Based on your reviews of Itechworld products I have just purchased an entire kit from them. 3 x 120amp batteries, 3000 watt inverter charger etc. $5k. Very pleased with my purchase. Thanks.
That's great, I'm sure you'll have a good run from them! Did you have yourself 5% with the coupon code though? I just checked and can't see any sales today on the coupon for batteries or inverter. 🤔 Be a shame if you didn't get an extra discount!
Can you please check the how its bonded? Due to RCD, I know the output on the output side is bonded while on DC-AC Just wonder how their ATS works, as it should not be bonded, as camp site/house would provide the N-G bond
Unfortunately I've sold the caravan that had that inverter in it now. The best thing to do would be to contact service@itechworld.com.au and ask them, they've been pretty responsive to all the technical questions I've asked.
Hi Greg, great video I have 3 x 120amp Itechworld lithium batteries along with Itechworld 40 amp DCDC charger and I am looking at fitting a Itechworld 2000 watt inverter with ATS and RCD. Am I able to connect the IEC C14 cable directly into an existing power point as long as I switch off the HWS, Fridge and battery charger when using the inverter or do I need to get the inverter hard wired in by an electrician.
Hi mate, it's always best to get it properly done by an electrician, particularly the earthing so the RCD works. Let's get that out of the way. That said, yes what you've said should work, if you just want to run appliances directly from the inverter as shown at ruclips.net/video/GSKaph9BIAE/видео.htmlsi=TOnpX8eXXYDWgXC8&t=1595 - it just needs to be properly earthed for safety. This setup means you wouldn't be utilising the Automatic Transfer Switch, but if this is just a short-term solution until you get an electrician to wire it in properly it would work. However if this is how you plan to use it longer-term you may as well save $200 and get the version without the ATS. To have it wired in properly for a longer-term solution, you would need the output of the inverter to feed the input of your van's power circuits. If hypothetically they were conveniently all connected to a 3 pin plug, you could simply plug that into the output of the inverter and you'd be all set, but those things are all hard-wired which is why you'd need the electrician for that part of it. Good luck, and glad you enjoyed the video! Please share on your socials to help the channel grow! :) Cheers, Greg
Great video. I have a question with inverters, do they provide 230v on the active and zero volts on the neutral like the mains supply or is it 115v on both 180 degrees out of phase? I ask because the neutral is earthed on the mains supply but it can’t be from an inverter.
Hi, I've ran twin core with all my 12 volt appliances and about to add on a 2k inverter. Is it necessary to earth the inverter? I have it all in a portable tuff case as I'm in between vehicles and want to use it camping so can't really earth it. Cheers ,great channel.
Yeah excellent question, I went through this myself with my install. The official way to do it is to earth the inverter to the chassis and that's what a sparky will sign off on. But in practice this doesn't add a lot of protection since the chassis is floating relative to earth anyway and there's no earth stake and (possibly) no neutral-earth bond in the inverter (but don't quote me on that one). So it takes a compliance box but doesn't necessarily add much safety-wise. Some people just leave the whole thing floating with no earth - if you touch the active you'll only get a shock if there's some path from elsewhere on your body back to the neutral or earth, and given most things in a van aren't connected to the chassis there's little way to complete that circuit. It may be a bit different on a van with a metal body or if you're touching the sink, but it's quite a different situation to a typical domestic supply on the ground.
@@TheMusingGreg wouldn't the RCD on the Inverter save you if there was an earth leakage? I plan on buying the same inverter as yours with all the protection. Cheers
That I'm not sure! An RCD will trip if there's an imbalance between active and neutral, that much is simple. But that imbalance can only happen when the current's got some alternative way of getting back to the supply other than the neutral. If the inverter's not earthed, then as I see it there's no reason for current to go to earth because it doesn't lead back to the inverter. As such you SHOULDN'T get a shock just from touching the active when standing on the wooden floor of the van, just like you don't get a shock to earth if you're wearing thick rubber-soled boots. You might if the inverter earth was connected to the sink or something, and you touched active while touching the sink with your other hand; then you'd probably get a shock and the RCD might save you. But if the supply was floating and there's no earth I can't see you'd be able to get a shock anyway so wouldn't need the RCD! I feel a lot of this confusion, in my mind at least, is because electrical safety systems are designed for land supplies where earth is unavoidably part of the circuit, so systems are in place to prevent you getting a shock through current going to earth. But it doesn't seem to make logical sense when everything around you is floating. This may be a different story if you're installing this into a vehicle where everything around you is metal. When you buy the inverter don't forget to go via itechworld.com.au/musing or use coupon code MUSING in checkout as you'll save 5% and help the channel out at the same time!
