Exactly what I was looking for, thanks!!!! UPDATE: I purchased this Oct 2024, the holes are no longer threaded where the bolts go through and the covers can go on either direction! Renogy listened to your comments!
Great demo. I never knew about the using a resistor to pre-charge the inverter since I don't know Jack Diddly Squat about electronics. But, I'm learning. Thanks for the information.
@@massa-blasta 1000W continuous, 2000W peak surge during load start-up, 12V to 120VAC pure sine wave with conversion efficiency >90%, reduce conversion loss.
I've never used that option, but if it is anything like the "push in" wiring for outlets, there is a hole/slot where you can insert a small screwdriver to push the "grabbing spring" back to free the wires.
I would of thought that the Phillips head bolt would screw in from underneath without a washer. This would then act as a terminal where you then use the nut and washer to tighten down on the wire tab at the terminal. Good design.
amazing patience. I'm more than smart enough to figure that out and understand it. I do not have the patience to figure this out and understand it. Thank You. lolz.
To measure the AC voltage on the output, I just pushed the multi-meter probes into the 120 v outlet on the front. The power to pre-charge the internal capacitors came from the main battery (same battery used to run it).
In that case they should have included a lock washer for the bottom nut. If the tab was a through hole, the pressure from the lock washer on the top would work for the nut, but since the screw is torquing on the tab, the nut needs it's own lock washer.
@@summetj, the bottom nut is called "jam nut," and you suppose to use the flat washer on the bolt's head (top), and the lock washer on the jam nut, (bottom).
@@summetj My 3000w Renogy inverter came with two lock washers per tab and one flat washer per tab. From the top side, I have the bolt head, lock washer, flat washer, tab, lock washer, bottom nut.
If the outlets are 115V @ 15 A, What would be the max Amps from the terminal lugs? 2000 / 115 = 17A. But your meter read 110v? Manual states 115v. Curious. Thanks for sharing.
115V * 15A = 1725 watts AC draw. If the inverter is ~92% efficient, that means 1900 watt DC draw from the battery. 1900 watts / 12 volts = 158 amps continuous draw through the battery terminals.
Ok so this has been a very educational video, yet I got a question or two. As I a truck driver I have a 3000w power drive inverter. Just regular every day use. I run my dorm room fridge off it every day, meaning I never shut off my inverter unless I am home. So we’re talking a good solid 3mo to 6mo constantly on just for my fridge. I also run my little vacuum every other day for regular cleaning, my dremel when I’m working on my hobby projects so on. I’ve had this inverter for 5yr now and it’s starting to go, so time to upgrade…:my question is this, how would this pure sine wave stand up to being on for months at a time maintaining my fridge mainly. The constant use of it being on is my only concern. Thank you
Also another reason is I can’t run my air fryer on that power drive, or my instapot…it just drain my batteries down in my rig probably I’m guessing cuz it’s not meant to run those, which is why I want a pure sine wave
Also another reason is I can’t run my air fryer on that power drive, or my instapot…it just drain my batteries down in my rig probably I’m guessing cuz it’s not meant to run those, which is why I want a pure sine wave
2000 watts at 12 volts is 166 amps. Factoring in inverter losses, you'll probably want 180 amps. Multiply that by the number of hours of runtime you want at 2000 watts. (+ a bit extra because you don't want to run your batteries all the way down).
@@summetj thanks for the response, Im looking at buying either 2 100 amp/h lithium batteries from renogy or 2 of their 200 amp/h gel batteries. The gel ones would save a couple hundreds bucks. With all things considered what do you think would be a better option
@@brandito888 The lithium would be a better choice, as with Lead Acid Gel Cells you can only discharge down to 50%, but with the lithium you can go to 80%, plus they have a lot more usable cycles.
PICK A BRAIN: I just ordered the 1000w for my small truck camper. I haven’t installed it yet. Where do I connect the ground to? It’s inside my camper so can’t connect to the body or frame. Anyone?
Frame/body of truck would be my suggestion, but if that isn't feasible you could tie it to any negative 12v wire, as most of those connect to the frame/body at some point. Realistically in an "islanding" situation like that, the ground isn't doing much for you.
I expect so, although I'm not familiar with the top voltage on the Tesla Y accessory battery system. It worked fine on my 16 volt battery made out of 2x series Nissan Leaf modules. There is an upper voltage cutoff, so if the battery voltage gets too high it may shut itself off.
Wont having 2 X 100-120amp batteries which have a BMS in each battery suffer from the ping pong effect people talk about where the BMS from each will shut down when pushing something like 1800W? Most have a surge amp rating at 100amp peak per 100-120ah lithium?? Looking at this renogy 2000w and wondering if I made the right choice having 2 seperate lithiums at ,120ah each as opposed to buying one 200amp lithium which runs one BMS.. ADVICE appreciated..
When using off the shelf lithium batteries with BMS's inside, you must refer to the manufacturers specifications about using them in series/parallel. Many "name brand" LiIton 12v replacement batteries are designed to work in series up to 48 volts (standard max voltage for "low voltage" solar storage systems). If the manufacturer does not publish information about putting them in parallel or series, you probably should not. In my case, I built the 24v battery myself (and recently added a BMS to it) so I know it works for this application.
It is a double locking system, if you take and start the nut onto the bolt as it comes through the bottom of the rab there's no problem. Everything will tighten down just fine, Then turn the nut a quarter turn, or whatever play there is out of it
I wish you would have shown the entire setup when charging the capacitor. Don't know where you checked the voltage of the renogy. ... presume you had the black wire connected along with the Red power cable to discharge any spark. Didn't explain.
just got this inverter for our solar setup, we have 3 deep cycle batteries in our camper van and yet when we plug in a device to charge via USB it doesn't work. nor do we get any power through our outlets and if we do it beeps saying we don't have enough power to run anything except our small overhead solar fan. the highest voltage our memee has said was 14.6 volts. any ideas on why we aren't getting any power out of it? thanks for the video and the info:)
Assuming you hooked it up correctly, that sounds like a faulty unit. Contact the sales rep or manufacturer for troubleshooting advice and/or a warranty replacement. I am confused about your reference to USB charging or Solar fans, as this unit produces 120v AC for larger appliances, while it sounds like you are talking about devices on your 12v system directly.
