Waeco Inverter low output (1 Viewer)

[Kenny M]

My recently purchased Autotrail Arapaho has a Waeco ECW-012VS inverter and an ECL-102 charging current distributor.
The output voltage only shows 188 volts when checked with a multi meter at the 230 volt output socket.
The battery voltage seems fine at 12.7 volts (vehicle stationary).

I want to purchase a Dometic roof air conditioning unit as the previous owner has removed the existing unit prior to sale, but first I need the inverter working correctly.

Can anyone advise possible reasons why the inverter output voltage is low.

Many thanks,

Kenny M

 

[TheCaller]

I want to purchase a Dometic roof air conditioning unit

I don't want to try & teach my grandmother, but are you sure your battery bank is up to providing the power you will need to run it from the inverter rather than a site EHU? Air conditioners are notoriously power hungry.

Can't help with the inverter problem, I'm afraid, other than to say that it just might be a problem with the multimeter. Have you checked what it reads on another known good 230v supply?

 

[mustaphapint]

Have you checked your battery voltage at the connections to the inverter? Just to eliminate any bad connections between your battery and the inverter.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

Faulty inverter.
The output voltage is pre determined at manufacture.
The 12v low voltage cutoff is set at 10.5v under load and above that voltage will provide 240v (230v)

 

[Don Quixote]

Dometic roof air conditioning unit will draw 166+ amps, so you will need a bank of 800amps+ of batteries (you can only use 400amps before they are down to 50%)to drive it from an inverter, which must be able to supply 3000watts pure sine wave. Then there is the cables between batteries and inverter which must be up to the standard to draw that amperage!

Cheaper to pay site fees and use EHU................

 

[Jaws]

Ummm.. At 166 amps you would need to hook up to a small substation with 1" thick cables !!!
Just been on the Dometic site and while I admit I never checked every model, most seem to have a current draw of about 4 to 5 amps

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Doctor Dave]

My recently purchased Autotrail Arapaho has a Waeco ECW-012VS inverter and an ECL-102 charging current distributor.
The output voltage only shows 188 volts when checked with a multi meter at the 230 volt output socket.
The battery voltage seems fine at 12.7 volts (vehicle stationary).

I want to purchase a Dometic roof air conditioning unit as the previous owner has removed the existing unit prior to sale, but first I need the inverter working correctly.

Can anyone advise possible reasons why the inverter output voltage is low.

Many thanks,

Kenny M

I had a Waeco inverter (can't recall the model number) and it went into 'standby' mode when no call for 230 volt power. It may be that yours is in standby mode, when I believe it puts out a lower voltage until there is a call for power. I suggest you try it with a load - within its capabilities - before assuming it is faulty.


HTH


Dave


EDIT I note you are a read only funster and have made you five free posts. You will need to subscribe before you can post again - well worth it though.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Ummm.. At 166 amps you would need to hook up to a small substation with 1" thick cables !!!
Just been on the Dometic site and while I admit I never checked every model, most seem to have a current draw of about 4 to 5 amps

Does he perhaps mean 166A from the batteries?

4-5A @ 230V is just over 1kW which would be 88-95A @ 12V. If it's a 2kW unit there's your 166A.

 

[Jaws]

Proly.. But as John is a clever bugger I aint gonna cutr him ANY slack at all !!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Don Quixote]

John (@Jaws), thanks for the "clever bugger" bit...... I had this fitted:
http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/dometic-b2200-air-con.116529/
I removed beginning of this year (still up for sale) because we mostly go without EHU and having tested it on an inverter can confirm it will eat the amps being a 2kW unit and not really suitable for running on batteries unless your mobile at the time and have a B2B fitted to keep up.
Air Con is great, if you have pets or live in a country that has sun wall to wall all year.

 

[pappajohn]

Does he perhaps mean 166A from the batteries?

4-5A @ 230V is just over 1kW which would be 88-95A @ 12V. If it's a 2kW unit there's your 166A.

But only if its drawing its max 2kw.
1kw will draw half that and 500w will be half of the 1kw draw.....plus any losses.

But as the op needs to know why only 188volts rather than 230volts this is not the issue.
7nput volts have no effect on output volts providing the input doesn't drop below the inverters low volt cutoff of 10.5volts....then there is no output.
Still convinced the inverter is faulty.

 

[Kenny M]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

"Doctor Dave", you're a genius. Plugged one of those cassette type coffee machines into the inverter and immediately got 235 volts reading on my multimeter!
"Don Quixote", I'm interested in your Dometic 2200. I live near Albox, Andalusia. Please PM if the unit is still for sale.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Deleted member 29692]

Still convinced the inverter is faulty.

I agree

 

[tonyidle]

The meter is designed to measure pure sine wave RMS. The inverter output is nearer square wave. I haven't bothered to check whether that could explain the reading you get. Has anyone else put a meter on a similar inverter?

 

[eddie]

http://marine.waeco.com/tmp/DC-Kit2_EB_10s_06.pdf

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Don Quixote]

http://marine.waeco.com/tmp/DC-Kit2_EB_10s_06.pdf

Had I known about that kit I may not have removed the system............ Ah well I can live without it.

 

[Don Quixote]

@Kenny M - PM sent.

 

[Kenny M]

don Quixote - offer emailed

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Don Quixote]

don Quixote - offer emailed

No email received sorry!

 

[Kenny M]

Replied again to your PM.The email address is something like "jim@ motorhomefun". Should I use a different address? Please PM if you have another email address.

Regards

 

[scotjimland]

I had a Waeco inverter (can't recall the model number) and it went into 'standby' mode when no call for 230 volt power. It may be that yours is in standby mode, when I believe it puts out a lower voltage until there is a call for power.

bang on the money..

an inverter won't put out full voltage with 'no load' connected

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Don Quixote]

Replied again to your PM.The email address is something like "jim@ motorhomefun". Should I use a different address? Please PM if you have another email address.

Regards

Start a conversation with me by clicking on my aviator and I will reply witk personal email as I have not received a PM from you!

 

[Kenny M]

Started a conversation with you via your AVATAR.
I don't know whether I using this new forum incorrectly to respond to PM's. Here's my email. If I don't here from you then I guess I'll forget my offer. henry8@hotmail.com
Regards

Kenny M