Why NOT to oversize your inverter!

[@AdamDeLayDIY]

I've seen it mentioned a few times but the compressor startup is one of the high draws on a fridge but the other thing to remember is the "frost free" fridge/freezers also have a built in defrost cycle that also uses a lot of power. That defrost cycle could be why your smaller inverter didn't power the fridge the first time but it seemed to work fine the second time. My fridge normally pulls around 700w when it's actually running with the compressor, but when the defrost cycle runs, it could go near double that number. I can actually look at my inverter logs from SolarAssistant and see each night around 0200 the defrost cycle kicks in. Just a thought.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info! I'm going to try out an extended test on that fridge using the 500w inverter.

[@AdamDeLayDIY]

@@OffGridBasement good luck!

[@MicahIfada]

How did the long duration test go?

[@greyhoundollie]

I think your comments to the gentle about HIS KZbin channel are more inappropriate than you fault him for. It is HIS channel. He did not charge you any money to allow you to visit HIS channel. You have a net Zero loss from anything this man did or said. I think YOUR facts are scrambled in YOUR head. Who decided anything about YOUR ethics. IF YOU dont like something you read about or hear in the playback of HIS CHANNEL you are free to leave and find another channel you feel more comfortable with. Your ethics seem to be MUCH more off than you fault this gentleman for. And YOU must know this by now@@miguelcanoe6774

[@BruceKlorfine]

@@miguelcanoe6774 I came here to say this as well. Unfortunately he hasn't taken up your challenge in the 2 months since your comment. 😞

[@realToby]

When the refrigerator compressor finally kicks on, the little inverters would shut off or go in to overload protection or blow (if it doesn't have any protection)

[@OffGridBasement]

The compressor kicked on as soon as I plugged in the refrigerator. The fridge was pulling over 100w from each inverter I plugged in.

[@jamesalles139]

@@OffGridBasement compressor or circulation fan? Also, a short appliance extension cord (3-wire flat cable, usually gray) would be a good addition to your kit.

[@OffGridBasement]

@@jamesalles139 actually not sure. I thought it was the compressor. I guess I just didn't run it long enough to truly test. Thanks for the tip.

[@jamesalles139]

@@OffGridBasement 100 Watts seems a little low (except in the sense of average wattage say, over 24 hrs). The average home refrigerator uses 350-780 watts

[@KuntalGhosh]

​@@jamesalles139 100w is normal for 300l fridges. If you have 500+ then 200 300 can be expected. Actually the current draw is more while it's in defrost. The defrost heater of a 300l fridge pulls 350w almost.

[@Electronzap]

Nice. Sometimes electronic devices just don't feel like working that day. I plan to use multiple inverters, each one with about twice the rating of whatever it is going to be powering.

[@OffGridBasement]

That sounds like a good plan. If you need a 5000w inverter for one appliance, you definitely should get a smaller one for everything else. Thanks for the comment.

[@geraldwatkins3543]

I'm sure someone covered this in the comments. You should allow the refrigerator to run the compressor for a few cycles on each inverter. Also, there may be something to adjust the voltage a bit on the blue inverter.

[@OffGridBasement]

Yes. I thought the compressor was kicking in, but it turns out it was mostly like the fan. Thanks for the comment and the info.

[@mannyfragoza9652]

i was going to say how do you know the compressor kicked in? I can tell you wilth almost 100% certainty the 500watt inverter wouldn't be able to handle the surge

[@andyjack2368]

even the inverter is on it pull bit power ok this why I have shout off switch between positive of battery and positive off inverter

[@andyjack2368]

do you know even you switch off your inverter it still have power in side of it and pull bit of power from battery this what no body knows I see lot video ok what I do I have switch between positive of my battery and positive of my inverter to switch it off so I will not lose power from my battery ok

[@mannyfragoza9652]

@@andyjack2368 yes it tells you on the inverter what the current draw when idol

[@penuelseun]

For the 1500w inverter that reads a lower voltage than the rest, there is a little potentiometer in the inverter that you can adjust to increase the output voltage . Great video 👍👍

[@OffGridBasement]

I'll look into it. Thanks for the info!