@@garymaynard7562 Only each time you connect the battery to the inverter. (And it's not strictly necessary to use a prerecharge resistors, but it prevents inrush current and sparking.)
I'm surprised the owner's manual doesn't mention the resistor procedure. Thanks for your quick reply. I think I have found the resister as well as an inline fuse for my Vevor 2500-watt pure wave inverter. Thanks again!
@@garymaynard7562 If the manufacturer is confident that their device can survive an inrush of current without ill effects, they may not go over the (completely optional) procedure. Because I was connecting a LiIon pack of batteries to an inverter originally designed for Lead Acid batteries, I do the precharge procedure to prevent inrush current and sparking. This is because the internal resistance of LiIon batteries is much lower than lead acid batteries, so they are able to instantaneously provide a lot higher amp/current when compared to lead acid batteries. [So a procedure that may not be necessary for lead acid batteries may be helpful when using LiIon batteries instead.]
Watched your video a couple times now and have a couple questions. I'm installing the same inverter but with 3 100ah BattleBorn lithium batts. First question is about the cable size, if the cables that come with it are 4AWG and doubled does that actually make them a 2AWG cable? You don't say anything about fusing the system and the manual says to use a 95a fuse for 4AWG or a 130a fuse for 2AWG. The 3 foot cables that came with may not quite be long enough, at most I would only need another foot. Along with this I was thinking of using a breaker instead of a fuse, is the ok? I already have a 250a fuse connected to the batteries at the main disconnect switch but want to have something for just the inverter. Second question is the resistor for pre-charging the capacitors. I was watching another video by Will Powers and he says to use a 25w 30ohm resistor and it only needs to be momentarily touched. Can you clarify? I would like to pre-charge the inverter as I don't want to possible damage something due to the power surge when connecting the second cable. I'm an old retired auto tech but did very little work with electronics, only some basic starting/charging stuff. Thanks for any help you can provide
Yes, doubled 4awg is basically equivalent to 2AWG. A 130 amp fuse at 12 volts is only 1560 watts, so unless it's a slow blow type, it may blow if you run an 1800 watt load for a while. A circuit breaker should be as good as a fuse, as long as it's a good quality one. The smaller the ohm rating on the resistor, the faster the capacitors will pre-charge, but the more current will flow. (That's probably why he is using a 25 watt power resistor.) If you use a higher ohm rating resistor, it takes longer to charge, but requires a smaller watt rating on the resistor.
@@summetj So maybe I should make my own from some left over 2/0AWG cable I have from connecting my batteries and use a 200a breaker. I've been using Blue Sea breakers. Thanks
@@HikerBiker to pre-charge my 12v inverter I use a 12v 10w car interior festoon bulb, it starts bright and dims to nothing, a good visual aid to know your caps are charged
Yes, it is designed for standard lead acid batteries. A deep cycle battery such as a golf cart battery (GC2) or real marine battery is the ideal type. An automotive starting battery will work fine but is not optimized for long discharge time.
If "shelf mode" turns off power to the terminals, they won't spark when you connect it. However, the capacitors in the inverter will draw as much current as the smart battery will provide instantly as soon as you turn "on" the smart battery. This might trigger an "overcurrent" protection system in the smart battery (it's a small amount of power, so it won't go overcurrent for very long at all...so it depends upon the smart battery....). If your smart battery manual doesn't say otherwise, I'd say connect it in shelf mode and then turn it on, the smart battery may have a "precharge" built into it's turn on procedure (i.e. they ramp up the current flow gradually over the course of a second or so when you first turn them on....). But do read the manual for your battery to see if they have any special procedures for connecting devices.
I just bought this unit and set it up, and it won’t power on. I have a reading on 13.6 volts going into the inverter, yet when I switch on nothing at all happens. Do you have any idea what this might be? Thanks for the great info.
It sounds like that particular unit might have a problem from the factory, I'd suggest you contact customer support and go through their troubleshooting steps. Since you just purchased it you should be able to exchange it for a new one if it's not something simple like a blown fuse.
I know 3 years on, but if you switch off then remove from battery, you can discharge the capacitor by switching the inverter back on and it will discharge quickly
I did not measure the no load draw. Typically you would switch the inverter off (using the front panel switch, or the remove) if you were not actively using it.
I have purchased the same unit for my RV which has 2-6V deep-cycle AGM batteries connected in series. There is also a couple of solar panels connected but that was how I purchased the unit so I do not know anything about them, Would you be so kind as to tell me how to connect the cables in this case, please? Also, the 3' cables are too short, I need 5', Renogy indicates these are 4.0AWG but they are doubled. Is it ok to buy single wire 4.0AWG replacements? I am assuming the originals are 4.0awg as they are, even though they are doubled. Thanks for any advice you may provide.
You want 2AWG or 1 AWG wires for this inverter running at full 2000 watts (166 amps at 12v) (or doubled 4 AWG). With two 6v batteries in series for 12 volts, you would connect the inverter negative to negative on battery 1, positive on battery 1 to negative on battery 2, and positive on battery 2 back to the inverter positive (putting the two batteries in series to add their voltages together to get 12 volts). Use a fuse or circuit breaker between the battery & inverter positive side.
@@summetjthanks Jay. There are already connections to the batteries from the RV that I presume connect to the coach and to the solar manager, so the batteries are already connected POS to NEG and go off into the bowels of the system. I guess that changed things?
@@361phil most RVs come with an inverter/charger. A pure inverter like this can be used to replicate some of that functionality, but it will not automatically change over to shore power or charge the batteries. If you are looking to replace the original inverter charger you will have to follow the power wires to it.