I know the test was really about the inverter but I've recently bought an itech120X PRO lithium battery have a 40amp dcdc charger and 200w solar panel. I'm wanting to add a 2000w inverter down the track. Just wondering how much more a/h battery would be ideal to do that? The plan being just to run a 2000w induction cooker for max of 30 min periods in times of total fire bans. Other than a 15ltr freezer, a phone and sometimes a lap top I have nothing else to run off the battery.
Thanks for the question Rosie. 2000W of power from a 12V battery will draw about 170 amps (2000/12= ~170). So hypothetically if you were doing that for a full hour, you'd require a 170 "Amp Hour" (Ah) battery. Therefore, half an hour's use will need half that capacity, i.e. 85Ah, which is about 70% of your current 120Ah battery's capacity. It doesn't leave you a lot of spare capacity for a longer cook if needed or anything else, so it's good you're considering increasing that. If I was in your position, I'd be looking to add another 120X Pro to the system which will take you up to 240Ah of capacity. This would comfortably give you an hour with the induction cooker, plus about 60Ah spare capacity for other things. The extra capacity would also mean you're not having to run the batteries as low each time you use the cooker, which will increase their lifespan considerably - the 120X Pro is rated to 4000 cycles at 100% discharge, but 8000+ cycles at only 50% depth of discharge. So your regular half hour cook would only take about 35% of their capacity rather than 70% of a single battery. So not only would you have more capacity up your sleeve, each battery should last twice as long. Let me know if you need any more info. If you decide to order another battery from iTechWorld, make sure you use coupon code MUSING to save yourself 5% and support my channel at the same time! Hope this helps, Greg
@@TheMusingGreg thank you so much. When you don't have the knowledge it's so good to be able to obtain it from someone who does and put into a simple to understand explanation.
Hi Greg. I have found your videos to be very helpful so I wanted to buy you thanks. I have never bought RUclips thanks before, so I watched the RUclips video that showed you have options of $5, 10 etc and that 70% does go to you. I was worried it all went to RUclips. When I click above, however, it says $32 is the only option, but then on the next screen it says pay $2 and that won't even buy you a coffee. Sorry but please will you explain how someone can actually thank you properly and do you have thanks capped somehow?
Hi Mary, thank you very much for your generosity and willingness to contribute, I really appreciate it and am really pleased to know you've found the content helpful! Though I'm puzzled as to the problem you've encountered - when I click the Thanks button on that video, I can slide the slider from $2, $5, $10 and further. I'm not sure where you're seeing the $32 option show up; I see a $25 and a $50 option but no $32. Two things you could try: 1) try the Thanks button on a different video and see if it works better there (e.g. try this one ruclips.net/video/o8rLVv2oCnQ/видео.html), or 2) try using a different web browser (e.g. use Microsoft Edge or Firefox instead of Chrome), or try a different device (e.g. your phone instead of a PC) in case it's just a bug with how the info's being displayed in your current browser. Hope these help, however you are free to donate whatever you want, even $2 is better than nothing. Thanks again! Greg
In regards to the batteries, the Kings 120A is not the best one for an inverter, best to go for their 200A, it has 200A continuous discharge with 240A max (peak), for $699 not too bad, they don't quote max charging current !!, I'm not a fan of their stuff but this is a good one for the budget conscious and you get 200A capacity which will suffice any power hungry 240v stuff.
Yeah they are a pretty good buy in terms of price. Compared to iTechWorld , they only have half the cycles (2000 vs 4000) and half the warranty (2 years vs 5), but they're also only half the price ($699 vs $1699)! While I don't think they're actually better value in the long term, the fact you only have to fork out half as much upfront is very attractive when, as you say, you get comparable performance, at least for a while.