[@penuelseun]

@Solar And Off Grid Can I see a picture of the inverter board?

[@penuelseun]

@Solar And Off Grid Seems like the inverter is defective, good call

[@mxslick50]

@@penuelseun Nope it is just a crappy cheap design that I would never trust. The uploader was very lucky it didn't damage his fridge.

[@craigg.2546]

Correct. Low voltage supply = slow burn of circuitry. High voltage supply = explosion. Providing correct voltage is a lot less danger.😮

[@OKLAHOMAOFFGRID]

The big inverter that you have I believe is a 24-volt 2000-watt with a 6000-watt surge it is the exact replica of the aims inverter I have been using my aims inverters for 7 years now and I have not had any problems

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info. The inverter is 12v, but everything else is correct. Glad to hear your inverter is working great with no problems. I've heard AIMS inverters are top notch! Good choice.

[@sophietarafiona]

@@OffGridBasement I also want to chip in a bit: you are no doubt aware of the difference between LF and HF topologies for power inverters ? HF uses mainly MOSFETS on aluminium coolingbodies with perhaps a smaller transformer here or there to get to AC voltage (for me 230 volts, for you 115 volts I guess), and when constructed well enough they can handles very short surges of 2x their nominal power. LF inverters do the same thing without those MOSFETS (for the most part, there are hybrid topologies that mix the two main topologies) and use massive copperwire transformers, preferrably of the toroidal type to get to AC output. In general, and I repeat "in general" here, the LF inverter utilizing this huge transformer to do the work, will outlive whatever HF inverter you compare it to. The fall out levels of HS inverters are staggering compared to these "old school" transformer inverters and typically they can handles surges twices as long and 3x as high as nominal power output ratings. Therefore inductive loads from saws (maitre saw, miter saw, what is the word ?) and motors and pumps will cause many a HF inverter to break or not do anything at all where as the LF inverter just runs it without breaking a sweat. For that you get a big downside and that is, as you already indicated a big and heavy machine that costs a penny (usually, you can get good deals, I have Vevor LF power inverters of 12 volts 3000 watts 230 volt that also feature 75 amps battery charging like yours that costed me about 300 dollars each, so that was a bargain really) AND a very high standbye consumption of 66 to 80 watts. If you combine them with some solar panels and a dedicated MPPT off grid battery charger then you can live with that consumption to at least have up to 3000 watts in my case ready to handle anything from lighting to laptops and wifi modems to a watercooker, vacuumcleaner, microwave, drill and saw and electric oven. Do take gauge 4/0 (120 mm2) pure copper cables for 12 volts input, less for 24 or 48 volts, and a sizable lithium iron phosphate batterybank. I got 72 KWh of LiFePO4 storage to back up 2 of these 3000 Watt LF inverters, enough juice to run 3000 watts nominal for 2 days. In practise you will never use 3000 watts non stop for 2 days, so I expect I can last much longer than that. But if I were to also electrically heat my house, or parts of it at least, than my battery bank would require and upgrade to at east 90 to 100 KWh ! I decided to just call it a day when I reached 72 KWh though. But I digressed severely. Sorry. LF Inverters are underrated and unknown to most. Would I trust an HF inverter to run my electricity for years on end ? Only when it says Victron. But I can't afford Victron. ;-p So I put my trust in bulky Chinese made LF inverters instead. They are like tanks, they are ugly but they are in 95 percent of all cases indestructible.

[@jamesotisjr2322]

a standard outlet provides up to 15 amps at 120VAC = 1800 watts but, inductive loads - coils, which includes motors - require a huge surge of power when the motor starts.. to make your test valid you need to induce the motor to start. the big inverter is a low frequency inverter. the square end is the giveaway. it is the choice for devices with motors.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@C.A.MARSUPIAL]

Fantastic. Thanks so much for the excellent teaching video. Hi from Brisbane Australia. Keep very well.🙂🙂🙂

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you! Will do!

[@randomcuriosities8441]

Australia? Just curious, do you subscribe to KZbin channel called "Bread Gang"

[@matthewknight5641]

Your tests help alot of people. We appreciate it

[@OffGridBasement]

I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@pocketchange1951]

👍👌❤️🇨🇦, As a general rule, a 2,000W inverter can run a refrigerator smoothly. Your inverter will need to handle the continuous wattage as well as handle the surge power for a split second. Most refrigerators require a power of 300-600 watts, but the surge wattage can be about 2-3 times higher

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the information and the comment.

