Bluetti AC200P (vs. AC200MAX) review - Best home LiFePO4 battery backup system

On sale for $100 off this week at www.bluettipower.com/pages/po...
In-depth review of the Bluetti AC200P power station with comparison to the new AC200MAX. This is an amazing value with 2000wh LiFePO4 battery with 3500 cycle count, MPPT solar charging up to 700w, 2000w AC inverter, wireless charging and more.
I'm excited that the B230 expansion battery which doubles the capacity will be backwards compatible with the AC200P via a special cable. I hope to get a review unit soon.
www.bluettipower.com/products...
I was provided a review unit but as you know all my reviews are fair and unbiased.
01:30 Introduction and ports
03:25 USB and wireless charging tests
05:00 Design & comparison with other Bluetti units
07:05 Inputs and cables
08:40 Wall charger
10:50 Touchscreen UI
13:00 AC tests
16:55 Home backup
19:05 Solar charging
21:40 DC/Car charging
22:45 Recommendations

[@suzannemccutcheon8741]

*A quiet **Generater.Systems** , love the dual fuel capabilities, camper is 50 amp but the adapter helps and found it still handles the load. Haven't taken a camping trip yet, that's in a couple of weeks. Will see how well it does over a long weekend.*

[@markhall3323]

I owned one for several years with no problems. One tip - make sure you protect the touch screen because it is used to control the unit. If it breaks the unit is useless.

[@Farang_Lifestyles]

that was an awesome review,,, in structure, narration, descriptive and clear content.... other YT channels should take note from this for any product review in future... thank you sir....

[@alexriley6269]

Great moving and still shots. Crisp and clear narration while being informative. Great review!

[@todd.parker]

Thank you!

[@biggboucher]

How do you keep your stand alone battery charged. Do you have a special charger for lifepo4

[@todd.parker]

@@biggboucher yep, check out my video on the Victron charger

[@biggboucher]

@@todd.parker thank you and I will.

[@cvshav]

Todd produces high quality video with detailed info! Great stuff

[@roberttillersr1288]

Great review. Gave me exactly what I needed to make up my mind.

[@TMAdventuresT7]

Another brilliant review, your channel deserves more subs

[@Generation2434]

Good video! Thanks for the review. I’m waiting on my AC200 Max to get here. 👍🏻

[@galaxytraveler5779]

Where did you buy? They are all sold out already..

[@Generation2434]

@@galaxytraveler5779 I bought on the release day the moment they dropped.

[@judichristopher4604]

I'm still a little confused... why did you get the AC200Max instead of the Ac200P?

[@HuddlesAbound]

Very good review. It's thorough and explained in detail. Best review I've seen. Well done. Thank you. Just subscribed because of the depth of the review.

[@wakeupbreathing]

I have the AC200MAX, really like it.

[@MichaelAstrom]

Thank you for a great review and the update on the battery chemistry.

[@michaelcloresandersm.d.7050]

Great Review, thanks so much!

[@Jasonoid]

I bet you had probably 300 shots in this video or more, excellent overview and testing :) Nice transfer switch setup as well. Did you install that yourself?

[@todd.parker]

I end up with so many clips, it’s insane. I think I shot 1,000+ for my next video (I’m bad at planning). I had these installed professionally but if you’re comfortable working in your electrical panel, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s really nice to have lights and key appliances work but I wish I could run 220v appliances

[@samboyd7630]

Ttyt5ty by see not

[@latymz]

@@todd.parkerI feel the same way about the 220. I just can't bring myself to buy 2 of anything to do so. I guess if it's a true emergency I'll have to rough it. No sooner I purchased the eb150 the ac200p was released. I purchased the ac200p only to see the Bluetti ep500 come out. Same with the river pro then the delta pro came out. The market is evolving so fast with so many new offerings from new companies it's an amazing time for power stations.

[@judichristopher4604]

EXCELLENT VIDEO... (GREAT EDITING TOO).

[@todd.parker]

Thanks so much!

[@todd.parker]

IMPORTANT UPDATE: I mention that this unit has a very high self discharge rate at 20:20 but I've been seeing a lot of people talk about how disappointed they are with the amount of energy they are getting out of this on their Facebook group. In short, if you're planning on using this for van life where you need the DC on all the time to run a fridge, lights, fans and may need AC for many hours during the day this will NOT work well for you. I think it's only really useful for short duration home backup situations where you need to run heavy loads for a few hours max, ideally with lots of power coming in via solar or generator. With no loads connected, the AC200P loses close to 3% per hour (60 watts) if you have the AC and DC ports on which is 3.5 times higher than the Ecoflow Delta Max (0.85%/hr) under the same conditions! Same battery size, similar inverters (Ecoflow's is a bit more powerful actually). More data at the bottom. In the Facebook group, I posted my preliminary data and there was a lot of heated discussion on the topic. They eventually locked the thread and limited my ability to post so I'm guessing this is a sensitive issue: m.facebook.com/?_rdr#!/groups/bluetti.club/permalink/1941521449352721/?ref=content_filter In the comments on my post, Bluetti said the following - "if your total loads are less than 300 watts, don't use the AC200P's outlets to power them for a long time, or most of the power will be consumed by the system itself. The 2000 watt inverter is designed for heavy-duties, and we have to admit that this beast doesn't perform very well in electricity saving when powering small low-power loads or powering no loads at all. It's no different than driving a hypercard at 10miles/h, just not what it was designed for". I'll let you decide how you feel about that. Personally, I think this is just poor design on Bluetti's part because Ecoflow and Goal Zero can make units that are at least as powerful with significantly lower self-discharge rates.