@@TheMusingGreg I have since seen a tear down of the Kings batteries and they are poorly built and assembled, loose positive terminal inside the case was causing very high temperatures at the external connection point, he opened it up to find the loose connections (had to prise the case open as they glue them shut) this sort of build problem can lead to a fire under high load, there are plenty of other battery brands out there that are good value, with 5 year warranty and double the cycles for not a lot more than the Kings stuff
I like the entry price for the Renogy, 2000W $319, or 3000W $419, it also has the 240v switchover input, they just call it UPS, but they don't have an RCD, IMO RCD should be mandatory fitment on any inverter, it's a requirement on a house but not on a portable 240V !!!!! generator, just as dangerous as your home sockets, gee that scope looks like it's done a lot of work 🤣🤣😊😊
Yeah Renogy prices are good, and I was actually considering one until I saw productreview.com.au - their customer support appears to be terrible! That's specifically why I added that section into the video. It could well be $400 down the drain and then have to start again. I agree RCD should be on there too
From what I have seen about Renogy, their socket is RCD protected (GFCI as they call it). Watch the video about changing renogy inverter from bonded to floating neutral
@@TheMusingGreg I ordered a number of products from Renogy online, they delivered very quickly, there was an issue with one of the products not compatible (BT HUB / DC to DC) and they released a new IP rated 50A DC about a week after I purchased, I contacted them online, they were very helpful and issued a RA within one day, I sent it back and purchased the new DC to DC, they also sent me a further 10% discount for the incompatibility issues I discovered, I can't complain about their service it was very good, and the products are of top quality.
The RCD does not measure current on the earth wire, it detects a difference in current between the active and neutral. Therefore if you touch the active and create a sufficient path to earth more current will flow on the active than the neutral and the RCD will trip. They wouldn’t install it if it had no purpose.
Thanks
Thank you so much Mary, I really appreciate your support! This will help purchase the next products for review! 👍👍
Based on your reviews of Itechworld products I have just purchased an entire kit from them. 3 x 120amp batteries, 3000 watt inverter charger etc. $5k. Very pleased with my purchase. Thanks.
That's great, I'm sure you'll have a good run from them! Did you have yourself 5% with the coupon code though? I just checked and can't see any sales today on the coupon for batteries or inverter. 🤔 Be a shame if you didn't get an extra discount!
Very good in-depth video,thank you,looking forward to the next video on tech o stuff.
Glad it was helpful! Yes stay tuned, more is in the works!
Can you please check the how its bonded? Due to RCD, I know the output on the output side is bonded while on DC-AC
Just wonder how their ATS works, as it should not be bonded, as camp site/house would provide the N-G bond
Unfortunately I've sold the caravan that had that inverter in it now. The best thing to do would be to contact service@itechworld.com.au and ask them, they've been pretty responsive to all the technical questions I've asked.
Hi Greg, great video I have 3 x 120amp Itechworld lithium batteries along with Itechworld 40 amp DCDC charger and I am looking at fitting a Itechworld 2000 watt inverter with ATS and RCD. Am I able to connect the IEC C14 cable directly into an existing power point as long as I switch off the HWS, Fridge and battery charger when using the inverter or do I need to get the inverter hard wired in by an electrician.
Hi mate, it's always best to get it properly done by an electrician, particularly the earthing so the RCD works. Let's get that out of the way. That said, yes what you've said should work, if you just want to run appliances directly from the inverter as shown at ruclips.net/video/GSKaph9BIAE/видео.htmlsi=TOnpX8eXXYDWgXC8&t=1595 - it just needs to be properly earthed for safety.
This setup means you wouldn't be utilising the Automatic Transfer Switch, but if this is just a short-term solution until you get an electrician to wire it in properly it would work. However if this is how you plan to use it longer-term you may as well save $200 and get the version without the ATS. To have it wired in properly for a longer-term solution, you would need the output of the inverter to feed the input of your van's power circuits. If hypothetically they were conveniently all connected to a 3 pin plug, you could simply plug that into the output of the inverter and you'd be all set, but those things are all hard-wired which is why you'd need the electrician for that part of it.
Good luck, and glad you enjoyed the video! Please share on your socials to help the channel grow! :)
Cheers,
Greg
Great video. I have a question with inverters, do they provide 230v on the active and zero volts on the neutral like the mains supply or is it 115v on both 180 degrees out of phase? I ask because the neutral is earthed on the mains supply but it can’t be from an inverter.
That's a good question Steve! I'll do some work and possibly some measurements and come back to you.