[@cfldriven]

Post Helene our 1000 inverter had no prob with large side by side refrig, tv, 2 lamps and nat gas tankless water heater for 10 days. We powered it with a Prius. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnykpqufh7iehMk

[@jamesalles139]

relatively intelligent compressor control systems will have a time delay built in from power-up - about 5 minutes. This allows refrigerant pressures to equalize if it is running when power drops out (power bump or outage event). It saves on rotor lock-up and thermal cutout trips.

[@OffGridBasement]

Good to know. Thanks for the info!

[@seymourpro6097]

If you look at the Victron series of inverter chargers they can have a "generator" input also which can be another inverter. SO while the 2k inverter is enough the main inverter supplies power, when more power is needed the additional inverter is automatically turned on and sync'd to the main inverter. Saves some of the wasted power.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@derekwaggoner7584]

Ive run my 90's refrigerator non stop for the last 5 months on a 1200va victron inverter no problem at all.

[@OffGridBasement]

That victron will run forever! Good choice. Thanks for the comment.

[@Riddick_4506]

Just a tip! Always put the POSITIVE contact on first, then the negative. When taking them off, you take the NEGATIVE off first, then the POSITIVE!

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you!

[@davidstevens7809]

Uh no..neg first always.. first on..and first off

[@JosefMPjess]

But why?

[@ricocasilli3307]

it depends on where the compressor is in its stroke. if it has to start at top dead centre it requires a lot more power

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@uncontrollabledogs3791]

Nice real- world test. More similar vids please.

[@OffGridBasement]

More to come! Thanks for the comment.

[@Insightfill]

For devices with an inductor/motor, sometimes power factor makes a big difference. I was trying to run a sump pump with a 500w inverter and it kept tripping off. When I ADDED a 60w incandescent light bulb, it was able to stay on continuously. Counterintuitive at first, but it worked out.

[@OffGridBasement]

That is counterintuitive but it does make sense once you think about it. Thanks for the great info!

[@kwacz]

you can connect a capacitor to the inverter output to correct power factor instead of the light bulb. A motor run capacitor would probably work but make sure the capacitor is designed to be connected across ac line. you may have to experiment with different values.

[@Insightfill]

@@kwacz Exactly. The "antidote" to an inverter is a capacitor and would have been ideal. As I was in a hurry, I improvised. A rechargeable battery might have also worked. Hmm. I wonder if there's a market for building capacitors into such inverter motors directly? What common, household devices have a naturally high capacitance that I might want to throw into such a system in a hurry?

[@kwacz]

@@Insightfill be careful. a rechargeable battery would not want to be connected because the inverters output is ac and batteries are dc. The capacitor would work but only if it has an ac rating and is non polar, and made to be left in circuit across the line.

[@asedcopf]

@@Insightfill did you mean inductance to add a capacitor to?

[@Alphastarcar]

Awesome video, thanks for breaking the numbers down. I’m now a new subscriber to your channel. Thanks again!

[@OffGridBasement]

I'm glad you got something out of the video! Thanks for the sub and the comment.

[@youcanthide004]

Lots of information here, thanks for the video

[@OffGridBasement]

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment.

[@wherami]

This is why I chose a 300w inverter for my basement freezer. Good topic

[@OffGridBasement]

Yes! I take it you don't have any problems as well. Thanks for the comment.

[@elmurrial685]

Maybe 300W is the minimum power, depending the freezer. When the freezer starts, it needs a high peak power for seconds. A minimum of 500-600W is recommended in order to not force the inverter.

[@JohnThomas-ou2rn]

Great info. Bigger is NOT better. Thanks.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the comment!