[@richardbalding1101]

@Todd Parker is the new version better on this? Do you know at all?

[@levraichris3321]

@@richardbalding1101 I'd like to know that as well !

[@azarelthecreator7098]

How well would this work with a 50amp travel trailer

[@todd.parker]

Sorry but I don’t have a Max to test. I don’t think it’s any different

[@todd.parker]

@@azarelthecreator7098 I’d suggest getting the AC200Max because it has the 30 amp plug but I think this would work well

[@olafemio]

Thank you for the video. I didn't get much about the differences between the AC200p and the Max...

[@todd.parker]

At the time of the video the Max was new and I didn't have one to test side-by-side so I tried to point out differences between that and the P as I discussed each feature. I wish I had a Max to test...

[@olafemio]

@Todd Parker Bluetti does have a sale right now....it seems like the best option out there until they release the 'AC200MaxPlusUltra' in September.

[@jamesdean7756]

@@olafemio what in the world? Tell me about it please never heard of it. Do you a link for it

[@olafemio]

@@jamesdean7756 I was joking about the maxplusultra, just highlighting the iterative naming convention bluetti have adopted. As for the Max you can find that everywhere atm.

[@purposelydriven6566]

Love the video I would love one for my van

[@arturaugustynek670]

Nice! I have the AC200P running my off grid well & water pump @ 1400 watts no problem. Did not know the ac 300 came out.

[@ancientbutstillhere6570]

On sale 9-15 today is 9-22. Mailed to mid october delivery

[@Den-nu6pv]

What size pump is that is it a submergible pump thanks.

[@WillMosbey]

Great review Todd. That was a very thorough review. What's your thoughts about this unit versus the max running power tools at a job site? Tools like a miter saw and a fan.

[@todd.parker]

I think both would work for some but not all power tools because things like a chop saw can have large startup surges. If you can afford it, the Delta Pro would be the best bet.

[@frankroper3274]

I like this review! No BS just useful information!

[@todd.parker]

Thanks so much

[@Vlad777K]

Thank you for the good review

[@robertmelton5484]

Another great review Todd! Can you test your GZ 12v car charger with your LiFepO and let me know what you're getting for input? I have the EB240 and tried with mine set on 10a with only getting 45w of input.

[@todd.parker]

I've found that the 10A setting on the GZ chaser stresses out my car and is iffy with my LiFePO4 over the long term so I usually just keep it at the 5A (60w) setting. If the adapter isn't getting enough current on the 10A setting, it will drop to about 45w so that's what I'm getting is going on. I like the car adapters from Ecoflow and Bluetti that don't have that buzzy box attached and seem to instead just limit input to 100w even.

[@uhjyuff2095]

I noticed my gz 12 car charger cigarette port was getting hot probably from loose connection. I really wanted to get the full 10 amps out of it and the cigarette connectors were just bad connections. Cut off the cigarette connector on the gz car charger and just install a xt60 to connect to the lifepo4. Keep the cigarette connector you cut off and also wire an xt60 on it for when you want to switch to actual car charging.

[@todd.parker]

@@uhjyuff2095 Smart idea

[@luke_1234]

Well made review👍👍

[@robinreul7729]

Great review. Very informative. I just wish you’d have compared the ac200p to the ac200max more. I’m struggling as to if the extra money is worth going to the max.

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, I didn't have a Max so I was going off specs since it was announced as I was finishing up this review. I can tell you the Max is much better than the P.

[@HuyLe-qc8jc]

Excellent review. I am glad that you highlight the self discharge (no load) consumption since so many other reviewers are omitting. Mine is 1% per hour for DC and 2.5% per hour for AC and are really quite high if you need continuous power. I would say that the best use for this unit is to provide power for your residence during a short power outage (2500W. I have seen the 4800W number mentioned but it's not in the manual and would likely be

[@todd.parker]

All good points. I think the aviation plug is cool and the locking mechanism nice but you’re right - why not just use XT90 like Ecoflow since it’s part of the system anyway so it must be able to handle the power

[@uhjyuff2095]

50 watts is a lot for just the inverter turned on with no load. I would hope it would be closer to 20 watts.

[@todd.parker]

It sure is. I measured a 15% drop in 11 hours with AC on so that’s not as bad but I didn’t do super scientific tests to see how long it would take it to fully empty for a longer average. With no ports on, it was 25% in 24 hours

[@HuyLe-qc8jc]

@@uhjyuff2095 I hesitated to convert % to W consumed since I didn't know how Bluetti calibrated the % scale. I just realized that the AC200P shows the V & A consumed. Unit On, DC and AC off, 100% charge - 1% per hour over 16 hours, 53.7V * 0.2A = 11W Unit On, DC on and AC off, 100% charge - 1+% per hour over 8 hours, 53.7V * 0.3A = 16W Unit On, DC off and AC on, 100% charge - 2.5+% per hour over 16 hours, 53.7V * 0.9A = 48W

[@ancientbutstillhere6570]

Hint guys 9-22-21 the port can plug into other batteries keeping ac200 compatable with b230/b300. Thus it becomes a 4300-5000 plus watt device. With adapter they make (i bought) the AC charger input could be powered off other battery. At night I connect cig lighter output of eb240(110 watts input) to PV, settings PV to low voltage 13.5 vdc. Dark to sun self sustain I need about 2400-2800 watts. New battery b300 adds that and has solar input also.