Yes u need to do some home work do u really think it's a good idea to ground an inverter to chassis or sink. R they earthed properly 😬
Hi, I've ran twin core with all my 12 volt appliances and about to add on a 2k inverter. Is it necessary to earth the inverter? I have it all in a portable tuff case as I'm in between vehicles and want to use it camping so can't really earth it. Cheers ,great channel.
Yeah excellent question, I went through this myself with my install. The official way to do it is to earth the inverter to the chassis and that's what a sparky will sign off on. But in practice this doesn't add a lot of protection since the chassis is floating relative to earth anyway and there's no earth stake and (possibly) no neutral-earth bond in the inverter (but don't quote me on that one). So it takes a compliance box but doesn't necessarily add much safety-wise. Some people just leave the whole thing floating with no earth - if you touch the active you'll only get a shock if there's some path from elsewhere on your body back to the neutral or earth, and given most things in a van aren't connected to the chassis there's little way to complete that circuit. It may be a bit different on a van with a metal body or if you're touching the sink, but it's quite a different situation to a typical domestic supply on the ground.
@@TheMusingGreg wouldn't the RCD on the Inverter save you if there was an earth leakage? I plan on buying the same inverter as yours with all the protection. Cheers
That I'm not sure! An RCD will trip if there's an imbalance between active and neutral, that much is simple. But that imbalance can only happen when the current's got some alternative way of getting back to the supply other than the neutral. If the inverter's not earthed, then as I see it there's no reason for current to go to earth because it doesn't lead back to the inverter. As such you SHOULDN'T get a shock just from touching the active when standing on the wooden floor of the van, just like you don't get a shock to earth if you're wearing thick rubber-soled boots. You might if the inverter earth was connected to the sink or something, and you touched active while touching the sink with your other hand; then you'd probably get a shock and the RCD might save you. But if the supply was floating and there's no earth I can't see you'd be able to get a shock anyway so wouldn't need the RCD! I feel a lot of this confusion, in my mind at least, is because electrical safety systems are designed for land supplies where earth is unavoidably part of the circuit, so systems are in place to prevent you getting a shock through current going to earth. But it doesn't seem to make logical sense when everything around you is floating. This may be a different story if you're installing this into a vehicle where everything around you is metal.
When you buy the inverter don't forget to go via itechworld.com.au/musing or use coupon code MUSING in checkout as you'll save 5% and help the channel out at the same time!
I know the test was really about the inverter but I've recently bought an itech120X PRO lithium battery have a 40amp dcdc charger and 200w solar panel. I'm wanting to add a 2000w inverter down the track. Just wondering how much more a/h battery would be ideal to do that? The plan being just to run a 2000w induction cooker for max of 30 min periods in times of total fire bans. Other than a 15ltr freezer, a phone and sometimes a lap top I have nothing else to run off the battery.
Thanks for the question Rosie. 2000W of power from a 12V battery will draw about 170 amps (2000/12= ~170). So hypothetically if you were doing that for a full hour, you'd require a 170 "Amp Hour" (Ah) battery. Therefore, half an hour's use will need half that capacity, i.e. 85Ah, which is about 70% of your current 120Ah battery's capacity. It doesn't leave you a lot of spare capacity for a longer cook if needed or anything else, so it's good you're considering increasing that.
If I was in your position, I'd be looking to add another 120X Pro to the system which will take you up to 240Ah of capacity. This would comfortably give you an hour with the induction cooker, plus about 60Ah spare capacity for other things. The extra capacity would also mean you're not having to run the batteries as low each time you use the cooker, which will increase their lifespan considerably - the 120X Pro is rated to 4000 cycles at 100% discharge, but 8000+ cycles at only 50% depth of discharge. So your regular half hour cook would only take about 35% of their capacity rather than 70% of a single battery. So not only would you have more capacity up your sleeve, each battery should last twice as long.
Let me know if you need any more info. If you decide to order another battery from iTechWorld, make sure you use coupon code MUSING to save yourself 5% and support my channel at the same time!
Hope this helps,
Greg
@@TheMusingGreg thank you so much. When you don't have the knowledge it's so good to be able to obtain it from someone who does and put into a simple to understand explanation.
No worries at all, happy to be of assistance!
