# 2 blown inverters in 2 weeks....



## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

Not sure why...

but its worth mentioning both have blown immediately when i switched them on when using the rapid 20a battery charger i fitted ...( diferent makes of inverter)

Proof i dont learn from my first mistake :lol: :lol:

Nothing to be seen inside other than this was a quality inverter at £17 delivered....

http://screencast.com/t/sowssCWT6Ctd

And a mention of might prevent others falling fowl ......


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## subfiver (Oct 15, 2011)

" a quality inverter at £17 delivered " is surely an oxymoron .. ?

8O


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

Your overloading it, my inverter to replace would be £3000

Loddy


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## trevorf (May 16, 2005)

I agree, quality inverters cost much more than £17, see here:-

Sterling


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

subfiver said:


> " a quality inverter at £17 delivered " is surely an oxymoron .. ?
> 
> 8O


i spoke with the supplier and he used to supply machine mart and these went out at £39.....

machine mart cost saving decided to buy from china and badge the replacement up as "clarke" but they ve had nothing but problems with them and the supplier is once again been talked to by machine mart.....

Look at it , the aluminium body is quality not the tissue paper chinese style and it has all the temp protections etc and even fan control .... it delivers a full 300w or 350w for 30 minutes ...

ALL for £17...

Dont confuse it with the chinese crap, its a genuine bargain at a 60% discount over machine mart prices...

... neither had anything connected when switched on and it is not a problem with either inverter i used... the problem is the fast charger being used simultaniously and i just highlight the problem to prevent others wasting money on a new inverter should they conect a fast charger as i have....

i use the term quality to highlight it stands out way above the chinese products at similar price and machine mart never had a problem when stocking this and anyone in the market for running a tv and laptop wont go far wrong with one of these...


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## subfiver (Oct 15, 2011)

Ahhhh, your original post read as if you were trying to drive the 20a charger via a £17 invertor ......

Would've been good to know the voltage the charger was putting across the battery terminals when the invertors failed; whatever it was looks like the invertor wasn't protected against it.

Or mebbe it is; it may be fused ... but the fuse may not look like a trad. fuse.


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

What battery are you charging with a 20A charger? If it's 12v surely a battery to battery charger would be better than a loss-making inverter?

I only use Ring inverters, good middle of the road and great back-up warrenty. As a secondary (cheaper) option I use Silverline - some eBay sellers are offering 3 years warrenty on them, you can get a 2000w for £140 (my 2100w Ring was RRP £300).

If you've blown two, something must be wrong  Some appliances simply don't like being run from 'dirty' modified sine wave inverters, resulting either the inverter blowing up or the device. IIRC the Silverline one comes with user replaceable internal fuses.


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

subfiver said:


> Ahhhh, your original post read as if you were trying to drive the 20a charger via a £17 invertor ......
> 
> Would've been good to know what the voltage the charger was putting across your battery terminals when the invertors failed; whatever it was looks like the invertor wasn't protected against it.
> 
> Or mebbe it is; it may be fused ... but the fuse may not look like a trad. fuse.


it was putting 14.7v across the batteries and the fuse blew on the inverter about 2 secs after i switched it on, no load in both cases...

I did notice the wattage delivered to the batteries increased before it blew and can only assume for some reason the fast charger forced intollerable destructive current into the inverters...

The stupid thing is i had no need to put the inverter on and only did because i was curious to see if it was the battery charger that had blown the first one...

certainly got my expensive answer :lol: :lol:

To clear things up i was just charging the batteries as normal on fast charge...and switched the inverter on...


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

spatz1 said:


> subfiver said:
> 
> 
> > Ahhhh, your original post read as if you were trying to drive the 20a charger via a £17 invertor ......
> ...


You weren't trying to charge the same batteries as you had taken the power from to power the inverter in the first place were you?


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

Cant believe you asked that :lol: :lol: :lol: 

The charger is is just coupled to the batteries as normal and fed from a spare 240v breaker.... nothing unusual ...

2 inverters have blown simply by turning them on no load within 2 seconds only when the fast charger is being used and yet they run fine when the van charger is being used....

I m suggesting it might be prudent not to run a fast charger and switch any inverter on or you run the risk of blowing the inverter as i experienced. i dont know why it happens, but it just does....

No point in others making the same mistake as i have done twice.... :lol: :lol:


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

Are you sure you don't want to check it a 3rd time just to be absolutely certain.... :lol:


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

Rosbotham said:


> Are you sure you don't want to check it a 3rd time just to be absolutely certain.... :lol:


got to admit i m not the sort to be able to live without finding the answer as to why and loath being void of a solution to any problem...

