Author Topic: 3000W 12V Off-Grid Inverter  (Read 3600 times)

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ChrisOlson

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3000W 12V Off-Grid Inverter
« on: April 29, 2011, 09:16:23 AM »
I have a 3000 watt 12 volt AIMS Power inverter for sale.  It is brand new - never been removed from the bubble wrap before I took the photos of it.  I bought three of these units in September 2010 and only ever used two of them in my house.  These units run my lights, 'fridge, freezer, TV sets, computers, battery chargers, well pump, furnace blower and various shop tools, drill press etc with no problem.  Microwave oven buzzes more than with pure sine wave when using these inverters.

Its FLA draw is 300 amps, and I've measured the DC->AC conversion efficiency at about 95% at 250 watts AC draw.  It has 30 amp battery charger and automatic transfer switch.  Requires 30 amp 120 volt AC input from your generator (or grid) for full pass-thru power.  This unit has the remainder of the factory warranty left on it (to September 2011).  $400 for it and I'll cover the shipping anywhere in the continental US.
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Chris

Edit: This inverter does NOT have a "floating" neutral.  The neutral is bonded to ground inside the inverter per NEC and your subpanel is wired to meet code with the neutral going to the neutral bar and the ground going to the ground bar in the panel.  The inverter's chassis bonding stud is bonded to your service entrance ground, or separate ground rod for off-grid applications.





« Last Edit: April 29, 2011, 09:23:59 AM by ChrisOlson »

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Re: 3000W 12V Off-Grid Inverter
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2011, 11:11:37 AM »
That's a pretty decent price and nearly everything I've seen on the Aims says that they're nearly bullet proof.

I figured I'd toss in the specs (I assume it's for the same model).
Quote
Specifications:
Continuous output power: 3000 Watts
Surge power capability (peak power): 6000 Watts
dc input / operating voltage: 10 to 15 Volts
Output voltage: 120 Volts ac
Output frequency: 60 Hz +/1 .5 Hz
Battery low voltage alarm: 10.5 +/- 0.5 Volts
Battery low voltage shutdown: 9.5 +/- 0.5 V
No load minimum operating temperature: 25 degrees F
Full load maximum operating temperature: 140 degrees F (automatic shutdown)
Efficiency: 85-90%
No load draw: .6 amps
AC amps: 25
DC amps: 250
AC Output Socket Type: dual Type 2 -3 prong
High input voltage protection: 15V
Low input voltage shutdown: 10V
Internal fuse protection
<3 sec transfer time between loosing ac input power and switching to providing ac output power
Product size (L x W x H): 19.5 X 7 X 6.5
Weight: Unit: 18 lbs Boxed: 22 lbs

Charger specs:
30 amp smart charger

ChrisOlson

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Re: 3000W 12V Off-Grid Inverter
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2011, 11:56:02 AM »
That's a pretty decent price and nearly everything I've seen on the Aims says that they're nearly bullet proof.

The two I have used in my house, before we put in a new Xantrex pure sine inverter to accommodate the increased power available from our Jacobs turbine, have been flawless.  The only real way we knew we didn't have a pure sine inverter was because the microwave transformer buzzed with these MSW inverters.  Otherwise they run ever motor fine and our 'fridge and freezer draw the same amps on inverter power that they do on genset power.

The efficiency figure they give in the specs is for full load.  The full load amp draw is closer to 300 amps than it is 250 and the two that I have in my house will deliver more power than rated for a short time before the overheat warning sounds.  There are few, if any, battery banks and cables that can deliver 250 amps without the voltage dropping to 11.5 or so at the inverter power studs, even with the batteries fully charged.  So to get the full 3 kW out of them I've found that at 11.5 volts at the power studs the actual amp draw is closer to 300.   I've measured the no-load power draw at 8.7 watts.

You need to fuse the power to the inverter at 300 amps if you intend to use them at full load or it will blow 250 amp fuses - unless you use 4/0 cables.  I always fed them with dual #2's.

The only gripe I've had with them is that when switching to gen power the transfer switch breaks the power to the house for about a half second.  The switch from AC back to battery power is almost instantaneous.  I called AIMS tech support about this and they told me that during the battery to generator switch the inverter "tests" to make sure the input AC source is within acceptable limits before powering the load with it.  And being it's modified sine and can't sync with a pure sine AC input source the transfer switch positively has to break the power to the output before it can switch over to AC pass-thru.
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Chris