Hi Greg. I have found your videos to be very helpful so I wanted to buy you thanks. I have never bought RUclips thanks before, so I watched the RUclips video that showed you have options of $5, 10 etc and that 70% does go to you. I was worried it all went to RUclips. When I click above, however, it says $32 is the only option, but then on the next screen it says pay $2 and that won't even buy you a coffee. Sorry but please will you explain how someone can actually thank you properly and do you have thanks capped somehow?
Hi Mary, thank you very much for your generosity and willingness to contribute, I really appreciate it and am really pleased to know you've found the content helpful! Though I'm puzzled as to the problem you've encountered - when I click the Thanks button on that video, I can slide the slider from $2, $5, $10 and further. I'm not sure where you're seeing the $32 option show up; I see a $25 and a $50 option but no $32.
Two things you could try: 1) try the Thanks button on a different video and see if it works better there (e.g. try this one ruclips.net/video/o8rLVv2oCnQ/видео.html), or 2) try using a different web browser (e.g. use Microsoft Edge or Firefox instead of Chrome), or try a different device (e.g. your phone instead of a PC) in case it's just a bug with how the info's being displayed in your current browser.
Hope these help, however you are free to donate whatever you want, even $2 is better than nothing.
Thanks again!
Greg
Thanks. I swapped to my phone and succeeded (I hope).
Yes that worked! Thanks Mary, your generosity is truly appreciated!
In regards to the batteries, the Kings 120A is not the best one for an inverter, best to go for their 200A, it has 200A continuous discharge with 240A max (peak), for $699 not too bad, they don't quote max charging current !!, I'm not a fan of their stuff but this is a good one for the budget conscious and you get 200A capacity which will suffice any power hungry 240v stuff.
Yeah they are a pretty good buy in terms of price. Compared to iTechWorld , they only have half the cycles (2000 vs 4000) and half the warranty (2 years vs 5), but they're also only half the price ($699 vs $1699)! While I don't think they're actually better value in the long term, the fact you only have to fork out half as much upfront is very attractive when, as you say, you get comparable performance, at least for a while.
@@TheMusingGreg I have since seen a tear down of the Kings batteries and they are poorly built and assembled, loose positive terminal inside the case was causing very high temperatures at the external connection point, he opened it up to find the loose connections (had to prise the case open as they glue them shut) this sort of build problem can lead to a fire under high load, there are plenty of other battery brands out there that are good value, with 5 year warranty and double the cycles for not a lot more than the Kings stuff
Thanks for the good review..... however, I heard iTechWorld first time...
Hope it helps you in choosing the right one for yourself!
I like the entry price for the Renogy, 2000W $319, or 3000W $419, it also has the 240v switchover input, they just call it UPS, but they don't have an RCD, IMO RCD should be mandatory fitment on any inverter, it's a requirement on a house but not on a portable 240V !!!!! generator, just as dangerous as your home sockets, gee that scope looks like it's done a lot of work 🤣🤣😊😊
Yeah Renogy prices are good, and I was actually considering one until I saw productreview.com.au - their customer support appears to be terrible! That's specifically why I added that section into the video. It could well be $400 down the drain and then have to start again. I agree RCD should be on there too
From what I have seen about Renogy, their socket is RCD protected (GFCI as they call it). Watch the video about changing renogy inverter from bonded to floating neutral
@@TheMusingGreg I ordered a number of products from Renogy online, they delivered very quickly, there was an issue with one of the products not compatible (BT HUB / DC to DC) and they released a new IP rated 50A DC about a week after I purchased, I contacted them online, they were very helpful and issued a RA within one day, I sent it back and purchased the new DC to DC, they also sent me a further 10% discount for the incompatibility issues I discovered, I can't complain about their service it was very good, and the products are of top quality.
No need for an rcd. It’s a bit hard to have an earth fault when the inverter it isolated from earth!.🤔
Yeah exactly! It's a funny setup in a van when there's no physical earth!
I’m a qualified electrician mate & that makes absolutely no sense to me!🤔😂
You mean my comment, or having to have an RCD?
Having an rcd. As it’s isolated from earth an earth fault is impossible the rcd is “protecting” from something which can’t happen!😂
The RCD does not measure current on the earth wire, it detects a difference in current between the active and neutral. Therefore if you touch the active and create a sufficient path to earth more current will flow on the active than the neutral and the RCD will trip. They wouldn’t install it if it had no purpose.
Guarantee 12 months is very poor
I agree, for the price it should be 2-3 years