Anker F3800 Solar Generator 120/240V Full Testing

[@ProjectsWithDave]

See more projects and get my FREE Solar Financial Calculator on my website ProjectsWithDave.com: projectswithdave.com/ Use my special code "F3800SC" to save $2,274 on Anker SOLIX F3800 and expansion battery, valid until September 30th! : shrsl.com/4n8qm

[@bobjones9727]

Good informative video. It seems every time you invest in a system, out comes something new and improved for less money! My concern was always that if the grid had a serious hiccup this equipment would become scarce and or really expensive real soon. Solar panels are an excellent example. They will be "worth their weight." Only issue I had with this unit is the very high (IMO) inverter standby power consumption. Maybe its inherited of a split phase unit but Anker needs to fix that somehow.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

It could be because it is really running two 3kW inverters to make split phase.

[@13MAM13]

30:30 Water heating test was 👍👍👍

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Thanks! I thought it was a fun experiment. I've always wanted to see if any of these on demand water heaters would actually work. Now, if you live in Alaska the water coming in would have been too cold to be elevated to a reasonable temperature, but anything south of Ohio should be workable.

[@tronziebit]

This saved the food on the fridge during Hurricane Milton. I used a small gas generator to charge it during the day, and run it silently ay night.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

That's a great setup! A gas generator combined with a battery backup is an ideal solution. I show the data in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGHWnKqEath9rMk

[@mikeru9920]

You left nothing out in this Video. Thank you so much!

[@13MAM13]

I have run a 220volt 5,500 watt electric garage heater from this wih zero issues.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Thanks for noting your actual experience!

[@johnwhite2576]

How long coudl you run it for ?

[@hardymichael533]

Espension battery add good idea 😊

[@Spaniard47]

Side note regarding inductive loads... high frequency inverters get a bad rap, but in my testing I've found the biggest factor by far is how it's programmed to deal with these loads. Many inverters trigger a fault if a certain output threshold is reached for even 1/60th of a second. MOST inverters are properly equipped to handle substantial short spikes, but their driver modules are not properly implemented to make the most of the hardware. A while ago, I chanced upon a brand that actually implements solid logic on their inverters (Xijia / Swipower), and it completely changed the way I think about inverters. Their 1500W model (yes, 1500W) outperforms a popular 3000W inverter handily. In fact, it starts every 120V appliance I own (12A shopvac, air compressor, any power tool, etc) with the only exception being a 12,000BTU portable AC (almost nothing starts it). This is 100% down to its use of built-in soft start driver and very well programmed fault detection. It's pretty remarkable what a well-designed high freq inverter is capable of!

[@ProjectsWithDave]

I would agree there is a significant difference between brands on the performance with induction loads with hardware that is rated the same. I haven't tried the brand you mentioned.

[@FuncleChuck]

I have precisely zero interest in PV but a battery+inverter at 120/240V is very interesting to me. Even 3000W would run my A/C, lights, and fridges - and 5-6 kWh could get me through all but the hottest nights. I’m still on gas heat and a gas water heater, but I don’t want to run a gas generator during the night in a power outage.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Not having to run a gas generator at night is one of the best reasons to get some battery backup.

[@danielbilbay1849]

Thanks for the review on the solor charging aspect that was helpfull

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NeverTakeNoCut-offs]

Very nice review, as usual. I can see the appeal of these in terms of simplicity. Unfortunately, this is the "give away the razor handle, and charge for blades model" Expansion batteries are very expensive. Why don't you do an underground water storage tank for dump loads?

[@ProjectsWithDave]

I have an extra water tank for daily dump loads, but I can only use so much hot water. There isn't a good way to convert it back to electricity.

[@mine00002]

Hi Dave I really thank you for this video however Can you do one that shows you running your whole home ac with fridge and washing machine? We do want to be able to do those things in the event of a power outage. I have watch plenty of use videos but no one does the whole home air conditioning with fridge washing machine and dryer.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

I did a test showing the unit can easily deliver 10kW at once for extended periods of time so you just need to add up your appliances and make sure it is under that. If you ran them all at the same time, you would want to start the AC first because of the surge load at startup. Also your AC would likely need a soft start device. Once it's running it really isn't that big of a load. My 4Ton heat pump is only about 2.5kW. The fridge is very small less than 1kW, the washing machine is in the 1kW range, the dryer can range quite a bit but lets use the max at 5kW. The total would be 2.5kW+1kW+1kW+5kW= 6.5kW. Since most of those are split phase loads you would be well under the 11kW max for two Anker 3800 units combined with the home distribution center. Hope that helps.