@@summetj I am confident mine did not come with one - it was an option and I find no evidence of there being one. Is it ok to just attach the neg of the inverter to the neg of one battery and the pos to the pos of the other battery? Even though there are other things already attached? Thanks!
@@361phil I suppose it could be a 12 volt only system in which case the batteries might be charged directly from the alternator on the motor. If you're two connection points measure 12 volts Yes you can connect your inverter directly to the batteries just be sure to use a fuse or circuit breaker.
Is there a video where you hook this up to your Nissan leaf and power part of your home? I want to be able to use my leaf to power a thing or two in a power disruption. I think my fridge is about 25 cft or so, not sure but I was able to read off the label that it rated at 8.5amps. Do you think this inverter could handle that?
This inverter can definitely power your fridge assuming your battery has enough amp capacity. Luckily we didn't lose power in the last hurricane so I haven't had to hook it up yet.
@@summetj thanks for the reply Jay, I appreciate it. My leafs battery indicates 10 of 12 bars for state of health and I have the onboard CPU set to stop the traction battery charging at 80% so.. on any given day that's all I would have available. I'm retired now so the vehicle isn't being used much and I was just thinking.. I've got a decent amount of energy sitting there if the power goes out. Electrical is not my strong point though and I don't wanna ruin anything.
@@mb_a5383 The only easy way to export power from a Leaf is via the 12v accessory battery circuit. (Connect the inverter to the Leaf's 12v battery using a 150 or 200 amp fuse or circuit breaker). The Leaf's DC2DC converter can take 1,500 watts from the high voltage battery into the 12v battery /accessory system when the Leaf is on. So as long as you don't draw more than 1,500 watts, the Leaf HV battery will keep the 12v accessory battery charged as long as the car is turned on and the HV battery still has charge.
@@summetj thank you Jay, as I mentioned, I'm hesitant to try things when it comes to electrical, plumbing is my thing. So, is it ok to hook up the 2000 watt inverter or should I limit it to 1500 watts. Again, just hoping to run the fridge, if there is enough power left over maybe some lights and/or our TV.
@@mb_a5383 Either limit it to a 1500 watt inverter, or limit your total draw from the inverter to 1500 watts. (Fridge by itself, or lights/TV once the fridge is down to temp.) There is at least one company that sells a kit with all the parts you need to connect to the leaf with a removable connector if you don't want to try and figure out the electrical connections yourself.
thanks! Could this be wired into a pickup? I'd like to have an inverter to power a camper/cooler/accessories when needed. It would go under the rear seat, so not terribly close to the batteries... so i would need a long set of cables. What gauge is required?
1800 watts / 12 volts = 150 amps. That would require 1/0 wires for continuous use, although if you don't plan on drawing the full 1800 watts you could probably get away with 1 gauge (copper) wires. If you want to reduce resistance losses, 2/0 welding wire would be a bit of overkill, but is easy to source and bends nicely to snake around things.
2000 watts at 12 volts is 2000/12 = 166 amps, so you would need wires between the 12v battery and the inverter sized to handle 166 amps continuous if you planned on drawing 2k watts continuously. (I suspect this inverter would shut down if you tried to draw 3k watts continuously.) A 1/0 wire would work for you if you didn't mind it getting hot, but a 2/0 wire would be a better choice.
You're not going to be able to pull 3000 Watts off that 12-volt system if you're using a 12-volt battery at 100-amp hours, or a 200 ah battery bank . the math isn't there to support 3000w .Do your Math, you will see it's a fail!
@@summetj So I had tried to hook mine up to a deep cycle marine battery and it sparked way more than my smaller inverter. So far the inverter is dead. I'm guessing maybe a fuse blew inside. I'm taking mine to their warehouse on friday to drop it off so their tech can look at it. Terrible way to start.
@@auggiebendoggy The larger the better to keep it from heating up and potentially shortening out. It also depends on the ohm rating of the resistor. If you find an online resistance calculator you can plug in the voltage of your battery the ohm reading of the resistor and it will tell you how many watts of power it will need to dissipate.
I'll be connecting my inverter to a 12V 200AH AGM Battery in series with a 200W solar panel. Could you recommend a good resistor for pre-charging/discharging?
Something in the 500 to 2000 ohm range would be reasonable for a 1/8 watt or 1/4 watt resistor, but the resistor will get hot 🔥. 1,000 ohms with a 1/4 or 1/2 water resistor would be well within the resistor ratings for 12 volts.
Use a 50 ohm ,it takes milliseconds for the capacitors to charge up . Hold it on for 1 or 2 seconds then slap the battery to it, no spark! . You will be fine.
Well explained with the pre charge resistors. I am waiting for my 2kw inverter. I am wondering if there is also a precharge of the capacitors done by using the aux AC input first before connect the battery!? What do you think? Probably not becauss it is maybe bypassed AC in to AC out. But I am not sure. Cheers from Germany
@@summetj thx for your quick reply. Oh, ok. It seems that the actual version is different to yours. Hard wire is not possible anymore but AC priority mode is new (UPS function).
@@adamant5790 i've watched that one to but wondering if due to different batteries and size inverter makes a difference. He hasn't responded to my comment.
Use an ohms law calculator such as this one: ohmslawcalculator.com/ohms-law-calculator Plug in your voltage (12), and the watts of your resistor (1/8 or 1/4 watt for many small through hole ones....) and you'll get a 570-1000 ohm (1k ohm) range. A 1k or 2k resistor will get the job done safely (but take a while to charge up). If you use a 30 ohm resistor it only needs to be rated for 5 watts, but a 25 watt one would work. Just use the calculator to plug in the value of resistors you have on hand until you find one where the watt rating is smaller than what the resistor is rated at....
@@HikerBiker Only the voltage matters here, as that combined with the resistor value will show how much current flows and how much power the resistor has to dissipate.