[@Sandro667386]

thanks for the review. Can this thing be charged with a solar panel if you don't press the POWER button? Cause it has big discharding

[@ancientbutstillhere6570]

9-22-21. On sale azamon list minus $85. Bought in March this year. Produces 110+ kwhr a month here in summer after about 1500 in june $.74 each kwhr. Now purchased the 200max with it for enough to run whole house n some air conditioner in window. I have run dishwasher (200-900 peak), washing machine, and gas dryer on it same time. With 450 watt ac input on other solgen, and array at -600 an 1150-1200 input while output went from 900-1600. Only complaint is green on off button like extra sun in laundry room at night. Covered with towel its ok. Newer max version with new array of 1200watts (B300 +3000watts ) means >7000 watt for night to self sustaining power at around 10am now. If in Louisiana today, your home would have power. Bouge RV panels 180's (8) plus bank of Renogy , means low light day can still provide power for 48 hours. Butt we have gas temp 4000 w unit too. Four gal about four hours at 50-%. Easy to do if $ resources modest.

[@FMTFXE22]

Great video, I bought one of these and use it to power my Class C RV connected to 660 watts of solar. Are you going to make a video of the backwards compatible connections to the new supplemental external battery packs?

[@todd.parker]

Yep, I asked Bluetti to send me an external battery so I can show how that works. Apparently, there is a special cable that connects from the aviation port to the expansion connector. I'm guessing you can only connect one external battery since there is only one connection. The Max has two dedicated expansion ports.

[@jmb-cm7mr]

@@todd.parker Yes thats what they told me. I have the original AC200 from Indiegogo they told me i can use either the B230 extension battery or the B300 which i prefer because it has more wh but only 1 battery can be used.

[@ReneaDooserider]

Wow great video beautiful voice everything explained easily and I have an AC 200. 👍🏼💜

[@christopherstevenson9737]

Nice review. Great deep dive! Would love a few answers to Q’s that came up for me - a newbie hopefully solar converter. 1. How did you connect the 300P to your home solar system (very cool BTW!) 2. Why use the Aviation input plug v.s. Cig or other input? 3. All the different solar plugs are confusing (sim. To R.C. battery plugs!). Can you review these and explain in a bit more detail? Or point to other intel source? 4. What brand solar panels? 5. How do you know what size/power of an inverter is inside these beasts? Or doesn’t matter so long as watts output is sufficient? Thanks.

[@todd.parker]

1. I didn’t connect them to my rooftop panels, I used portable ones 2. The aviation is used to connect solar panels or the car charger. Wall charger has a different input. 3. Most panels have MC4 connectors. This has a MC4 to aviation plug so it’s pretty straightforward 4. Mine were TP Solar but as long as you stay within voltage limits, you can use any brand. You’ll probably need at least 2 panels in series because the min voltage is high 5. It’s a 2,000w inverter

[@christopherstevenson9737]

@@todd.parker Thanks Todd. much appreciate the additional insights and details.

[@longochu8588]

Nice! I also press "33", "55", "66" or "88" for microwave time.

[@goodoz9942]

Good review on the AC200P but (based upon the description) I was hoping it would include a “vs AC200MAX…”

[@todd.parker]

Fair. I don’t have the Max but tried to highlight differences throughout

[@52tazdi]

Thank you. I have a gas generator for house back up and never works cuz carburetor gets bunked up due to gas going bad. I was thinking of changing to propane with a kit. But this looks like it would be doable

[@todd.parker]

Having a small propane generator is a nice way to recharge this when the weather is bad

[@alanjhornung7077]

Great Review for the 12v3A the 12v dc Female cig lighter socket to dc 5.5x2.1 male make them useful .

[@marvinsapp6771]

Would love to hear more about the goal zero home integration kits and the Bluetti and how/how well they paired.

[@todd.parker]

They work great with the Goal Zero HIK. I have a pair so I can plug any power station in and power up to 8 circuits. I’ve used the AC200P with this setup and it’s great. Testing the AC500 now and it’s running all my lights, fridge, microwave, water heater, etc. flawlessly. I have a few older videos on this kit if you want to learn more

[@JS-vz4je]

@@todd.parker Hi Todd, excellent video. Do you think the Bluetti 200p would run a home furnace , freezer and fridge? Trying to consider if it's worth wiring my home with an integration kit to use this 200P. Also, whats the largest external battery I could buy to help support longer run times in case of an emergency? I have a gas generator too. Any insight greatly appreciated. Thank you Todd!!

[@AskIveSolar]

Greetings Sir, you video was shared with me by a friend of mine. Around 21:00 you charge your device from a external battery....can you reverse that and charge up that external battery from the dc port of the ac200p? Or would the voltages of the battery or port come into play

[@todd.parker]

You’d want to use a proper battery charger. Mine is AC but it would be better to find a DC to DC battery charger and hook it up that way

[@barbaraneebelmeier639]

Very well done review. I have questions for perhaps a different video including: how to for home integration; if I have this Located in my utility room hooked to home integration, can I get longer cables to hook up to solar panels located outside and are there length limits; will it run my water pump as one of the possibilities of home integration; this vs Tesla battery; adding additional battery units and the features and limitations of that. Thanks for good info!

[@todd.parker]

I had a similar situation where my transfer panel was really far away from where I would put out the solar panels. After doing some research I think it’s probably better to put the Bluetti fairly close to where the solar panels are so those runs can be short and then get a super heavy duty extension cord to run from the Bluetti to your transfer panel. That’s probably the best way to avoid losses. For the pump you just need to see what power uses. If it uses a standard plug it probably will run fine on this.

[@barbaraneebelmeier639]

Very helpful. Thanks

[@ronsanderson99]

Based upon your advise I just purchased a Bluetti AC200P but now wonder about how best to hook up the Bluetti 3X120W solar panels I got as part of the bundle. I notice that some solar panel evaluations mention that if they are hooked up in series if one of the panels is in the shade it affects the overall output. Can I hook them up in parallel? Or are there problems with that configuration?

