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24 VOLT INVERTER | 16 comments (16 topical, editorial)
Re: 24 VOLT INVERTER (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by elt on Thu Dec 7th, 2006 at 05:13:10 PM MST
(User Info)

I got mine (24volt version) about a week ago, didn't power it up until yesterday because I was waiting to get my battery situation straightened out.

It's certainly not indestructable; if your read all their pages you'll see lots of warnings about it not being covered by the warranty if it blows up because you hooked it up incorrectly... I was a little surprised to read their recommendation that you operate it in an air conditioned room in the summer in order to keep it cool!

Well, I powered it up to see if it had voltage to the ground terminal (search and read the "floating ground" messages) and sure enough it does. So, even though they have all those examples of connecting to an electrical panel, including hooking up the ground from the inverter to the ground on the panel, I think that THERE IS A HUGE OMISSION that you can't hook it up to the panel in your home because the neutral in your home panel is tied to ground... you'd short the inverter... again, the details are in the "floating ground" threads; it's worth searching the board.

Well, I bought mine to provide backup power to my furnace when power goes out in the winter. Since my furnace is hardwired to my panel, I'm going to have to do a little bit more disconnecting to use it than just hooking it into my transfer switch like I thought I could...

Sorry, I don't have any long term use with it but I thought I'd share what little I know!

 - Ed.



Re: 24 VOLT INVERTER (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by 2windy on Thu Dec 7th, 2006 at 05:48:25 PM MST
(User Info)

Ed, I don't understand what you mean by floating ground or voltage to the ground. Can you explain a bit further before I hook it up. I didn't plan on hardwiring it in to my home panel.

[ Parent ]


Re: 24 VOLT INVERTER (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by elt on Fri Dec 8th, 2006 at 08:53:25 AM MST
(User Info)

I'd just be parroting (probably badly) what people who knew what they were talking about wrote... just type "floating ground" into the Google search the board and you'll find the posts.

Hope that helps,
- Ed.

[ Parent ]



Re: 24 VOLT INVERTER (3.00 / 0) (#16)
by Nando (nando37-at-tx-dot-rr-dot-com Correct theanti-spam) on Sat Dec 9th, 2006 at 01:53:03 PM MST
(User Info)

The GRID has 3 wires ( 120 Volts) one is HOT ( Normally black = death), the second is Neutral ( normally White = life) and the third is Green or ground.

The GRID applies the AC to the Black and the Neutral is connected to the Ground at the transformer common = ground.

The ground and the Green are used to detect current flowing from the Hot = black to the ground to disconnect the GRID power from the Hot.
So the Neutral does not have any voltage, just the carrying current.

The MSW Inverters use the Neutral to send the Negative level of the MSW wave form.

so the Neutral can not be left grounded any where, so it has to be FLOATING for the MSW to operate properly.

Better MSW do have the Neutral grounded.

Nando


[ Parent ]



Re: 24 VOLT INVERTER (3.00 / 0) (#13)
by Nando (nando37-at-tx-dot-rr-dot-com Correct theanti-spam) on Fri Dec 8th, 2006 at 10:31:45 AM MST
(User Info)

ED:

This to reply to You and all using the MSW DC/AC inverters.

The inverters to be produced cheap have an output that is "Flip" for the positive side of the AC pulse to the "Normal HOT" ( Black wire ) of a normal electrical GRID connection, and the Negative pulse of the MSW - AC is done by "Flop" the "Normal Neutral" ( White wire ) of a normal electrical GRID connection.

FOR THIS REASON ALONE It is not a military supplied piece of equipment.

So both output lines of this "military supplied" DC/AC inverter are HOT every half cycle of the 60 HZ MSW. NOT ALLOWED BY THE MILITARY.

They are easily stackable because the only signal needed is a low level MSW - AC like (around 6 to 12 volts).

The only way to be able to use these units like a GRID equivalent AC voltage is to use a 1:1 isolation transformer, where the input is floating and connected to the DC/AC MSW inverter and the secondary output is isolated with one wire grounded ( White wire) and the other the HOT ( Black wire) -- additional expense indeed.

For the site that sells such pieces of equipments CAVEAT EMPTOR. -- and keep yourself at least 10000 leagues away from them.

INCLUDING THE PM ALTERNATORS THEY PROMULGATE.

Nando

[ Parent ]



24 VOLT INVERTER | 16 comments (16 topical, 0 editorial)

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