[@sjceh]

I have a Kenmore side-by-side from the early 80s that I can run on a 300-watt inverter powered by a 40-volt Ryobi lawn care battery. My Kill-A-Watt meter doesn't capture peak but while this old fridge is running, it pulls about 134VA. Pretty impressive for something that old. They were little more than a mechanical thermostat and a compressor back then.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@bernardobohorquez4272]

Muy interesante su demostración, el proceso para calcular la eficiencia de un inversor. Y sus conclusiones. Un nuevo punto de vista. Muchas gracias Sir

[@OffGridBasement]

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment.

[@WCO3]

this is why I like multiple inverters. One pure sign wave for large loads I keep switched off, The other lower wattage modified sinewave with much less standby consumption Does 80% of the work.. I just can't watch my batteries drain out, for nothing.

[@OffGridBasement]

That's smart and a very good point. Thanks for the comment!

[@thomasmaughan4798]

"Modified sine wave" is nothing like a sine wave. It's a square wave although it might be stepped; 160 volts positive, then zero, then 160 volts negative, then zero. Pure sine wave inverters that use pulse width modulation are every bit as efficient but much less harmful to devices especially motors.

[@soggyb4082]

Great Job and well done. Wonder who is the champ in stand by Power consumption? Light weight Middle weight and heavy weight contenders. Stuff like this is interesting.

[@OffGridBasement]

Good question! I always assumed the bigger the inverter the more standby consumption, but it's worth checking out to be sure. Thanks for the comment.

[@shmayazuggot8558]

Great content as always. When the compressor kicks in the surge can be upwards of 2000 watts, 2000w/12v 160+ amps…. Perhaps when you tested last time the battery was not full and could not drive sufficient amps for the surge current. Glad the inverter cut off before flaming out the cables.

[@OffGridBasement]

I didn't wait for the compressor to kick in for each inverter. That was a bad test. Thanks for the comment!

[@devonhallassociates9524]

Thanks for this experiment! I am currently using a 1500w pure sine inverter to power a 5-c.f. chest freezer. Based on the results of your experiment, I will power the freezer with a 500w pure sine inverter to get better efficiency. Thanks!

[@OffGridBasement]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for the comment.

[@hardergamer]

Don't! You must use a power meter like a "Killer-Watt" first to determine what the compressor's start-up power is required. Also, It really depends on the quality of the inverter, as there are many factors like power-factor, VA vs Watts, meaning the VA changes as the battery voltage sags (gets lower) so with a fully charged 12V battery at float charge (13.7v) you may get 92% efficiency but when the battery is close to 12v (dead) your efficiency will be much lower at around 65%. I have an 6kw PSW inverter that has a 0.6a standby usage, bigger doesn't always mean more standby draw, quality and design of the inverter does.

[@donnaclarke8595]

A quick start takes a lot less watts

[@dustydawson8977]

​@hardergamer glad some one has a brain, his test were complete nonsense. Pure sine wave,modified sinewave, high frequency inverters vs low frequency inverters, big difference. My low frequency portable solar generator 3000w continuous draws 13w@ idle, but you will pay more for this type of setup

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy O-G-B, Thanks for the COMPARISON COOP ...

[@OffGridBasement]

You're welcome!

[@elmurrial685]

The power of the inverter depends on the the freezer. When the freezer starts, it needs a high peak power for seconds. An old freezer needs more start power. A minimum of 500-600W is recommended in order to not force the inverter.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the information!

[@pr0n5tar]

Currently running my LG 15 cu ft ona 410 watt inverter, it's not even sweating

[@5400bowen]

I believe it is because you went front wall power to the inverter in the middle of a running cycle and did the switch in a few seconds, instead of a few minutes. My Whistler (a very food small to medium size inverter) 2,000 att inverter will choke if my chest freezer has been running (compressor on) within a few minutes of plugging it into the inverter. I am thinking it is because the compressor cylinder has residual pressure in it from running, so it tales even more power to start it up until the existing pressure bleeds out. My inverter will start it after the chest freezer waits a few minutes and tries to come back on. Also, there are inverters (cheaply but high quality Chinese) that go into power save mode when there isn’t a load for a programmable period ( you can tell it to do it from like 1 to 30 minutes after all loads are gone, and it will come back on when it detects a load).

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the information and the comment.