[@todd.parker]

The AC200P needs an usually high voltage to charge (35v) and the panels are 20v so you need to connect them in series which will add the voltage. 3 panels will be 60v which is good. These have MC4 connectors so it’s easy to wire them up in series - just google the diagram

[@thomasmalenich6315]

I noticed it said the DC output was 13.8 volts - is this true? have you measured it? Do you know if that stays consistent as the battery runs down?

[@WWarthog798]

Excellent review. Covers all the salient points. I hated the display...it is very hard to see, even under low light conditions. Designers made a very poor choice of it.

[@Engineerpsy]

You can use App only for AC200MAX

[@realistindenial]

Thanks for the thorough review. I ordered an AC200MAX and just unboxed the unit. I'm in the process of charging it and averaging about 475W of power, which is excellent. However, the power supply is very loud as you said. I heard or read somewhere there is an alternate third-party charger that's much quieter. Let me know if you have any recommendations. My next move will be to have a Goal Zero Yeti Home Integration Kit installed. In any event, thanks again for your great review.

[@todd.parker]

Congrats on the AC200MAX. The super loud charging bricks are my pet peeve, especially because the fan never shuts off, even with the unit is charged and it’s not supplying power. Good to see they are starting to move away from bricks, there’s hope for the future. I don’t have a specific power supply to recommend but as long as it meets the voltage requirements and has a 8mm plug, it’s all good. I really like my HIKs and like that they have a standard 120v plug input but you can buy pretty much any transfer panel from Reliance (they make the HIK) if you want more circuits and can get an adapter if needed on the plug. I ended up with 2 HIKs rather than a single larger switch so I can power circuits from 2 different power stations or generators for flexibility.

[@realistindenial]

@@todd.parker Thanks for your prompt reply and additional information. I will do some research on alternate power supplies and follow-up here with my findings. As for the HIK, your setup is very impressive. However, for our size of house a single unit should be adequate. Thanks again!

[@BluD]

@@realistindenial did you ever find an alternative?

[@realistindenial]

@@BluD I actually haven't spent the time to look for an alternate power supply, but I'm still interested in finding one.

[@Cogzed]

You can add batteries to the AC200P.

[@DougLooney]

Awesome review thanks so much. At 8:50 you show the power brick rating of 7.5A max. I was hoping I could plug that into the 400W capable inverter built into my Ford Transit but 400/120 is going to only be 3.3A. There is also a 60A DC customer connection point I could access. Any guidance?

[@todd.parker]

Depending on the connectors for the 60A DC connection point, that might work plugged into the car/solar input on the AC200P as long as the voltage is within it's range. It would be a lot quieter than the AC charging brick too. As a last resort, you might be able to buy a smaller AC charger from Bluetti that works for your inverter.

[@DougLooney]

@@todd.parker Bluetti does offer the D050S DC Charger. Input is rated 12-60VDC 10A max according to the manual.

[@urastus9202]

are you able to control the charging of this to 80%? Are you also able to stop discharge at 20%? Thank you for the review.

[@todd.parker]

I haven’t seen that setting. I think that may be a newer feature

[@CalmTurtle2023]

Hi again…. Funny I just bought this as well. Great video… didn’t bother reading the manual LOL. jk. For your 12v LiFeP external battery setup. I take it you connected the battery to the AC200P directly using the terminals and cables with a fuse? Thanks in advance

[@todd.parker]

Yep, I bought a cable with ring terminals on one end and a female 12v cigarette style plug on the other. It's fused in the middle. You can just plug the car charger in from your power station and charge at ~100w. If you battery bank is high enough voltage, you can charge from the battery to the solar inputs

[@CalmTurtle2023]

@@todd.parker Thank you! By the way would you know how high does the voltage need to be for it to charge at a higher rate?

[@todd.parker]

@@CalmTurtle2023 The AC200P needs 35-150V to charge via solar (the 200Max is lower) so you'd need a 48v battery to charge via the solar port.

[@s2k442]

Where did you get the solar panels?

[@sharriceowens913]

What kind of panels did you use .a.and do u remember the price

[@jimhoward6584]

I just found your channel and am now a subscriber. I have purchased an ac200max within the last month and have been using it extensively. So far no known issues-----but I have a question . When using the ac output at aprox. 700 watt or above the cooling fan comes on which I assume is normal. It also comes on when charging with solar when receiving aprox. 250---300 watts or above. Can you tell me what the ac200p does under these conditions. It is my understanding you do not have a ac200max. Am just curious if this is normal. I have tried to contact bluetti numerous time via email with no response. Any thoughts/info appreciated. Thankyou

[@todd.parker]

That all sounds perfectly normal when charging or discharging at higher rates. Thanks for subscribing

[@jcf6597]

Excellent review Todd, do you have to have the unit on to use any of the DC outputs? I'm thinking about using it in my travel trailer but having to remember to turn the unit on/off every time I want to turn on a light and in order to prevent the 1% parasitic draw a light is not practical.

[@todd.parker]

Yes, you need to have the unit on and the DC ports active which means it will run down fairly quickly. I found it lost ~2% an hour with just the DC ports on, 1% with no ports active but the unit on. If you're running smaller DC loads, maybe look at the EB150 or Ecoflow Delta Mini or River Pro for a more efficient choice.

[@kcfield1]

Hi Todd: I hope you will have a chance to compare and contrast the AC200P with the new EB200p. Other than the nominal increase in inverter capacity, it is difficult to tell what is different, as there are no comparative videos yet on the internet. Thank you for your consideration.

