[RE-wrenches] Inverter with no overload protection?

[Dan Fink]

Hi Allan;

That's amazing! I'll make a note of it for sure. I often work with tiny 
systems in remote areas that are transported by helicopter and boat, and 
even with many inexpensive inverters (for example Statpower) there's at 
least a line of automotive blade fuses inside that blow and can be 
easily replaced....one customer hit his output line with a snowplow, 
just had to buy 12 new fuses.

I highly recommend the Morningstar SureSine. It's bombproof, even for 
customers with no electrical knowledge. Just be sure to mount it in an 
electrical box, as there are no knockouts on the unit to clamp down the 
DC or AC wires.

Dan Fink
Executive Director;
Buckville Energy Consulting
Buckville Publications LLC
NABCEP / IREC / ISPQ accredited Continuing Education Providers
http://www.buckville.com/
info at buckville.com
970.672.4342 (voicemail)
970.373.1311 (fax)



Allan Sindelar wrote:
>   Wrenches,
> A bit over a year ago I built a mini-system for a customer: One 135W 
> module, SunSaver-10, 104 A/hr Concorde VRLA, Tri-Metric monitor and an 
> Exeltech XP125 inverter. All but the module were installed in a plastic 
> picnic cooler. The customer was totally satisfied with the system for 
> this weekend getaway cabin system and used it well within its bounds - a 
> couple of lights, mostly.
> 
> Last week she called because the inverter had failed. I called Exeltech 
> tech support and was told that the XP125 lacks protection against AC 
> overload! There's no circuit breaker or internal shutoff protection, and 
> an internal fuse on the circuit board is included only to protect 
> against reverse polarity. And because the inverter has been in operation 
> for 15 months, this apparent failure isn't covered under the one-year 
> warranty. Send it in, under $50 to repair.
> 
> I wrote the customer about the load size and her (edited) answer is 
> below. Apparently it wasn't even an overload, just a failure, possibly 
> related to poor power factor in the cordless drill charger. But I still 
> have never heard of an inverter without some form of overload 
> protection, and it seems to me that a unit this small especially needs 
> it, given how easily its capacity can be exceeded.
> 
> I have long respected Exeltech, one of few domestic electronics products 
> left. But this incident is giving me pause. Morningstar's SureSine 
> claims extensive protection: "The SureSine has extensive electronic 
> protections that will automatically protect against faults and user 
> mistakes such as short circuit, overload, high temperature and low 
> voltage disconnect. Recovery from most faults is automatic." It's 
> looking better all the time.
> 
> Has anyone else experienced a similar failure?
> Thank you,
> Allan