With that huge double wire, how did you fuse between the battery and inverter? I was thinking of using a 200amp terminal block fuse to do the same. any thoughts?
Yes, there is a 200Amp circuit breaker on the large wires. You can see me build that part of the battery here: ruclips.net/video/M3YzN0azDCU/видео.html
That positive connection cab looks like it's about .050 of an inch thick , you sure you're going to be able to run 1800 watts through that without melting it?
I’ll say all equipment I’ve bought is Renogy and found it very solid. Oh wait I have a Bestek 500 watt true sine and it’s been great over 1 year. That’s my only inverter at this time.
Bolt on the bottom is a lock bolt. But I agree, the threaded terminals are weird. All the terminals on Renogy porducts lack good terminals. Its one beef I have with their designs.
Big caveat with this unit is that it is a bonded neutral and you cannot unbond it, so if you hard wire it into an application without a full transfer switch, you'll get ground fault errors.
interesting - my unit (same model) cuts off when lfp battery is above 14v i.e. does not work with a fully charged battery. Works once battery is drawn down below 14v.
I selected the Renogy because it's specified high cut off voltage was near the top of the range of inverters I looked at. Unfortunately the lithium ion chemistry just isn't easily drop in compatible with 12 volt lead acid charging curves, or voltage levels. Perhaps your unit does not quite perform to their specifications.
Yeah I thought about getting the next one up, but I really only plan on using it to run my fridge and recharge the well pump batteries. And I figure 2X the Nissan Leaf's DC2DC capacity is fine for short periods...but 3X would just be pushing things too far.
It is easy using a 1156 bulb to precharge And it is faster than resistor because the light bulb will light then the light will dim or go out wonce the capacitor are charged up. The 1156 only allow around 2 amps on 12volts now on 24 volts you can use the resistor or 2 1156 bulbs in series or so on with 48 volts. The resistor or the light bulb acts like a current limitor.
Thanks for the demo, gave me the info needed to decide if this is good enough for reliable power. The obvious lack of quality and erratic voltage at various loads proves this is just another Chinese POS.
Umm, just so you’re aware, it is NEVER good for voltage to drop below 110. Like, that can really hamper the performance of whatever you’re trying to power and can even damage sensitive electronics. You should probably get that looked at.
😂You don't need any resistance, these devices are designed to be connected 😂 as indicated, I bet that the manufacturer in the instructions does not indicate that you connect a resistor 😂
Connecting directly to a 12v lead acid battery probably isn't an issue if you don't mind a spark. However, my LiIon battery is 16 volts, and has MUCH lower internal resistance than a Lead Acid battery. While a 12v Lead Acid bank may provide a few hundred amps, the LiIon can do a thousand instantaneous amps. So the input capacitors may be fine, but I'd prefer to be safe. (And to avoid the spark flash.)
Exactly what I was looking for, thanks!!!! UPDATE: I purchased this Oct 2024, the holes are no longer threaded where the bolts go through and the covers can go on either direction! Renogy listened to your comments!
Great demo. I never knew about the using a resistor to pre-charge the inverter since I don't know Jack Diddly Squat about electronics. But, I'm learning. Thanks for the information.
Thanks for the Inverter test. I'm getting the 1000 watt version next month. Greetings from sunny Jamaica.
How much surge can the 1000W Renogy handle?
@@massa-blasta 1000W continuous, 2000W peak surge during load start-up, 12V to 120VAC pure sine wave with conversion efficiency >90%, reduce conversion loss.
Straight to the point and very informative! Thank you!
You use the Aux 120 volt connection for Microwaves. As it is rated for 20 amps....And also GFCI protected...
Crazy question. I hard wired to the 20 amp. The wires push in. How do i get them out? 😅
I've never used that option, but if it is anything like the "push in" wiring for outlets, there is a hole/slot where you can insert a small screwdriver to push the "grabbing spring" back to free the wires.
Does anyone know how to fix this exact same model when you have tripped it. ( as I’m had a heater that sucked to much power) now unit won’t turn on.😢
You could put the bolt in and then use it as a stud with the washers and nut.
I would of thought that the Phillips head bolt would screw in from underneath without a washer. This would then act as a terminal where you then use the nut and washer to tighten down on the wire tab at the terminal. Good design.
Yah, that could be the right answer. Maybe I missed that in the manual?
Or drill hole's that's what I will do.
amazing patience. I'm more than smart enough to figure that out and understand it. I do not have the patience to figure this out and understand it. Thank You. lolz.
Hi
I got AC to dc inverter which gives 12v with 30 A cam I connect another inverter which is 12v to 230 v 1000 watts output?
NO. 1000 watts at 12 volts is 83 amps draw, so 30 amps at 12 volts would only provide 360 watts (not even considering losses in the second inverter).
Did you say where you connected your voltmeter to the inverter to measure and where the inverter was getting the voltage to precharge it?
To measure the AC voltage on the output, I just pushed the multi-meter probes into the 120 v outlet on the front. The power to pre-charge the internal capacitors came from the main battery (same battery used to run it).
I think the threading on the tab is so that you can lock the bolt against unscrewing when the cable is wiggled.
In that case they should have included a lock washer for the bottom nut. If the tab was a through hole, the pressure from the lock washer on the top would work for the nut, but since the screw is torquing on the tab, the nut needs it's own lock washer.
@@summetj, the bottom nut is called "jam nut," and you suppose to use the flat washer on the bolt's head (top), and the lock washer on the jam nut, (bottom).
@@namentatic4978 pic in manual shows bolt head, lock washer, flat washer, cable lug, tab, nut. No idea why.
@@summetj My 3000w Renogy inverter came with two lock washers per tab and one flat washer per tab. From the top side, I have the bolt head, lock washer, flat washer, tab, lock washer, bottom nut.
If the outlets are 115V @ 15 A, What would be the max Amps from the terminal lugs? 2000 / 115 = 17A. But your meter read 110v? Manual states 115v. Curious. Thanks for sharing.