I suspect its blown a microchip as the green light comes on now i ve replaced the fuse , but no 240v and no sign or smell of any electrical fault....


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

spatz1 said:


> No point in others making the same mistake as i have done twice.... :lol: :lol:


Which mistake would that be then Spatz? :lol: :lol:

Thanks for posting the warning (which is appreciated) and I have to confess at once that I know nothing about inverters.

I do wonder why the "usual" price of one is so much higher than the 17 quid you spent (_including delivery_ 8O ) if it really is good quality?? That would make the cost of the inverter about £12!! 8O 8O

Can you really get a decent one for so little . . . . and if so, why are most others so hugely expensive by comparison?

I'm not winding you up, but I am very suspicious when something stands out as being so much cheaper than the norm.

Dave 

P.S. Speaking of winding up - it isn't a clockwork inverter is it? :lol: :lol: :roll:


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## Bill_H (Feb 18, 2011)

I'd think that the fast charger might be the culprit and not the inverters.
If the fast charger is supplying more voltage than the inverters are rated to cope with you may be causing damage to your battery as well - check the electrolite level, the charger might have boiled it away. Do the inverters not have over-voltage protection?


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

Zebedee said:


> spatz1 said:
> 
> 
> > No point in others making the same mistake as i have done twice.... :lol: :lol:
> ...


its made in taiwan, has a proven track record with machine mart and sat at the side of the chinese one i bought for a similar price its like a rolls royce and has all the safety features and fan control i ve mentioned and the beauty is the fan doesnt come on until youre at 100w so you can run the telly , charge the phone and laptop silently .... 
i ve ordered another that should be here today because it does exactly what i want and will run my computer in the house during the brighter solar months by supplying 300w constantly....

Its £17 and a genuine bargain and if you re not convinced i m tempted to put up the money and have you take a look at one :lol:

but you re welcome to the old one :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## denisl (Mar 16, 2011)

Probably a stupid question, but are sure you connected the inverters the correct way round. I doubt they would have reverse polarity protection.
I would expect them to have over voltage protection (and low voltage cutout), but if not, 14.7 volts with no power being drawn shouldn't be a problem.


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

denisl said:


> Probably a stupid question, but are sure you connected the inverters the correct way round. I doubt they would have reverse polarity protection.
> I would expect them to have over voltage protection (and low voltage cutout), but if not, 14.7 volts with no power being drawn shouldn't be a problem.


just fitted the new one i ordered yesterday...

red flashing light...

its typical of my strange life that as you post i walk in from having realised the red light was flashing because the solars have taken the battery to 15.04 v having charged them the other day and the light cancelled when i put a large fan on to drop the voltage....


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

Sounds like the inverters you are using are no good.

I run my inverter when the vehicle is running (Alternator capable of 55 amps) the amp meter in the van shows 25 amps plus charge. I also run it while charging from the Gasparini Energy 20 generator delivering 20 amps. Battery voltage goes up to 14.4 volt on the generator. 

I have been doing this for 4 years without a problem.

John


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## airstream (Jan 7, 2009)

*where from?*

Where do you buy the inverter from at £17 delivered seems worth a punt
Ray


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

*Re: where from?*



airstream said:


> Where do you buy the inverter from at £17 delivered seems worth a punt
> Ray


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330618169360?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

order now you ll have it tomorrow...

Dont know the seller but have chatted on the phone...

Like i say ,i ve bought some crap off ebay, but this is ok and i ll be testing this next :lol: :lol:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320798472967?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649


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## denisl (Mar 16, 2011)

I have installed one of these - 150 watt for 14 pounds - going ok so far. I mostly use the usb output but occasionally run a laptop or printer.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vehicle-Caravan-Inverter-Output-Adapter/dp/B0035VZH9A/ref=pd_cp_computers_1

I still wouldn't expect 15 volts with no load to kill it though.


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## rowley (May 14, 2005)

My son sells inverters, mainly to industry and the Narrow boat people. 
He personally checks every one before he issues them, as he often finds potential faults on them.


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## iandsm (May 18, 2007)

*inveter*

Can't help thinking, Cheap no good, good no cheap, as they say in China.


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## jud (Aug 15, 2009)

spatz1 said:


> denisl said:
> 
> 
> > Probably a stupid question, but are sure you connected the inverters the correct way round. I doubt they would have reverse polarity protection.
> ...


hi spatz1. i would be concerned if my solar to the volts up to 15.04 v i would assume the regulator should have cut in before :?: jud


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

jud said:


> spatz1 said:
> 
> 
> > denisl said:
> ...


There is a temperature sensor fitted on the top of the battery from the solar regulator... its job is to increase / decrease the charge and as its only 4 degrees here ... it has increased the voltage as designed ....


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