Inverter 'trips' vs Breaker

[elgarc]

I have a 2005 Bus (40TSP) with all original configuration. Now, I'm not sure I even have a problem, but my symptom seems to be non-intuitive. Our inverter is a 458 Freedom 2000w with two breaker switches on it. At those times when the DW overloads a circuit (she knows not to, just forgets sometimes since we have an induction hot plate that in conjunction with the toaster takes more than 20 amps...) instead of the 20 amp breaker at the panel, one of the breakers on the inverter will trip. It seems to me that the interior panel breaker should trip first, not out at the inverter...(My previous SOB gas RV had the same symptom, so that leads me to think maybe it's by design). Don't know. Does anyone have similar experience, or does your inside breaker go first?

Thanx!

[nutensteve]

We experience the same problem. If my wife uses the hair dryer while we are using the toaster it will trip the inverter breaker. I assume both outlets are tied into the inverter. We try to not use both appliances at the same time.... not always successful though.

[FlyingDiver]

You're better off having the inverter breaker trip first. Inconvient, perhaps, but better. Ours trips the panel breaker first (the one feeding the inverter). When it happens, the inverter just thinks that you're no longer on shore power, and starts draining the battery. And doesn't stop until the batteries are dead. :(

joe

[wa8yxm]

How big is your inverter I'm guessing 1000 or 1500 watt.

a 2000 watt inverter (inline type) would have a 30 amp breaker is the reason for the guess.

What is happening is very likely this:

1: The breakers on the inverter are SMALLER than 20 amps Or 2: The 20 amp breaker in your panel is really a 21 or 22 amp (plus or minus 10 percent) and the 20 amp breaker on the inverter 19 or 18 (again plus or minus 10 percent)

In fact, I think the spec is +/- 20% but I'm not sure of that.

[Cruzer]

Our 2004 Allegro Bus stated out with that same inverter. The 2KW Freedom 458 is fed by a single 30 amp breaker from the main breaker panel. This supplies AC power for battery charging as well as pass-through power for when the inverter function isn't needed.

The inverter itself has a pair of breakers to control it's output. On mine a 15 amp breaker fed the receptacles while a 20 amp breaker fed the microwave circuit. These breakers handle all output power from the inverter, whether from inversion (battery power) or pass-through AC power (wshore power or genset operation).

What I did was combine the two outputs and feed a small 4 breaker sub-panel. That gave me the full 30 amps at that panel. I then fed the microwave and receptacle circuits from that sub-panel and added additional receptacle circuits to it as well. After that I never tripped any breakers on the inverter or sub-panel.

[elgarc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cruzer Our 2004 Allegro Bus stated out with that same inverter. The 2KW Freedom 458 is fed by a single 30 amp breaker from the main breaker panel. This supplies AC power for battery charging as well as pass-through power for when the inverter function isn't needed. The inverter itself has a pair of breakers to control it's output. On mine a 15 amp breaker fed the receptacles while a 20 amp breaker fed the microwave circuit. These breakers handle all output power from the inverter, whether from inversion (battery power) or pass-through AC power (wshore power or genset operation). What I did was combine the two outputs and feed a small 4 breaker sub-panel. That gave me the full 30 amps at that panel. I then fed the microwave and receptacle circuits from that sub-panel and added additional receptacle circuits to it as well. After that I never tripped any breakers on the inverter or sub-panel.

Mark - that would be a beautiful thing! I'll bet you did your own work too! I'm a little allergic to electricity, but might attempt doing this if it wasn't too involved. Any way that you could show a few pictures, where you sited them, and give the source for the extra panel and breakers??

[Engineer Guy]

The 'Cruzer' solution sounds super, and is known to work [even better!]. Let me backfill a possible explanation. FYI, you can fit 'more' 1/2 size Breakers [4] in a 2 Breaker Sub-Panel Box.

Circuit Breakers aren't 'binary'. They don't trip at current 'x'. They heat up internally a bit, and open based on that heat [from current]. When you read the Fine Print, they might take 30 seconds to trip at 110% of rated current. They trip faster at 125% of current. And, so on. Additionally, as noted above, there's -/+ deviation in Specs from CB-to-CB, given they're ~$5-/each.

Meanwhile, the surge of a Microwave coming on periodically IF it's heating at, say, ~80% Power Mode 'stresses' the CB more RIGHT as the Microwave Power cycles on from off. If a Hairdryer cools and heats per the internal Thermostat they all have, it represents a current draw surge as it cycles back on from being off, even as the Motor runs continuously.

My hunch is that this typical Appliance behavior is what's happening, and making the situation seem non-intuitive or non-logical.

[Cruzer]

I don't have any photos of that and the coach is long gone. I did place the small breaker panel (Home Depot) in the compartment by the inverter, then fed it with the pair of Romex outputs from the inverter.

This was a Phase 1 job for me and wasn't that difficult. Later on I replaced the inverter with a true sine wave RS2000, which had no breakers. I then replaced the main breaker panel with an Intellitec panel with built in sub-panel and a load shedding energy management sytem so I rewired things quite a bit. Phase II was definitely not a plug and play task.