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WanderinJen · 08-16-2015, 11:08 AM

So I just got a new inverter so I could power my fridge off solar amongst some other things like my small fan and phones in my 1993 fleetwood bounder..and I turned it on to test it out and the light went on and it was red and not green, but on nonetheless. I then went ahead and plugged a cord directly into it to see if it would work and it did not. I am hoping to get this thing to work asap as I am headed out to a festival in a few days.
Help?

sidenote: I did have the inverter professionally installed along with the solar, and no I do not have the manual sadly

YC1 · 08-16-2015, 11:16 AM

Are your batteries run down or shut off?

MattC · 08-16-2015, 11:18 AM

Jen,

Get the manufacturer and model number off the inverter and look it up on the web. Every decent manufacturer I have ever dealt with had down loadable manuals for everything. I did a lot of this as boat work before the depression killed that business.

If it isn't there, resort to a Googlesearch and maybe you will find something someone has posted.

Matt

1ciderdog · 08-16-2015, 11:18 AM

Can you get a manual online? Or trouble shoot it on line by asking about problems with that specific inverter? Might be a good idea to name the inverter & model. Someone might have the same model and have a suggestion.

TLGPE · 08-16-2015, 11:23 AM

Get a meter and check that the polarity into the unit is right. It will not work otherwise. The light may be your clue.

Tom

mel s · 08-16-2015, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WanderinJen

So I just got a new inverter so I could power my fridge off solar amongst some other things like my small fan and phones in my 1993 fleetwood bounder..and I turned it on to test it out and the light went on and it was red and not green, but on nonetheless. I then went ahead and plugged a cord directly into it to see if it would work and it did not. I am hoping to get this thing to work asap as I am headed out to a festival in a few days.
Help?
sidenote: I did have the inverter professionally installed along with the solar, and no I do not have the manual sadly

WanderinJen
In that case I suggest you take it back to the professional who installed it and have him fix it.
(While you're there get the manual he should have given you).

BTW, if more people held unprofessional professionals responsible for their sloppy work they might clean up their act.

Mel
'96 Safari

WanderinJen · 08-17-2015, 10:55 AM

Thanks everybody,
I will go to the shop and ask if they still have the manual, I was pretty surprised they didn't give it to me too. Otherwise I'll look online. If none of that works, I shall be back!

spyderRV · 08-17-2015, 11:14 AM

It would seem to me if you paid for an install they should have delivered an operational system. If not, than it should be their responsibility to remedy the problem.

If it is a common modified sine wave inverter, both of the plug outlets could be electrically hot and neither can be tied to the ground reference and the inverter can/will go kablooey. I found this little nugget of information the hard way!

WanderinJen · 08-17-2015, 05:57 PM

So I found some online manuals and they were vague, short and unhelpful at best. So, with that option out, I now have the name of the inverter.
It is a " Cotek Pure sine wave inverter" - 1500 watts. Basically when I turn it on, the three red lights just blink at me, and nothing is plugged into it.
Does it need to charge? I have had it off since I got it installed.

the three red light indicators are for "input level" "load level" and "status"

check out the three pictures I attached.

the only button is to turn it on, off, or remote.

Gary RVRoamer · 08-17-2015, 06:15 PM

The red blinking lights means the battery voltage is too low. This is explained (though not in any detail) in the Cotek manual I found online.

Input Level
Red blink (slow) 10.3-10.6v
Red solid 10.6-11.0v
Orange 11.0-12.1v
Green 12.1-14.2v
Orange blink 14.2-15.0v (too high)
Over red (?) > 15.0v

You would get no power at all when the input level blinks red because the voltage is too low to generate proper 120v, 69 Hz power. Therefore, no output.

The other lights have color coded meanings too, but they probably have no significance when no power is being produced. The Status led blinking red means failure, but of course it has "failed" is there is insufficient input voltage.

So, charge up your batteries and see what happens.

YC1 · 08-17-2015, 06:17 PM

You need to measure the battery input voltage.

G Shaw · 08-17-2015, 07:57 PM

Magnum doesn't supply manuals with their inverters but it is available online.
I don't find this convenient but at least I can print the pages I need and go from there.

leesdx1 · 08-17-2015, 08:09 PM

As with SpyderRV and Mel S, the first place i would ask is the installer. Then IRV2, hahaha. And as Gary said red light blinking is low battery, so charge the bank and see what happens.

mgscott4 · 08-18-2015, 07:20 AM

I would like to see the other side of the inverter. What size wires did they install? How far is it to the batteries from the inverter? How a bout a picture of the batteries too.?