Portawattz problem..

Question:

I have been using a 1750 watt Portawattz inverter in the garage. Yesterday, with only a radio plugged into it, the unit quit working. The   overload light is on and won’t go out. I’ve tried disconnecting it from the batteries and reconnecting. No change. It will turn off via the switch, but when turned back on, the overload light is still on. This is with NOTHING plugged in. Is there an easy cure? If not, who fixes these things at a reasonable cost? Thanks for any advice.. mike

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I have been using a 1750 watt Portawattz inverter in the garage. >Yesterday, with only a radio plugged into it, the unit quit working. The >  overload light is on and won’t go out. >I’ve tried disconnecting it from the batteries and reconnecting. No >change. It will turn off via the switch, but when turned back on, the >overload light is still on. >This is with NOTHING plugged in. >Is there an easy cure? If not, who fixes these things at a reasonable cost? >Thanks for any advice.. >mike

This is the failure I got on these inverters when I connected neutral to ground.  If in warranty, Xantrex will replace it for close to the cost of a new unit. Bill Kaszeta Photovoltaic Resources Int’l Tempe  Arizona  USA

Response:

> This is the failure I got on these inverters when I connected neutral > to ground.  If in warranty, Xantrex will replace it for close to the cost > of a new unit.

Thanks for the reply. I was afraid of that. If they are being such greedy pigs, I should look into some other manufacturer who treats their customers better. Any recommendations? mike

Response:

You can’t beat Outback Power, but they might be out of your price range. http://www.outbackpower.com/ — Online Solar Electric Store: www.solar-electric.com Solar Discussion Forum: www.wind-sun.com/forum/index.php

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> This is the failure I got on these inverters when I connected neutral > to ground.  If in warranty, Xantrex will replace it for close to the cost > of a new unit. > Thanks for the reply. I was afraid of that. If they are being such greedy > pigs, I should look into some other manufacturer who treats their > customers better. Any recommendations? > mike

Response:

> I have been using a 1750 watt Portawattz inverter in the garage. > Yesterday, with only a radio plugged into it, the unit quit working. The >   overload light is on and won’t go out.

 Those little puppies are awful sensitive and not at all forgiving. What do you have it powered by? Battery or battery and panel? > I’ve tried disconnecting it from the batteries and reconnecting. No > change. It will turn off via the switch, but when turned back on, the > overload light is still on.

 Did you check the battery voltage? Is there a panel in there anywhere? They trip high, as I remember, at voltages approaching 15v DC. Any chance the polarity got swapped sometime? > Is there an easy cure? If not, who fixes these things at a reasonable cost?

 Well, dude, hope it’s as easy as a supply voltage problem. Otherwise, well, you bought a 1500 watt inverter (only surges to 1750) for something like 300$ Canadian, what, 200$ USD. They’re meant to be, after the warranty lapses, disposable.  The upside, though, is if it IS in warranty, they’re very easy to exchange for a new one at most of the major chains that sell them. DJ

Response:

> Thanks for the reply. I was afraid of that. If they are being such > greedy pigs, I should look into some other manufacturer who treats their > customers better. Any recommendations?

 Well, to be fair, "greedy pig" is a bit extreme. They’re selling these borderline quality products for Wal-Mart prices. Ya get what you pay for. They fill a niche, as questionable as that niche might be .  That’s probably one of my biggest criticisms about Xantrex: how can you trust their "upper end" stuff when their "econcomical" stuff is, ahem, "questionable"? I won’t go into my "meet the crack ho and her sister the high society debutante" analogy, but you get my drift .  From what I understand of the industry at present, two of the most interesting inverter sellers are OutBack (http://www.outbackpower.com/) when you need sinewave power, and if you don’t, Magnum (http://www.magnumteknologies.com/). Up here, for the size you’re replacing, ~2kw, we’re talking an MSRP of about 3000$CAN for an Outback, and 1500$CAN for a Magnum.  So yeah, what you’re paying for a Portawattz and add a zero… and a warranty, reliability, flexibility, and customer support .  And Outback and Magnum inverters ALSO have really nice built-in battery bank chargers.  Do you have grid electricity in your home, or are you off grid? DJ

Response:

>  Those little puppies are awful sensitive and not at all forgiving. > What do you have it powered by? Battery or battery and panel?

Batteries. >  Did you check the battery voltage? Is there a panel in there > anywhere? They trip high, as I remember, at voltages approaching 15v > DC. Any chance the polarity got swapped sometime?

roughly 12.6 volts when I plugged in the radio. The inverter died about an hour after I plugged the radio in. >  Well, dude, hope it’s as easy as a supply voltage problem. > Otherwise, well, you bought a 1500 watt inverter (only surges to 1750) > for something like 300$ Canadian, what, 200$ USD. They’re meant to be, > after the warranty lapses, disposable.

I think you may be right. It doesn’t look like there are schematics or parts available, so I’ll take it apart for an autopsy. mike

Response:

> >  Did you check the battery voltage? Is there a panel in there > anywhere? They trip high, as I remember, at voltages approaching 15v > DC. Any chance the polarity got swapped sometime? > roughly 12.6 volts when I plugged in the radio. The inverter died about > an hour after I plugged the radio in.

So no running it into a distribution panel or anything, eh? Well, that’s the "rule" with modern electronics; if they’re gonna die, they usually die quick. > I think you may be right. It doesn’t look like there are schematics or > parts available, so I’ll take it apart for an autopsy.

 It’ll probably be something obvious… any chance it got wet? In any case, if you decide to continue with that line of product, keep the old one as a potential spare parts source. BUT make sure you keep the receipt for the new one, and write down on it, in marker somewhere, the date of purchase and the expiry date of the warranty. And keep the receipt in a safe place .  Oh, hey, is there a fuse on the positive input lead (there really should be)?  Did you check it? DJ

Response:

>  It’ll probably be something obvious… any chance it got wet? In any > case, if you decide to continue with that line of product, keep the > old one as a potential spare parts source. BUT make sure you keep the > receipt for the new one, and write down on it, in marker somewhere, > the date of purchase and the expiry date of the warranty. > And keep the receipt in a safe place .

Good advice. >  Oh, hey, is there a fuse on the positive input lead (there really > should be)? >  Did you check it?

x Yes. I had a sixty amp fuse in the line. It’s ok. Oh well..It looks like it’s going to be spare parts. mike

Response:

> You can’t beat Outback Power, but they might be out of your price range. > http://www.outbackpower.com/

I’m starting to think that regular replacement of a cheap inverter is out of my price range. mike

Response:

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