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, is that unit sold in the US? Seems the product photos are confusing too - sometimes it has the basic 5 bar display and in other shots, it has the touchscreen from the 200P. What gives?

[@kcfield1]

@@todd.parker: It is on the Bluetti US website for sale, and also available on Amazon in the US so hopefully it is good to go for folks living in the USA.

[@danb2160]

Hello I am looking from home backup like this. And I was curious if this can be charged by a regular generator? I would like to use the Blueyetti as my 1st go to backup sitting in my garage but if power remains off long enough I would turn on my gas generator and charge the Blueyeti that is still connected to refrigerator and lights and Tv? Is that ok?

[@todd.parker]

Yes, absolutely. You can plug the wall charger into the generator. I have a few videos showing how I use both solar and a generator with my Yeti., The big advantage is it you only have to run your generator for a few hours a day

[@MrSupernova111]

That's a great idea!

[@judichristopher4604]

This is my 2nd time watching this video... I just realized.... the reason I wanted to watch this is I thought you were going to compare the Bluetti AC200P vs AC200MAX... and you didn't say anything about the Max... (please correct me if I'm wrong). I need to know the difference before I buy one... Thank you again for this great video. I have learned a lot.

[@todd.parker]

I don’t have a Max yet so I tried to point out the differences between this and the Max feature by feature in the video. In a nutshell, the Max can accept 900w (vs 700w) of solar and has a wider voltage range. It’s inverter us slightly more powerful, includes a 30A AC plug, 100w USB-C (vs 60), and has 2 ports to add extra batteries while the 200P just has an adapter to connect to the aviation plug. It’s worth the upgrade IMO. bestportablesolargenerators.com/bluetti-ac200-vs-ac200p-ac200-max/

[@judichristopher4604]

@@todd.parker YOU are the Man Todd... Thank YOU so much for all this great information. This video was Fantastic... and I have been advised by others that have used the Bluetti... that since I have not bought one yet... and that I'm going to be using it EVERYday for my Vintage Tiny Travel Trailer (VT3)... that I should go with the MAX... especially since you just pointed out the 30amp... my VT3 is 30AMP What would you suggest for Fixed hard/glass panels I could use on top of my VT3? and how much watt panels can I use?

[@judichristopher4604]

@@todd.parker I just looked up the webpage you sent me (Thank you). I knew it was going to be a lot more... it was... but they do have a $200. coupon... which is good. I wonder if they have a "Black Friday"... lol Question: (I feel so stupid asking these questions). What would you plug in the 30 amp... I mean, if I was at a RV park, could I plug in their 30amp to the Bluetti and charge it? OH wait wait wait... I could plug in my VT3, because it is 30amp... Right? Bahahahhahaha... I'm serious... I am so tired of looking up and trying to learn so much about all this with solar generators... I'm a little batty... LOL And I used to be a Chemical Engineer in the Oil Field... I'm not stupid... but I am confused. Bahahahaha

[@todd.parker]

@@judichristopher4604 no problem. The 30A plug is mostly to power a RV

[@todd.parker]

@@judichristopher4604 if you can afford it the Max is a better choice all around. For glass panels, honestly they are all pretty much the same so whatever has a good price and warranty.

[@jmonte2811]

Excellent review and explanation. I enjoyed your easy presentation style and great content. I just received the AC200P and purchasing the B230 battery expansion. So far my intended use is during power outages and based on initial tests it will handle my needs. I plan to use these units during night hours and reload them from a gas generator during daylight hours, no solar panels for me due to possible inclement weather including higher winds and gusty winds. Just my preference though. Thanks again for a very thorough presentation

[@Hrustanovic033]

I didn't know that you can have an battery expansion on AC200P thought it was for the Max one?

[@AK-xc3qd]

Hi Todd. Can this be used as a UPS and not just as a EPS? Personally which unit would you recommend? The Bluetti or the Ecoflow?

[@todd.parker]

You could leave an appliance plugged in and the unit charging the whole time but note that the power supply is loud and the fan never shuts off. Overall, I like Ecoflow’s design, wall charging, and inverters better than Bluetti but the AC200P/Max has a LFP battery which has a much longer lifecycle so that’s it’s main advantage over a Delta Max (which I’ll be reviewing soon). So that’s the main difference. If the Delta had LFP chemistry, it would be a no brainer.

[@todd.parker]

One clarification with this: it's called an EPS rather than UPS because there is a brief interruption (in milliseconds) when it switches from wall power to battery so it's fine for a fridge or motor but a computer will shut down. That's true of Bluetti and Ecoflow.

[@larrylee5085]

It is certainly a real busy piece of equipment. Can you chain with other BE products or even the jackery 1000? How can you use it you whole house. I have an all electric home. Great presentation. Thanks 👏👍

[@todd.parker]

You can connect to the new external batteries - 2kw or 3kw models. You can’t chain it to other units but could trickle charge it from the cigarette output via the car charger cable

[@larrylee5085]

@@todd.parker what is trickle down?

[@todd.parker]

@@larrylee5085 If you connect the car charger for this to an external battery, it will charge it at 100w which is a "trickle" charge rather than a fast charge.

[@larrylee5085]

@@todd.parker Thanks 👍

[@yutsquirrel3929]

Id like to see how this performs with a 1/2 hp sump pump

[@luqmansagaara1106]

I have this AC200P and I'm taking a 3 month trip to Liberia where power outages are quite rampant. My issue is out there the power is 220v rather than our 110v. I know for sure I can charge it via a step down transformer but how do I use the stored electricity with my 220v gadgets over there?