115V * 15A = 1725 watts AC draw. If the inverter is ~92% efficient, that means 1900 watt DC draw from the battery. 1900 watts / 12 volts = 158 amps continuous draw through the battery terminals.
@@summetj thank you
Ok so this has been a very educational video, yet I got a question or two. As I a truck driver I have a 3000w power drive inverter. Just regular every day use. I run my dorm room fridge off it every day, meaning I never shut off my inverter unless I am home. So we’re talking a good solid 3mo to 6mo constantly on just for my fridge. I also run my little vacuum every other day for regular cleaning, my dremel when I’m working on my hobby projects so on. I’ve had this inverter for 5yr now and it’s starting to go, so time to upgrade…:my question is this, how would this pure sine wave stand up to being on for months at a time maintaining my fridge mainly. The constant use of it being on is my only concern. Thank you
Also another reason is I can’t run my air fryer on that power drive, or my instapot…it just drain my batteries down in my rig probably I’m guessing cuz it’s not meant to run those, which is why I want a pure sine wave
Also another reason is I can’t run my air fryer on that power drive, or my instapot…it just drain my batteries down in my rig probably I’m guessing cuz it’s not meant to run those, which is why I want a pure sine wave
I only use it during power outages, but it is rated to be used continuously.
@@summetj also can you hook up Solar panels to charge the batteries as well
And if you can hook up solar panels to it is there a specific brand that plugs into this model inverter and how do you go about doing it thank you
Can I ask you is this amp silent I had an amp that kicked the fans on all the time and Very noisy?
Also what was the idle power drain when shut off?
How many Amp/h of lithium batteries would you need to run this inverter
2000 watts at 12 volts is 166 amps. Factoring in inverter losses, you'll probably want 180 amps. Multiply that by the number of hours of runtime you want at 2000 watts. (+ a bit extra because you don't want to run your batteries all the way down).
@@summetj thanks for the response, Im looking at buying either 2 100 amp/h lithium batteries from renogy or 2 of their 200 amp/h gel batteries. The gel ones would save a couple hundreds bucks. With all things considered what do you think would be a better option
@@brandito888 The lithium would be a better choice, as with Lead Acid Gel Cells you can only discharge down to 50%, but with the lithium you can go to 80%, plus they have a lot more usable cycles.
PICK A BRAIN: I just ordered the 1000w for my small truck camper. I haven’t installed it yet. Where do I connect the ground to? It’s inside my camper so can’t connect to the body or frame. Anyone?
Frame/body of truck would be my suggestion, but if that isn't feasible you could tie it to any negative 12v wire, as most of those connect to the frame/body at some point. Realistically in an "islanding" situation like that, the ground isn't doing much for you.
Can you connect to tesla y with 16v lithium battery?
I expect so, although I'm not familiar with the top voltage on the Tesla Y accessory battery system. It worked fine on my 16 volt battery made out of 2x series Nissan Leaf modules. There is an upper voltage cutoff, so if the battery voltage gets too high it may shut itself off.
do you need to earth this inverter? you said there were negative and positive for 12v and there is earth but i don't see any cable connected. thanks
It is not required for operation, but if you have a ground available it would be a good idea to connect it to the case.
@@summetj thanks Jay, I have the renogy inverter but not earthed and was thinking of earthing it to the chassis or common chassis earth.
Wont having 2 X 100-120amp batteries which have a BMS in each battery suffer from the ping pong effect people talk about where the BMS from each will shut down when pushing something like 1800W? Most have a surge amp rating at 100amp peak per 100-120ah lithium??
Looking at this renogy 2000w and wondering if I made the right choice having 2 seperate lithiums at ,120ah each as opposed to buying one 200amp lithium which runs one BMS.. ADVICE appreciated..
When using off the shelf lithium batteries with BMS's inside, you must refer to the manufacturers specifications about using them in series/parallel.
Many "name brand" LiIton 12v replacement batteries are designed to work in series up to 48 volts (standard max voltage for "low voltage" solar storage systems).
If the manufacturer does not publish information about putting them in parallel or series, you probably should not.
In my case, I built the 24v battery myself (and recently added a BMS to it) so I know it works for this application.
It is a double locking system, if you take and start the nut onto the bolt as it comes through the bottom of the rab there's no problem. Everything will tighten down just fine, Then turn the nut a quarter turn, or whatever play there is out of it
I wish you would have shown the entire setup when charging the capacitor. Don't know where you checked the voltage of the renogy. ... presume you had the black wire connected along with the Red power cable to discharge any spark. Didn't explain.
I've been using this system for over a year and it doesn't have much of a current draw on connection
can i daisy chain two 12v 100ah Renogy batteries to this inverter with a 30 amp renogy charge controller is that good
This is a 12v inverter, so the two batteries would need to be in parallel, but yes that should work.
just got this inverter for our solar setup, we have 3 deep cycle batteries in our camper van and yet when we plug in a device to charge via USB it doesn't work. nor do we get any power through our outlets and if we do it beeps saying we don't have enough power to run anything except our small overhead solar fan. the highest voltage our memee has said was 14.6 volts. any ideas on why we aren't getting any power out of it?
thanks for the video and the info:)
Assuming you hooked it up correctly, that sounds like a faulty unit. Contact the sales rep or manufacturer for troubleshooting advice and/or a warranty replacement.
I am confused about your reference to USB charging or Solar fans, as this unit produces 120v AC for larger appliances, while it sounds like you are talking about devices on your 12v system directly.
Does this resistor precharge need to be done each time you use the inverter?
@@garymaynard7562 Only each time you connect the battery to the inverter. (And it's not strictly necessary to use a prerecharge resistors, but it prevents inrush current and sparking.)
I'm surprised the owner's manual doesn't mention the resistor procedure. Thanks for your quick reply. I think I have found the resister as well as an inline fuse for my Vevor 2500-watt pure wave inverter. Thanks again!