[@mine00002]

@@ProjectsWithDave thank you sooo much

[@brysonfulkerson852]

Awesome review! Regarding these all in one systems and "selling" excess power back to the grid (I'm in an area that pays 1 to 1), I've read up that Anker is the only portable system with that capability. I was leading towards the Ecoflow Ultra system until I saw that it apparently is not capable of offloading to the grid. Do you have any info that speaks to that?

[@RCTVAccount]

Nice review. The only thing that is holding me back is the PV voltage limits. I have seven Sirius 410W (VOC 37v) bifacial panels for a 24K EG4 mini-split. It works great, but I think I would prefer to hook up the panels to a battery system and then run the mini-split off of 240v more than during sunlight hours.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Running a mini-split directly from solar is a struggle because every cloud that passes over resets the system. A battery in the loop would make a huge difference. I think they should come out with a mini-split that has the option to connect a battery to fix that issue.

[@RCTVAccount]

@@ProjectsWithDave My bifacial panels generate over 2200 watts of power and my two arrays are separate. The 24K EG4 says the operation range is between 190W to 2250W. My experience has been there is enough wattage to operate the mini-split even in cloudy weather. I have not yet noticed the system reset during the day. My house is 2100 sqft with the majority being open concept. The 24K mini-split keeps my house around 68 degrees from sun up to sun down. The most interesting feature is that when the unit turns off after sunset, it remembers the settings and automatically turns on after sunrise.

[@coziii.1829]

I use those In Bunker

[@LordAshura]

The idle power consumption, lack of dual charging, and limited PV voltage is what ruins it. Anker seems to be aggressively cutting prices as it seems like it is not selling well when you have the Ecoflow Delta Pro 3 and Ultra.

[@mr.c6674]

Yeah, your needs are what everyone else needs 🙄

[@qtrhors1]

Can it supply your every day needs. I think these systems are great for what they are intended for. Running commercial grade industrial tools is not a concern for the average home owner who wants to run as much of his home off grid when the power goes out. It would take 2 3800's and 4 extra batteries with the solar maxed out to 4800w to be considered a whole home backup system.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

It depends on what you are running. For my home I need about 10kWh to have good margin to my loads. That would require extra batteries.

[@fduran6993]

With the extra solar energy you could transfer it to an electric water heater (dc?).

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Yes, you can do that.

[@copiedoffme]

Will the Anker 3800 remain 100% charged when off?

[@loluog]

Did I understand you correct, that you can charge with solar AND a wall outlet simultaneously?

[@perrya4878]

thats what i want to know..... ????

[@d3phunk37]

No. It will only use power from the wall. If you lose wall power it would start drawing from solar if it's available. There is no way to make solar input priority for charging

[@Buffy-88]

Great presentation. 👍

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Thank you! 👍

[@mattke5etc]

The link for the MIG welder and the plasma cutter are the same link, which leads to the plasma cutter.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Thanks for letting me know. It should be fixed now.

[@simon359]

With the internal idle consumption being that high, and with the limited solar input, this can create a major problem! There are better solutions.

[@peterelhayek1]

Hi, was wondering if ac couple solar system on your house will still run if the grid is off with anker panel system

[@ProjectsWithDave]

No, the system is connected on the grid side of the Anker system.

[@BrindleBrown]

Could you use a Victron smart controller 150/35 to allow series strings to 150 volts and then connect the output of the Victron controller to the input of the Anker charge controller?

[@ProjectsWithDave]

I haven't tried that, but in theory, if the output is less than 60V it should work.

[@perrya4878]

Can you use the unit while plugged in to a standard outlet 120v without the Anker "power panel" ?

[@d3phunk37]

When it's charging off the 120v plug, the 220 outlets and one leg of the 110s (three outlets) are disabled. Only the UPS outlets remain powered.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

@perrya4878 If you are using a single unit without the power panel, it will work as a UPS when pugged in. So, yes you can use the outlets when it is plugged in.

[@danielbilbay1849]

5000 watts you had .1 or 10 minutes run time?

[@ProjectsWithDave]

The capacity is only 3.8kWh per battery so each unit can only provide a little over 3,000W for an hour if it is a continuous load and the batteries are full.

[@kdeezey]

I have a food trailer and was thinking of switching to one of these units. I believe that im running about 2300w or so with an ac unit (1500w) and 2 freezers (200w a piece) that run constant. I currently use a 9000w Predator that gets me about 4 - 5 hours of run time per tank. In your opinion, do you believe an Anker can be a good replacement?

[@ProjectsWithDave]

How do you plan to charge the F3800? The unit should be able to run your loads without a problem, but if you are running the AC constantly it will only last a couple of hours with the internal battery. If you wanted more run time you would need additional expansion batteries, add solar or charge it periodically with the generator.

[@johnschubert3238]

Can't the Ecoflow Delta Pro Ultra do all this and more?

[@GamingCentral3000]

True but but that one costs a lot more.