[@todd.parker]

You can buy a 110v to 220v converter. I have one but you will probably not be able to use larger appliances. With all those converters, I wonder if buying a smaller 220v power station would be simpler

[@hughbatchelor8599]

Hi. Nice review. I have just bought one of these and was wondering if you had done a surge test? I tried running a 650W bench grinder on it which surges at 2800 watts at start up but my Bluetti shut down with inverter overload error. I thought it could handle 3500W surges. Cheers.

[@todd.parker]

I did and generally found that w/o xboost it could pretty much handle surges around 1,000w. It all depends on how long the surge is but I’d say that is too big of a surge even with xboost because that lowered the voltage and probably won’t get the motor spinning. Seems you need a Delta!

[@hughbatchelor8599]

@@todd.parker Thanks for the reply. What is Xboost? Cheers.

[@Jasonoid]

@@hughbatchelor8599 EcoFlow Delta Power Stations have the Xboost feature

[@todd.parker]

Ha, I just noticed that I was very confused when I replied here, wrong video - sorry! The AC200P can output ~2,200w max before it shuts down the AC (see 15:20 in the video). It can probably had a bit more for very brief surges but I think the 3500w peak must be for milliseconds and I never got anywhere near that in my testing. I don't think your bench grinder would work because a large motor has a pretty big spike. I think the EcoFlow DELTA Max could handle it so give that a look. I find Bluetti inverters tend to not have as much headroom as Ecoflow and Goal Zero so they aren't great for large power tools.

[@hughbatchelor8599]

@@todd.parker Many thanks for the update. I had already bought the bluetti so I'm stuck with it now and I don't think the Deltas are readily available in Australia. Tx again.

[@aldonli198]

Thanks!

[@todd.parker]

Thanks so much, you’re my first donation!

[@adcraziness1501]

I really like what Bluetti is doing with this tech. I really want one, hahaha. I do find it humorous that they brag about these power stations being silent yet the CHARGER is louder than my Honda gas generator ;)

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, theirs is quite loud! Definitely not generator loud but still…

[@adcraziness1501]

@@todd.parker I was just going by decibel readings, but the thing about dB readings is you have to also consider distance, which wasn't really given :)

[@todd.parker]

True. I should do sound tests at 1 meter for accuracy

[@m0nkey34]

Can you connect the new power banks to this? Or is that only with the AC200Max?

[@todd.parker]

You can connect one B230 battery to this with the right cable.

[@galaxytraveler5779]

The AC200Max and AC300 came and left without me even knowing :(

[@richardbalding1101]

Does that self discharge rate continue if you are using it? Like an extra 1% you are not using?

[@todd.parker]

Good question. I’ve been trying to zero in on that but generally yes

[@stukorth9097]

Thank you

[@mandyfenter1151]

Does anyone know where I might find the serial number on my BLUETTI AC200P? I can’t find it anywhere and I’m trying to set it up in the app.

[@todd.parker]

The serial number is on the bottom of the unit and shipping box. You can also find it in the settings area of the screen

[@trenttoole6513]

Does it have Bluetooth? Or wifi? Thanks

[@S.ripple]

Pretty impressive are those units good for marine grade.

[@todd.parker]

I don’t think these are marine grade, they aren’t even waterproof

[@ronaldezz]

I want one for my van. Would I need to disconnect it from charging when not driving? Was wondering if the unit knows when the engine is running; like a split charge relay?

[@todd.parker]

I may depend on your vehicle. My Pacifica seems to shut off (or drop the voltage low enough) that the car charger stops pulling from the car battery so I didn’t need a relay.

[@ronaldezz]

@@todd.parker thanks for the insight; that was something I didn't think of. My van is a 2015 Mercedes Sprinter, so it might have that function capability. Thanks.

[@bcstaff]

I just watched your video and appreciate the content. The photo of the aviation cable and 12 volt aviation port on the unit is completely different than my AC 200P. On my unit the port is female with a plastic threaded outer connection while the cable is male with no threads and three tabs. It appears in your video that the unit is male and the plug is female and everything is in aluminum. I wonder if other people see variation in this connection. I am an electrical engineer and contractor yet I cannot plug in this connection because of manufacturing issues. This company has major quality control issues.

[@todd.parker]

Huh, strange

[@judichristopher4604]

4:37 On another video where a RVer said we couldn't charge a iPhone on top! I thought that was strange... but you say we can... Right?

[@todd.parker]

It has 2 wireless charging pads in the top that will charge your iPhone. I show that and an airport pro being charged in the video.

[@judichristopher4604]

@@todd.parker YES... I saw that, that is why I asked... it didn't make sense that the other video person said we couldn't use our iPhones on the top of the 200P to charge them. Thank you for explaining that... I did watch your great video twice. Does the Max have the 2 charging stations on top as well? Are you tired of me asking questions Todd... I'll stop...

[@todd.parker]

@@judichristopher4604 yep the max also has them

[@judichristopher4604]

@@todd.parker Thank you Todd

[@mad-lex]

Hello Todd ! =) DO you know if 2x Renogy 100W solar panels could charge the Bluetti AC200P please ? Thanks a lot !

[@todd.parker]

I'd need to see the specs but if they are standard panels, yes. The AC200P has a very high minimum voltage so you need to connect 2-3 panels in series which adds their voltage.