@@garymaynard7562 If the manufacturer is confident that their device can survive an inrush of current without ill effects, they may not go over the (completely optional) procedure. Because I was connecting a LiIon pack of batteries to an inverter originally designed for Lead Acid batteries, I do the precharge procedure to prevent inrush current and sparking. This is because the internal resistance of LiIon batteries is much lower than lead acid batteries, so they are able to instantaneously provide a lot higher amp/current when compared to lead acid batteries. [So a procedure that may not be necessary for lead acid batteries may be helpful when using LiIon batteries instead.]
Watched your video a couple times now and have a couple questions. I'm installing the same inverter but with 3 100ah BattleBorn lithium batts. First question is about the cable size, if the cables that come with it are 4AWG and doubled does that actually make them a 2AWG cable? You don't say anything about fusing the system and the manual says to use a 95a fuse for 4AWG or a 130a fuse for 2AWG. The 3 foot cables that came with may not quite be long enough, at most I would only need another foot. Along with this I was thinking of using a breaker instead of a fuse, is the ok? I already have a 250a fuse connected to the batteries at the main disconnect switch but want to have something for just the inverter.
Second question is the resistor for pre-charging the capacitors. I was watching another video by Will Powers and he says to use a 25w 30ohm resistor and it only needs to be momentarily touched. Can you clarify? I would like to pre-charge the inverter as I don't want to possible damage something due to the power surge when connecting the second cable. I'm an old retired auto tech but did very little work with electronics, only some basic starting/charging stuff.
Thanks for any help you can provide
Yes, doubled 4awg is basically equivalent to 2AWG. A 130 amp fuse at 12 volts is only 1560 watts, so unless it's a slow blow type, it may blow if you run an 1800 watt load for a while. A circuit breaker should be as good as a fuse, as long as it's a good quality one. The smaller the ohm rating on the resistor, the faster the capacitors will pre-charge, but the more current will flow. (That's probably why he is using a 25 watt power resistor.) If you use a higher ohm rating resistor, it takes longer to charge, but requires a smaller watt rating on the resistor.
@@summetj So maybe I should make my own from some left over 2/0AWG cable I have from connecting my batteries and use a 200a breaker. I've been using Blue Sea breakers. Thanks
@@HikerBiker to pre-charge my 12v inverter I use a 12v 10w car interior festoon bulb, it starts bright and dims to nothing, a good visual aid to know your caps are charged
2x #4 AWG is 1/0 in Parallel..So you use 200amp fuse or breaker....
@@WizzRacing 1/0 is not 200amp rated. 2/0 is 200amp
Can we use any type of 12v battery with this inverter ? Car battery or truck battery ?
Yes, it is designed for standard lead acid batteries. A deep cycle battery such as a golf cart battery (GC2) or real marine battery is the ideal type. An automotive starting battery will work fine but is not optimized for long discharge time.
If you have a smart battery then you just put it in shelf mode while you connect - no need to pre charge the resistors then?
If "shelf mode" turns off power to the terminals, they won't spark when you connect it. However, the capacitors in the inverter will draw as much current as the smart battery will provide instantly as soon as you turn "on" the smart battery. This might trigger an "overcurrent" protection system in the smart battery (it's a small amount of power, so it won't go overcurrent for very long at all...so it depends upon the smart battery....). If your smart battery manual doesn't say otherwise, I'd say connect it in shelf mode and then turn it on, the smart battery may have a "precharge" built into it's turn on procedure (i.e. they ramp up the current flow gradually over the course of a second or so when you first turn them on....). But do read the manual for your battery to see if they have any special procedures for connecting devices.
I just bought this unit and set it up, and it won’t power on. I have a reading on 13.6 volts going into the inverter, yet when I switch on nothing at all happens. Do you have any idea what this might be?
Thanks for the great info.
It sounds like that particular unit might have a problem from the factory, I'd suggest you contact customer support and go through their troubleshooting steps. Since you just purchased it you should be able to exchange it for a new one if it's not something simple like a blown fuse.
@@summetj thanks for the reply, I purchased 6 months ago so I’m really hoping they can still help me.
I know 3 years on, but if you switch off then remove from battery, you can discharge the capacitor by switching the inverter back on and it will discharge quickly
What is the 12v power draw when inverter is on with no load?
I did not measure the no load draw. Typically you would switch the inverter off (using the front panel switch, or the remove) if you were not actively using it.
my batteries absorb at 15 volts. this will stay running during my absorb?
Yes, it won't shut down until around 16v
@@summetj Thank you very much
No transfer switch?
Not for this small single phase inverter.
Inline fuse added?
The battery has a built in circuit breaker. See: ruclips.net/video/M3YzN0azDCU/видео.html
I have purchased the same unit for my RV which has 2-6V deep-cycle AGM batteries connected in series. There is also a couple of solar panels connected but that was how I purchased the unit so I do not know anything about them, Would you be so kind as to tell me how to connect the cables in this case, please? Also, the 3' cables are too short, I need 5', Renogy indicates these are 4.0AWG but they are doubled. Is it ok to buy single wire 4.0AWG replacements? I am assuming the originals are 4.0awg as they are, even though they are doubled. Thanks for any advice you may provide.
You want 2AWG or 1 AWG wires for this inverter running at full 2000 watts (166 amps at 12v) (or doubled 4 AWG). With two 6v batteries in series for 12 volts, you would connect the inverter negative to negative on battery 1, positive on battery 1 to negative on battery 2, and positive on battery 2 back to the inverter positive (putting the two batteries in series to add their voltages together to get 12 volts). Use a fuse or circuit breaker between the battery & inverter positive side.
@@summetjthanks Jay. There are already connections to the batteries from the RV that I presume connect to the coach and to the solar manager, so the batteries are already connected POS to NEG and go off into the bowels of the system. I guess that changed things?
@@361phil most RVs come with an inverter/charger. A pure inverter like this can be used to replicate some of that functionality, but it will not automatically change over to shore power or charge the batteries. If you are looking to replace the original inverter charger you will have to follow the power wires to it.
