent+tape

-Bill

Tecnodave · June 2019

I see a lot of rodent chewed automobile here in coastal California, My freind owns an auto repair shop and I help with the electrical end. We see at least 6 a year, Subaru and Honda are the rats choice. Here it's wood rats, older automobile with cotton wrap heed extra help, a real problem for Classic Car owners. No real solution, I've done the same automobile 3 times in 5 years now, tried everything, ultrasound generators seem to be a deterrent.

AND BB, thanks on the lead to Honda rodent tape, I will get some for my recurring customer

billybob9 · June 2019

The problem here is also something I have encountered over the years. The manufacturers of campers and trailers do not seal the underside of their products. I have personally spent many hours caulking and plugging holes that small rodents have managed to squeeze through. I don't know why thy eat the wire but they do. I'm sure some find it shocking.

littleharbor2 · June 2019

I believe they are using it to keep a sharp edge on their teeth. They will do the same thing to garden hoses.

BB. · June 2019

We have a pet rabbit--He tries taking a nibble out of everything... But there is some wiring he really loves (Cat X cabling, small cables from wall warts to charging stations, and some [but not all] 120 VAC cordage.

David, try the Honda rodent tape--But don't buy a lot before you proof the installation. Over the years, it has had very mixed reviews.

-Bill

Tecnodave · June 2019

I recently replaced a blown out main panel that had the skeletons of two frogs doing it touching the main bus and ground. Got some pictures of that one, more than once I've recovered bone white skeletons of mice in main panels, I donate them to schools

stmoloud · June 2019

For sure, I have at this location lots of field mice who would like to move in to escape the winter and chew on a bit of wire. Mine is officially a classic vehicle but is retired so not about to go anywhere else. A few years back though I got a very nasty surprise when turning the ignition key only to discover all the wires had been chewed through by a big rat which I had just previously gotten rid of, but a little late, it seemed.

morning star 300 watt inverter not working

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