Inverter not working

[Bearcat]

My frig was dark and when checking the inverter i was not getting power to the frig. I plugged the frig into an outlet inside and the frig was working the inverter light was green so I'm guessing the inverter is going haywire and I may have to buy another one. When we got home I plugged into garage and frig was not working, I'm thinking maybe it needs 30 amp to run? I'm new to all of this and feel a bit overwhelmed already. Thanks

 

[Joe Hogan]

Check for a circuit breaker tripped?

 

[Bearcat]

Ok i did some investigating and made some progress, the frig will work when plugged into a plug in the trailer it didn't before because I needed to reset the button on the plug. I am still working on the inverter not sending power to the frig when plugged into the inverter. When using battery power the frig should work when plugged into the inverter correct?

 

[B52Bombardier1]

How many amps at what AC or DC voltage does your refrigerator need? Can the inverter support the delivery of that much power to the refrigerator? Can your batteries support the delivery of that much power to your inverter to then support your refrigerator? How large and how old are your batteries? If you got any documentation for your RV, you might find the answers to these questions there.

There may also be a data plate somewhere on the refrigerator.

Rick

 

[Bearcat]

ok I had a friend come over and explain things to me. When dry camping the inverter is only going to power my lights no frig, microwave or air conditioner so I think i have it all sorted out. Thank you.

 

[Bearcat]

ok 1 last issue is when connected to shore power my frig plugged into the converter will not work but plugged into an outlet inside the trailer it will run so I think my converter is not transferring the power to the frig when plugged into it. The converter is lit green but will not power up anything not even a lightbulb. So I thinkj i need a new inverter right?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

ok 1 last issue is when connected to shore power my frig plugged into the converter will not work but plugged into an outlet inside the trailer it will run so I think my converter is not transferring the power to the frig when plugged into it. The converter is lit green but will not power up anything not even a lightbulb. So I thinkj i need a new inverter right?

Converter? Inverter? Very confused!!!

Think you may mean plugged into the inverter,but???

If you mean inverter then here is something to consider.

The power supplied to an inverter (in amps) is ten times the output amps. If your fridge draws 6 amps at 115, the inverter would require 60 amps at 12 volts. A 60 amps converter could easily be under powered in this example!

 

[B52Bombardier1]

What Kevin is driving at is: volts x amps = watts. The power equation. You will need to become familiar with the data plates on your appliances to check for whatever amount they list for power consumption or power production. Volts? Amps? Or watts? An then constrain your expectations for what you can do when dry camping. People typically think they can do more with batteries, solar panels and inverters than is technically possible.

Fear not. We all had to come to this realization when we got into this lifestyle. My wife still often needs a gentle reminder and I steer my solar panels directly into the sun 4-5 times a day.

Rick

 

[Bearcat]

When home and plugged into 110 with my frig plugged into the inverter ( sorry that is what I meant) it no longer works when I first bought the trailer it would run the frig when using shore power. So I'm thinking the inverter is dying and I may need a new one

 

[Destination unknown]

My frig was dark and when checking the inverter i was not getting power to the frig. I plugged the frig into an outlet inside and the frig was working the inverter light was green so I'm guessing the inverter is going haywire and I may have to buy another one. When we got home I plugged into garage and frig was not working, I'm thinking maybe it needs 30 amp to run? I'm new to all of this and feel a bit overwhelmed already. Thanks

What type of fridge do you have? Is it a residential or duel (electric and propane) if it's a duel you will need to turn the propane on and put the control switch on auto.

 

[Bearcat]

no just an electric residential no propane, when we first bought the trailer the frig worked plugged into the inverter when on shore power then it stopped, that's why I think the inverter is not working any more.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Will anything work on the inverter?
What is the battery state of charge?
We can go from there

 

[Bearcat]

nothing works on the inverter, I tried a light from the house and nothing. Battery is charged but this is when plugged into 110 at the house and nothing will work when plugged into the inverte

 

[Kevin D Pem]

nothing works on the inverter, I tried a light from the house and nothing. Battery is charged but this is when plugged into 110 at the house and nothing will work when plugged into the inverte

I will agree with your assessment. Is this a portable "auto inverter"?

 

[Bearcat]

it came this way when we bought the trailer from a dealer. It worked fine the first month or so then on this last camping trip we noticed when plugged into shore power the frig was not on so I unplugged it from the inverter and plugged it into an outlet in the trailer and it worked to finish the camping trip. it is screwed down so not sure if its the original frig set up or not.
Thank you Kevin

 

[sunnysolardude]

it came this way when we bought the trailer from a dealer. It worked fine the first month or so then on this last camping trip we noticed when plugged into shore power the frig was not on so I unplugged it from the inverter and plugged it into an outlet in the trailer and it worked to finish the camping trip. it is screwed down so not sure if its the original frig set up or not.
Thank you Kevin

I have had several inverter failures over the years and more poor performance issues that I believe lead to failures. A good replacement that is computer friendly is: Xantrex PROwatt SW2000 True Sine Wave Inverter 8061220
This unit has a 3000 watt surge capacity which is excellent for fridge start ups.

 

[GTS225]

Just a basic Q.......have you checked for tripped breaker(s) on the front of the inverter?

Roger