@@summetj I am confident mine did not come with one - it was an option and I find no evidence of there being one. Is it ok to just attach the neg of the inverter to the neg of one battery and the pos to the pos of the other battery? Even though there are other things already attached?
Thanks!
@@361phil I suppose it could be a 12 volt only system in which case the batteries might be charged directly from the alternator on the motor. If you're two connection points measure 12 volts Yes you can connect your inverter directly to the batteries just be sure to use a fuse or circuit breaker.
Is there a video where you hook this up to your Nissan leaf and power part of your home? I want to be able to use my leaf to power a thing or two in a power disruption. I think my fridge is about 25 cft or so, not sure but I was able to read off the label that it rated at 8.5amps. Do you think this inverter could handle that?
This inverter can definitely power your fridge assuming your battery has enough amp capacity. Luckily we didn't lose power in the last hurricane so I haven't had to hook it up yet.
@@summetj thanks for the reply Jay, I appreciate it. My leafs battery indicates 10 of 12 bars for state of health and I have the onboard CPU set to stop the traction battery charging at 80% so.. on any given day that's all I would have available. I'm retired now so the vehicle isn't being used much and I was just thinking.. I've got a decent amount of energy sitting there if the power goes out. Electrical is not my strong point though and I don't wanna ruin anything.
@@mb_a5383 The only easy way to export power from a Leaf is via the 12v accessory battery circuit. (Connect the inverter to the Leaf's 12v battery using a 150 or 200 amp fuse or circuit breaker).
The Leaf's DC2DC converter can take 1,500 watts from the high voltage battery into the 12v battery /accessory system when the Leaf is on. So as long as you don't draw more than 1,500 watts, the Leaf HV battery will keep the 12v accessory battery charged as long as the car is turned on and the HV battery still has charge.
@@summetj thank you Jay, as I mentioned, I'm hesitant to try things when it comes to electrical, plumbing is my thing. So, is it ok to hook up the 2000 watt inverter or should I limit it to 1500 watts. Again, just hoping to run the fridge, if there is enough power left over maybe some lights and/or our TV.
@@mb_a5383 Either limit it to a 1500 watt inverter, or limit your total draw from the inverter to 1500 watts. (Fridge by itself, or lights/TV once the fridge is down to temp.)
There is at least one company that sells a kit with all the parts you need to connect to the leaf with a removable connector if you don't want to try and figure out the electrical connections yourself.
thanks! Could this be wired into a pickup? I'd like to have an inverter to power a camper/cooler/accessories when needed. It would go under the rear seat, so not terribly close to the batteries... so i would need a long set of cables. What gauge is required?
1800 watts / 12 volts = 150 amps. That would require 1/0 wires for continuous use, although if you don't plan on drawing the full 1800 watts you could probably get away with 1 gauge (copper) wires. If you want to reduce resistance losses, 2/0 welding wire would be a bit of overkill, but is easy to source and bends nicely to snake around things.
Or mount it close to the battery and run a 120v extension cord to where you need it. Use a HD extension cord and protect it as much as possible.
A 25 watt 30 ohlm risistor, $5 on Amozon will pre charge and dis charge any connection to get rid of any sparking you might have.
So for the hardwire setup, that’s so you can get all 3000watts from the inverter? If I did that what size wire should I use?
2000 watts at 12 volts is 2000/12 = 166 amps, so you would need wires between the 12v battery and the inverter sized to handle 166 amps continuous if you planned on drawing 2k watts continuously. (I suspect this inverter would shut down if you tried to draw 3k watts continuously.) A 1/0 wire would work for you if you didn't mind it getting hot, but a 2/0 wire would be a better choice.
@@summetj ok thanks but I was talking about from the inverter to the breaker box in my motorhome. And I have the 3000 watt model.
@@mhaskins3769 On the AC side of things (120 volts) 3000 watts is 3000/125 = 24 amps, so you would want 10 gauge conductors.
@@summetj perfect, that’s what I was thinking. Thanks for the help
You're not going to be able to pull 3000 Watts off that 12-volt system if you're using a 12-volt battery at 100-amp hours, or a 200 ah battery bank . the math isn't there to support 3000w .Do your Math, you will see it's a fail!
And? Does it the job?
where do you get the resistor from?
The big box of resistors in my garage.....if you need to buy your own DigiKey has whatever you need for sure (but they are expensive).
@@summetj So I had tried to hook mine up to a deep cycle marine battery and it sparked way more than my smaller inverter. So far the inverter is dead. I'm guessing maybe a fuse blew inside. I'm taking mine to their warehouse on friday to drop it off so their tech can look at it. Terrible way to start.
@@summetj any chance you can tell us what rating resistor to get? I see all kinds from tiny to large.
@@auggiebendoggy The larger the better to keep it from heating up and potentially shortening out. It also depends on the ohm rating of the resistor. If you find an online resistance calculator you can plug in the voltage of your battery the ohm reading of the resistor and it will tell you how many watts of power it will need to dissipate.
I'll be connecting my inverter to a 12V 200AH AGM Battery in series with a 200W solar panel.
Could you recommend a good resistor for pre-charging/discharging?
Something in the 500 to 2000 ohm range would be reasonable for a 1/8 watt or 1/4 watt resistor, but the resistor will get hot 🔥. 1,000 ohms with a 1/4 or 1/2 water resistor would be well within the resistor ratings for 12 volts.
Use a 50 ohm ,it takes milliseconds for the capacitors to charge up . Hold it on for 1 or 2 seconds then slap the battery to it, no spark! . You will be fine.
Shop pencil works well! Mine measures about 20ohms. And comes in a nice insulating jacket.
Well explained with the pre charge resistors. I am waiting for my 2kw inverter. I am wondering if there is also a precharge of the capacitors done by using the aux AC input first before connect the battery!? What do you think?
Probably not becauss it is maybe bypassed AC in to AC out. But I am not sure.
