Decent Inverter

[tcva357]

Whats a decent inverter around say 2000 to 3000 Watts ?

[TomW]

Whats a decent inverter around say 2000 to 3000 Watts ?

I have a pair of Outback FX 2524 inverters. I have had one of them for 15 years or something. Runs 24/7. They have good customer support and I would suggest them to folks no problem.

I added # 2 to get 240 VAC and at 2500 watts each we now have 5KW of capacity.

Just my experience and there are several other top line brands that would be good, also.

Tom

[tcva357]

Thank's
That's what I ordered the Outback FX2524T Sealed Inverter,i am amazed that you run them 24/7 with no problems that's very impressive.One quick ?,I am putting my batteries in the midnight solar enclosure is it advisable to also put a breaker on the enclosure?

Thank's

Tim

[Resthome]

Thank's
That's what I ordered the Outback FX2524T Sealed Inverter,i am amazed that you run them 24/7 with no problems that's very impressive.One quick ?,I am putting my batteries in the midnight solar enclosure is it advisable to also put a breaker on the enclosure?

Thank's

Tim

You definitely want a breaker or fuse of the proper size for your batteries/cables at your battery bank.

[vtmaps]

You definitely want a breaker or fuse of the proper size for your batteries/cables at your battery bank.

If you follow NEC rules (as I understand them), the cables from the battery box to the ePanel will be in conduit.  You are NOT required to have a fuse/breaker in that cable.

That said, I wish I had installed a breaker in the cable.  Not for overcurrent protection, but to use as a switch.

There is an extensive positive battery bus in the ePanel, and it is unfused!  I'm afraid to work in the ePanel unless I've disconnected the (+) battery cable.  It would be easier to de-energize the ePanel if I could just flip a breaker.

--vtMaps

[TomW]

You definitely want a breaker or fuse of the proper size for your batteries/cables at your battery bank.

If you follow NEC rules (as I understand them), the cables from the battery box to the ePanel will be in conduit.  You are NOT required to have a fuse/breaker in that cable.

That said, I wish I had installed a breaker in the cable.  Not for overcurrent protection, but to use as a switch.

There is an extensive positive battery bus in the ePanel, and it is unfused!  I'm afraid to work in the ePanel unless I've disconnected the (+) battery cable.  It would be easier to de-energize the ePanel if I could just flip a breaker.

--vtMaps

I agree with the breaker (or switch) at the battery or at least before the Epanel as a disconnect for maintenance at least.

To the Original Poster:

The Outbacks are built for 24/7 use. Many are used as off grid main power systems and they run all the time.

Tom

[zoneblue]

But a breaker shouldnt be within 500mm of the bank (at least here) because its an ignition source.

[tcva357]

On the MN Solars Battery enclosure it has a mount on cabinet for a brkr,if using agm's is this still a problem?

[Robin]

If your batteries are AGM's or some other sealed battery, you can put a breaker in the battery box. Breakers make sparks, so they are not allowed in a box with flooded batteries. I apologize for the unfused busbar in the E-Panel. The newer E-Panels do have a plastic cover over all the busbars. Do you have the plastic caps? If not, we will send you some.
The FX inverters are good. The VFX run cooler though given the same amount of output power. The VFX inverter let salt air in though so that is why we made the FX. It was a novelty back in 2002 when they came out. Too bad they are now built in India.
Keep your eye on MidNite for inverters at some point. They too will be novel!

[TomW]

Keep your eye on MidNite for inverters at some point. They too will be novel!

Woohoo.

Midnite, the one stop power system source!

At least when you start making flow batteries or whatever nifty tech gets your attention.

Tom

[Westbranch]

Might want to connect to one of these flow units...??  http://redflow.com/redflow-products/zbm-overview/  for Off grid applications, or wind turbine storage...
One of the brothers that invented the technology has moved on to focus on Off grid  type applications..http://newwebchart.weblink.com.au/clients/redflow/article.asp?asx=RFX&view=2760066

[dgd]

Keep your eye on MidNite for inverters at some point. They too will be novel!

Great! Can I get into the field beta testing program for the MN SW4548E equivalent inverter?   
Novel meaning you have resurrected the Trace Engineering SW4548E  ? 

Somehow I thought my Trace SW3024E would have given up the magic smoke by now but it just keeps inverting from July 1997 to today    and hopefully it will keep going until the MN replacemnt exists. The longest it went continually was 4 years 7 months 12 days and was only power cycled because a corroded battery cable needed replacing.  I was really worried it would not start up again
but it did.
So it must be a good starting design point for the MN inverter..

dgd

[RossW]

Keep your eye on MidNite for inverters at some point. They too will be novel!

I look forward to it. I hope you will be able to ship this weekend

Can I please make a design consideration for you right from the get-go.
This is something that AFAIK *NO OTHER INVERTER ON THE MARKET DOES* and damn well should. It's not hard!
I have a good old 5KW continuous 48V in, 240V AC 50Hz out generator interactive inverter. It has been outstanding in every regard except its frequency is not what it should be. Every clock in the house runs about 1 minute/day slow.

An inverter built "today" should have ethernet. Ethernet for communications, monitoring, logging, configuration etc.
If it has ethernet, it better have ntp for time sync.
If it has ntp and therefore an accurate clock, it can COUNT CYCLES.
Periodically (daily? hourly? every minute? Heck, I don't mind!) it can count the number of output cycles in the last say, 24 hours. Compare the number of cycles ACTUALLY sent against the time actually elapsed, then pull the inverter frequency (no more than say, 2Hz) up or down.

The inverter needs to count cycles when running with the generator too. Obviously it can't do anything to change the generator output, but it CAN keep track of the cycles and "adjust" after the event.

[chris]

Keep your eye on MidNite for inverters at some point. They too will be novel!

  Looking forward to this, hopefully my cheap current one lasts till then. 

[Resthome]

Thank's
That's what I ordered the Outback FX2524T Sealed Inverter,i am amazed that you run them 24/7 with no problems that's very impressive.One quick ?,I am putting my batteries in the midnight solar enclosure is it advisable to also put a breaker on the enclosure?

Thank's

Tim

You definitely want a breaker or fuse of the proper size for your batteries/cables at your battery bank.

For Marine use the USCG Boat Manufacturing Federal Regulations requires a breaker or fuse in the cable from your power source (batteries) within 7", 40", or 72" max depending on the case.  For house batteries without starter circuit it's within 72". So while not required at the battery bank itself it should be within the 72". Mine is fused with ANL fuses within 48" which now require covers (ABYC/USCG). See attached diagram.