[@mad-lex]

@@todd.parker Mmmmh ok thanks Todd, I will try to look for the minimum high voltage. What I mainly wonder is if 200W will be enough to charge it fully. But I guess when they say that it takes 4-5h to full charge it with 700W Solar panels, they mean when the Bluetti goes from 0% to 100% battery ? Which most likely will never happen for us, probably every day we will charge it from 40% back to 100%. So that's why I have the feeling 200W would be enough :o ? Thanks a lot :)

[@todd.parker]

@@mad-lex best case, you get 80% of the rated panel output so those can produce 160w. You get about 5 hours max of usable sun per day so multiply that by 160 to get the energy per day (800w) so with losses, it would take 3 sunny days to fill it from empty

[@sharriceowens913]

Does it not tell you how long each object will run..I see it tells you the watts but I don't see any hour amounts

[@todd.parker]

The screen will tell you how many hours or minutes it will run the loads you have plugged in on the left

[@Mesatallic]

How loud is it for a living room or bedroom? Is the fan on constantly or does it only come on when pushed hard?

[@todd.parker]

It’s very quiet unless you’re running loads aver 100-200w then the fans kick on but it’s not that loud. However, the charging brick is quite loud and the fans are always on, even if the unit is 100% charged and not accepting power so you need to unplug the charger.

[@Mesatallic]

@@todd.parker Thanks. I’m thinking it would be quiet, but not 100% silent, similar to a PC fan. So if I were to charge directly from solar, I wouldn’t require the charging brick?

[@todd.parker]

@@Mesatallic Right, the brick is for wall charging. When charging with solar, the fans may kick on but it’s like a PC fan, yep

[@angelsuniverse6021]

Can be connect it to power all day n b on? Can b use while charging?

[@todd.parker]

Yes and yes but when it’s in, it loses about 1% an hour in standby

[@manus4814]

I have doubts about the fact that AC200P have LiFePo4 batteries.. cause it's written o the website ok but nothing is written in the user manual.

[@todd.parker]

That is a strange omission but it’s definitely LFP, no need to start a conspiracy theory!

[@rynewho_dock1262]

How is it that the input PV is listed as 35-150V, but on their website they list 700V?

[@todd.parker]

150v is definitely the limit

[@JustShawnie]

Bluetti has got to something about that big power brick.

[@todd.parker]

For sure. All their newer units (EB3A, AC300/500) all use integrated chargers so I’d like to think an update is in the works. Their loud, slow charger bricks are awful

[@NessysSanctuary]

I am watching this thinking of a grid down situation, I must admit the amount of stuff you would want on was a bit shocking. In my place we hanker down in one room with solar torches and solar generator made for lights. We make it fun. I would not want to use the power unnecessary as there is no way of knowing when lights will come back on. I guess there are a lot of people who have different priorities. Thanks for the video it helped me to decide which one i will need.

[@todd.parker]

Trust me, if it was grid down I’d be a lot more conservative with power use, 2kw goes fast! I was just doing that to show what I could power if I needed to and it illustrates just how efficient LEDs are.

[@NessysSanctuary]

@@todd.parker Thank you for explaining I get it now

[@Mr85percent]

Can anybody tell me if I can charge this unit by solar and simultaneously use the ac output.

[@todd.parker]

Pretty sure you can

[@debyton]

Can the AC200P provide power while recharging by car plug?

[@iamlove5325]

Yes

[@todd.parker]

Yes, you can charge and discharge at the same time. I’ll have to remember to mention that on videos, people always ask. I think only small units have that limitation, seems most ones I’ve reviewed support passthrough power.

[@kristophermckinney3306]

I just got my Bluetti AC200P on Aug. 31st. It is not reading wattage correctly amoung other things. Max Oak has just been giving me the run around. They keep having me make videos of the issues. Sometimes it will not show that there is any wattage being dispersed and when it does show wattage when I use more wattage it says that I am using less. I was very excited about getting one of these and when I seen that it was messed up I just thought " no big deal, they will just have to replace it." WRONG!!! They are not being cool about this at all.

[@todd.parker]

Sorry to hear that. I heard these don’t register loads if they are too low but this sounds like a bigger issue

[@judichristopher4604]

You're the 2nd person in these comment that has had a lot of trouble with Bluetti... I'm not sure now if I want to buy one or not... SERVICE is everything, especially since Bluetti is expensive.

[@truthseeker1833]

I bought a second one instead of a battery and the second unit I doing the same thing from the same place Max Oak. 😡

[@SEA-U2]

Perfect ‼️👏👏👏👍

[@LarryRichelli]

did I mss the vs.AC200MAX comparison????

[@todd.parker]

Heh, sorry I didn’t have a Max on hand fur this video but I tried to contrast the spec differences between the units as I went through each feature

[@treefiddy2470]

Can it be used while it's charging from solar?

[@todd.parker]

Absolutely

[@nikkitobin8356]

Can someone tell me y mine wont charge past 56% on wall charging ... Wont go 100 % ... What am I doing wrong

[@todd.parker]

I think something might be wrong with your unit. I’d contact Bluetti

[@judichristopher4604]

@@todd.parker This is scary Todd... This is the 3rd person in the comments that is having serious trouble with Bluetti... I'm a little scared to buy one now.

[@salemdesigns65]

@@judichristopher4604 That's what the warranty is for.

[@ursamajor6546]

First review I've seen that mentions the poor self discharge rate ! Well done 👍 🏆 This is a real pain! I read that the AC300 is even worse?? The screen is also terrible - not bright enough to see in daylight and too bright at night (the screen cannot be turned off without turning off the power) Still a decent box though all in all.

[@todd.parker]

Yeah, I still think it’s a solid unit overall but the wasteful electronics and touchscreen are downsides. I don’t like there aren’t physical switches in case the screen fails

[@ursamajor6546]

@@todd.parker Absolutely! 👍👍

[@rivas541]

I just received my AC200max and it came with zero charge and error code 34 BMS fault code

[@todd.parker]

Yikes.

[@judichristopher4604]

That's not good.

