Can an inverter catch fire? [RE-wrenches]

[Doug Pratt]

> On 2/10/01, Hugh Piggott <hugh.piggott at enterprise.net> wrote:
> >Although I have on occasion fitted inverters to wooden panel
> >surfaces, I am not comfortable with this practice, and I wonder how
> >you others feel.

In 15 years of RE wrenching and advising I've never seen or heard of an
inverter managing to scorch anything more than it's casing, let alone
actually burn anything.  I've seen a few "let the smoke out", often
dramatically (the $5 Chinese inverters the boss brought me once were great
fun), but when power transistors blow it's all over in a few milliseconds
with no lasting heat source. The National Electrical Code doesn't seem to
take any particular issue with fireproof inverter mounting, and the Code is
orchestrated by the National Fire Protection Association. If there was any
concern, they'd express, and codify it. (Not having a complete, up-to-date
NEC book in front of me, I will gladly accept correction on this point, if
warranted.)

-Doug Pratt

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