Cheers from Germany
I'm afraid I do not know as mine does not have AC in as an option.
@@summetj thx for your quick reply. Oh, ok. It seems that the actual version is different to yours. Hard wire is not possible anymore but AC priority mode is new (UPS function).
I'm connecting my Renogy 2000w inverter to 3 100a (600a) BattleBorn lithium 12v batteries, can you recommend a safe resistor size for pre-charging?
Will Prowse DIY Solar recommends a 25 watt 30 ohm resistor. I just watched his video
ruclips.net/video/ZlrtmJRfSP8/видео.html
@@adamant5790 i've watched that one to but wondering if due to different batteries and size inverter makes a difference. He hasn't responded to my comment.
Use an ohms law calculator such as this one: ohmslawcalculator.com/ohms-law-calculator
Plug in your voltage (12), and the watts of your resistor (1/8 or 1/4 watt for many small through hole ones....) and you'll get a 570-1000 ohm (1k ohm) range. A 1k or 2k resistor will get the job done safely (but take a while to charge up). If you use a 30 ohm resistor it only needs to be rated for 5 watts, but a 25 watt one would work. Just use the calculator to plug in the value of resistors you have on hand until you find one where the watt rating is smaller than what the resistor is rated at....
@@HikerBiker Only the voltage matters here, as that combined with the resistor value will show how much current flows and how much power the resistor has to dissipate.
Does it support charging
No, this is an inverter only.
Very Nice Unit. Great demonstration.
With that huge double wire, how did you fuse between the battery and inverter? I was thinking of using a 200amp terminal block fuse to do the same. any thoughts?
Yes, there is a 200Amp circuit breaker on the large wires. You can see me build that part of the battery here: ruclips.net/video/M3YzN0azDCU/видео.html
Thanks for your diligent work on this unit. Have you tried the 2000w unit to run a rooftop RV Dometic ac? I’m sold on Renogy value and quality.
No, sorry haven't tried with a rooftop RV AC unit.
Check out the Victron MultiPlus 3000VA
That positive connection cab looks like it's about .050 of an inch thick , you sure you're going to be able to run 1800 watts through that without melting it?
The battery to inverter cable came packaged with the inverter, so I trust it is sized appropriately.
How do you still
Like it? I’m thinking about 3000 watt. Would you still buy the same brand?
I’ll say all equipment I’ve bought is Renogy and found it very solid. Oh wait I have a Bestek 500 watt true sine and it’s been great over 1 year. That’s my only inverter at this time.
Still working fine for me.
Bolt on the bottom is a lock bolt. But I agree, the threaded terminals are weird. All the terminals on Renogy porducts lack good terminals. Its one beef I have with their designs.
The lock washer is designed to go on the nut side of the bolt. Not the head side
Thats right. And I think the tab is threaded to guarantee the connection. I like it.
Big caveat with this unit is that it is a bonded neutral and you cannot unbond it, so if you hard wire it into an application without a full transfer switch, you'll get ground fault errors.
I never considered hard wiring it as it does not support split phase 240, but that is good to know.
Could you explain this in more detail?
interesting - my unit (same model) cuts off when lfp battery is above 14v i.e. does not work with a fully charged battery. Works once battery is drawn down below 14v.
I selected the Renogy because it's specified high cut off voltage was near the top of the range of inverters I looked at. Unfortunately the lithium ion chemistry just isn't easily drop in compatible with 12 volt lead acid charging curves, or voltage levels. Perhaps your unit does not quite perform to their specifications.
Testing with vacuum cleaner is good idea. The rest of showing metering looks like sales pitch.
Dear friend. I need a tester for my product, Free sample will be provided. May I contact you further about the detais?
Ordered a 3KW version of this
Yeah I thought about getting the next one up, but I really only plan on using it to run my fridge and recharge the well pump batteries. And I figure 2X the Nissan Leaf's DC2DC capacity is fine for short periods...but 3X would just be pushing things too far.
It is easy using a 1156 bulb to precharge
And it is faster than resistor because the light bulb will light then the light will dim or go out wonce the capacitor are charged up. The 1156 only allow around 2 amps on 12volts now on 24 volts you can use the resistor or 2 1156 bulbs in series or so on with 48 volts. The resistor or the light bulb acts like a current limitor.
Yes, (incandescent) light bulbs make good pre-charge resistors.
Thanks for the demo, gave me the info needed to decide if this is good enough for reliable power. The obvious lack of quality and erratic voltage at various loads proves this is just another Chinese POS.
What inverter did you buy
beeping ruins such a great unit
Who gives a crap about boxes man? Let's just see the product..
Umm, just so you’re aware, it is NEVER good for voltage to drop below 110. Like, that can really hamper the performance of whatever you’re trying to power and can even damage sensitive electronics. You should probably get that looked at.
3 volts is fine...
Instead of using the precharge resister, can you just use a pencil ✏️ ?
The graphite of a pencil MAY work as a resistor. But you would need to figure out the correct length.
@@summetj
Thanks
😂You don't need any resistance, these devices are designed to be connected 😂 as indicated, I bet that the manufacturer in the instructions does not indicate that you connect a resistor 😂
Connecting directly to a 12v lead acid battery probably isn't an issue if you don't mind a spark. However, my LiIon battery is 16 volts, and has MUCH lower internal resistance than a Lead Acid battery. While a 12v Lead Acid bank may provide a few hundred amps, the LiIon can do a thousand instantaneous amps. So the input capacitors may be fine, but I'd prefer to be safe. (And to avoid the spark flash.)
THIS GUY IS NOT AN ELECTRICIAN AND DOES NOT UNDERSTAND HOW TO SIZE CABLES. IF YOU FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS YOU ARE IN DANGER OF BURNING DOWN YOUR UNIT.
Stop using stupid little baby toys start hooking up some 15 amp products.
@@raytonwhite4187 space heater and vacuum were the biggest I had.