[@judichristopher4604]

It's been a month... what happen ... what did you do about it?

[@eugeniojr.llamoso7365]

How about 230 volts and 60 Hertz? Do this bluetti has?

[@todd.parker]

Not this unit. You can bond 2 larger units to power 220v appliances but this is just for a standard 120v/15a appliances

[@jwc4226]

Is the AC200P expandilbe or not..that is just what I want to know. Thanks.

[@todd.parker]

Yes, you can add one expansion battery

[@todd.parker]

Yes, you can add one expansion battery

[@EcoNeighbor]

One day, I will be able to review a Bluetti

[@jonnvessel]

What about the point zero Titan?

[@todd.parker]

The word on those is they are expensive, have quality issues, and are pretty outdated.

[@Den-nu6pv]

The titan is awesome just expensive

[@judichristopher4604]

20:12 (I am so going to show my stupidity here...) I thought it was 700 watts... so you don't put that much in your solar panels? How many solar panels can you use, (depending on wattage)..?

[@judichristopher4604]

Voltage .. not wattage...

[@todd.parker]

Right you need to connect the right number of panels to stay within the voltage and amp limits. A typical 25v panel connected in series means you could do 6 panels which means that you’d probably need at least 120w panels to hit 700w max, maybe 150w. 35-150v/Max.700W,max12A

[@judichristopher4604]

@@todd.parker Thank you... YOU are a great teacher, and thank you for being so patience with me. God Bless YOU Todd.

[@judichristopher4604]

@@todd.parker It's simple math Judi Don't go over 700w... "Da"

[@truthseeker1833]

@@judichristopher4604 I use (5) 180w bouge rv panels which is over panel at 900watts but after lose the panels really only produce 150w per panel. Reality I'm generating 750w but your ac200p regulates it down to 700w input so it wont let you over charge. Hope this helps. BTW if it's a little cloudy that's when over panels come into play. Ps sometimes my solar input will read 720w on the ac200p when peaked out. Your not gonna hurt it lol. God bless

[@jway395]

What panels are you using? Bluetti ?

[@todd.parker]

Those are TP Solar (now Top Solar)

[@antfordbbq]

What kind of panels are you using?

[@todd.parker]

I have a bunch but I like the Bluetti 200w panels and the XTAR 100w for portable and whatever is cheap for glass panels

[@darrellee4953]

Where was the ‘vs’ between the two different units?

[@todd.parker]

I tried to point out the differences between each unit as I talked about relevant feature but I unfortunately didn’t have the Max to compare sure by side. Honestly I included the max because as I was finishing this review the max was announced so I was trying to make the best of a situation where my new review was already outdated :/

[@SD-co9xe]

Can you charge it and use it at the same time?

[@todd.parker]

Yep!

[@Hrustanovic033]

Can 200p be extended by additional battery pack fro Bluetti?

[@todd.parker]

Yes, you can connect one B230 battery with the right adapter cable

[@Hrustanovic033]

@@todd.parker aha, ok. Thank you for such a prompt response. Didn't know that. I thought that the Max ones are only expandable. So, as I have 200p version and if I was to get that cable could I use combined capacity of both or the battery pack is only meant to be used independently? I would prefer to use both combined as one unit. Which cable would I need in this instance?

[@todd.parker]

@@Hrustanovic033 this video shows everything: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j17bmH2EqKihd5I This will double the runtime and act like the AC200P has a 2x battery

[@Hrustanovic033]

@@todd.parker you are a Star. Thank you very much, will have a look. Greetings from Wales, UK.

[@eugeniojr.llamoso7365]

What about a 230 volts do bluetti has 60 Hertz?

[@n3rdygranpa5]

Check out their website . . you can stack (2) 300 Max and achieve 240V

[@djaj423]

is the AC200P expandable..

[@todd.parker]

You can add one extra battery with the right adapter

[@m.kingery]

Can it run as a UPS at home when not being used in an emergency?

[@todd.parker]

Yes. You can just leave it plugged into power, and plug in your AC loads. If the power goes out, it will keep trucking along. Note that if you don't have any loads for a few hours, the AC outlets will turn off.

[@m.kingery]

@@todd.parker thanks for the clarification! one bonus of getting a larger unit like this would be to use it as a permanent UPS for my home office area in place of my APC UPS battery, but i don't know if they turn off when not in use, or have to run fans or issues of that nature which aren't present in the more purpose built units.

[@todd.parker]

I think the only downside is the AC charger brick is pretty loud and would always be on.

[@uhjyuff2095]

@@m.kingery If you want a more energy efficient UPS system for longer runtimes in your office, keep your computer connected to the APC UPS and then also get an Ecoflow Delta or River pro or any of the Ecoflow's that have the ups function so when the power goes out the ecoflow switches to battery mode from wall mode. The APC UPS keeps the power going smoothly. The reason this is more energy efficient compared to the Bluetti is because the Bluetti gets the power from the wall outlet power brick then converts it to DC power for the battery then from the battery back to AC power for your office computer 24/7 which has power/watt losses, whereas the Ecoflow has the UPS mode so it doesn't convert the power back and forth and only does when the power goes out.

[@m.kingery]

@@uhjyuff2095 that’s a super great point! I lost track and forgot about that re-conversion! As an aside - I wonder if one day houses will be wired fully DC and just have an inverter at your mains…

[@jonathanhebert9966]

Would you get that over a goal zero

[@todd.parker]

I think this is a much better value than the 1500X and way less expensive than a 3000 - they oddly don’t have a 2000wh Yeti. The Bluetti has a much longer lasting LFP battery but the Yetis do have better inverters, app control, are more compact, and don’t self-discharge so there are pros and cons.