[@mrdenson3101]

Do two units double the power of the inverter ? Is the total 12000 watts ?

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Right, each unit is 6,000W. So total with 2 units is 12,000W.

[@mrdenson3101]

@@ProjectsWithDave many thanks. Starting to save now 💙

[@NeverTakeNoCut-offs]

How much does Anker pay you to do these reviews? Curious

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy P-w-E-D-D, ... Thanks for the REVIEW COOP ...

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Thanks for watching!

[@nixquev]

I don't know how to say this elegantly but your last few videos look to me like you stopped making diy viable projects and started "sponsored diy-viable only" projects. I preferred when you made stuff you use with your own means. Still, always high quality content sir.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Thanks for the feedback. The DIY projects take a lot of time to build film test and edit. These are something to do in-between and gives me something to compare my DIY systems to.

[@exosinfor]

time bud, yt demands more videos than possible to make with just budget DIY projects

[@lakorai2]

His own means finding $10K of cash that he has to drain his bank account to achieve to only get $500 in KZbin revenue for. This is not a charity. He has bills to pay too.

[@FuncleChuck]

I have to firmly disagree. More content, even sponsored, is better than months of nothing between DIY shoots

[@Metodisten]

Also, for us that live in apartens, don’t have the tools or have the knowledge to do it, it is great to have reviews on things you can buy of the shelves.

[@AbdulRahim-cu7y]

Do you edit videos yourself, or have you hired someone? would love to discuss, if you’re interested.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Unfortunately, I do it myself.

[@AbdulRahim-cu7y]

@@ProjectsWithDave Can we discuss further if you're interested in outsourcing it?

[@ProjectsWithDave]

You Can contact me through my website here: projectswithdave.com/about/

[@AbdulRahim-cu7y]

Cool! I just submitted a form.

[@danielbilbay1849]

Power for days? When you plugged in 2 heaters at over 2000 watts tue screen on machine said .4 hours left on charge. Funny all sponsored videos fail to mention time until out of juice

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Time depends on load. That is what the fridge test is for. It shows the typical amount of time you can expect to be able to run your refrigerator on a full charge.

[@albertomartin70]

Mistake there… it is 1200 watts per port. In total is 2,400 watts. That is why you saw more than 1,200 watts and the unit did not shut down. Using these same solar panels, you can put three parallel panels on each input. Total of six 400 watts panels (using anker panels as example, with other panels you have to do the math to get 2,400 (1,200 watts on each input). Last firmware update lower the voltage threshold and increase the input amp to 27 amps instead of 25 but still max power input per port is 1,200 watts.

[@ProjectsWithDave]

The challenge is getting 1,200W into one port with such a low max voltage.

[@mdunbar04]

👍

[@brentjohnson6654]

I like what I see from the Anker F3800. Also the Eco Flow similar one looks good for a minor backup. The down side of these devices in my opinion is the lack of capacity (kWh). Yes, they can add battery storage to increase the capacity but I might still lean to a DiY system with my own battery bank. I say this because of the cost of the Anker or Eco Flow. I do like the portability and I might be over stressing my need for capacity in an emergency. My full usage can be close to 100kWh/day during high usage. Often it can be below 93kWh/day. I am measuring that with my utility and the Emporium electric circuit analyzer (16 circuits I think). There are many use-cases that will work well with these portable units, so I am not saying they don’t have their place. Just the cost of adding enough battery for my capacity is cost prohibitive. I am not saying these are wrong, just essentially telling you my life story (that you didn’t ask for by the way haha). Again, thanks for the video. All the best from north Texas!

[@ProjectsWithDave]

Thanks, for the thoughts. I think these all-in-one systems are great under the right circumstances. However, if you really want to run a house with the loads you are talking about, I think it makes more sense to do a modular residential grade system. You can get much larger batteries for the price point with those types of systems. I have several options on my website you can look at using this link, the ones from EG4 are hard to beat: projectswithdave.com/batteries/

[@brentjohnson6654]

@@ProjectsWithDave yes I agree

[@brentjohnson6654]

@@ProjectsWithDave yes I like the EG4 batteries. Signatures solar is just 30 minutes away so I have that going for me. Haha

[@FuncleChuck]

Whoa, that’s a lot of power. You’re gonna pay through the nose for anything that handles 100 kWh daily. Your power bill must be massive!

[@DIYsmithy]

Fully agree, Beautiful appearance and portability come from Anker and EcoFlow, But the capacity is small and the price is expensive, so we can't afford it. My friend recommended me to use 20KWh all-in-one with10KW hybrid inverter from VNICE POWER . But I don't know anything about this product.I would appreciate it if DAVE could introduce a low-cost energy storage battery product.

[@alanday5255]

At $4,000 it should rub your feet..

[@johngammon6875]

👍