[@charlesdonaldson962]

Just to maybe add or clarify a little of the last comment but when you plugged the refrigerator into the 100 w inverter the temperatures were low enough that the compressor was not running when you unplugged it, or when you plugged it into the 100 w it only had two tiny motors and a few chips being powered. Not near an amp. With the compressor kicking on could go from 4 to 14 amps for a second and then down to less than 5 5 amps is 600 w (120v)

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@Alpha-ms9nj]

I ordered a similar inverter to that blue one. It was blue 1500 PSW, but Amazon said it was undeliverable because of damage. I ended up purchasing the Krieger brand but in 2000 watt PSW version. I'm anxious to get all my components hooked up real soon and start trying different appliances with them. I went with the bigger inverter because of the 4000watt surge value and has the hardwire terminals option if needed. It would be interesting to test them when the compressor kicks on, don't think the little 500watt one would have continued.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info. The fridge was pulling over 100w from the small inverter. I'll probably do another duration video of that fridge using the 500 inverter just to see if it holds up.

[@hardergamer]

Just so you know, the surge rating is very misleading on most inverters as it is only for 1/100 of a second, not for the 10-60 seconds needed when a motor starts like in a fridge or hover, this is why high-end inverters do not show or claim a surge rating, only cheap inverters made in China do.

[@porky7753]

Great content, the math hurts my head so i will just add a panel to cover the over consumption. lol

[@OffGridBasement]

That is also another option! lol

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HINT: a very SHORT 1' long Extension Cord would allow you to utilize your KILL-A-WATT dongle I have several left over from my computer days --- 16 Gauge & 14 Gauge extension cords were just about one foot long & quite Heavy-Duty COOP ...

[@OffGridBasement]

That is a good idea. I need to cut one down to size. Thanks for the info!

[@GeorgeKennedy-u4r]

I used a Biddle clamp on ac ammeter to check the surge current on the compressor start, the same device I use to check the start current of my home ac compressor.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@michaelmartin4383]

The amount of amps a refrigerator draws is variable according to, room temperature, how close to the preset temperature of the fridge and how often you open the fridge. On a hot summer day, when you are opening the fridge door often, the fridge will consume huge amounts of power.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the information and the comment.

[@baneverything5580]

Your fridge likely has a high drain auto defrost. You can power manual defrost dorm fridge and a small 5 cubic ft manual defrost chest freezer both easier and longer than this fridge to save your food after a power outage. You probably know this but this is the option I would choose to save on battery capacity after a hurricane. These small freezers and fridges only draw about 50 watts when running. Pack extra space in the freezer with bottles of water to freeze before the storm then use those in the fridge to keep it colder and drink them when they thaw. Also, use USB fans after Summer power outages. A 2500 wh power bank can run these for two days 24/7 on low. A box fan wastes far too much power.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for all the great info!

[@baneverything5580]

@@OffGridBasement I meant to say "2500 mAh" not wh.

[@baneverything5580]

@@OffGridBasement I forgot to add that a portable folding solar panel can easily directly power a USB fan and the larger sized ones can power them in very low light. I demonstrated a high quality 30w folding panel with Sunpower cells powering one in the rain in a vid. You aren`t supposed to leave them in the rain but it was just a quick demonstration to show how efficient they can be. Larger ones can do that in the shade even. When hurricanes Laura and Delta hit us in 2020 I went through 100 dollars in batteries trying to keep fans running. Now that will never be an issue again. It was horrible. I hope to have power for my small window air conditioner by April usiing a 300ah LiFeP04 and solar. I have the main parts and need a few more things to get it safely running so I can stay cool.

[@statesmanuel]

The difference between the refrigerator load "at rest" and with compressor startup/run is the likely reason...although if it's really putting out only 99 VAC for the "at rest" load, I'd stop the test right there.

[@OffGridBasement]

Yes. I did realize I wasn't leaving the inverters plugged in long enough to make an accurate test. Thanks for the comment.

[@galen__]

Very interesting. Not many channels show these tests, so thank you for this. If you want to know how much power an appliance uses during different times of the day, get yourself a Shelly Smart Plug or TP-Link HS110 (or model with energy monitoring) and log the usage on a PC or RPi running Home Assistant. You’ll then be able to graph it in realtime with the Grafana plugin, which lets you see the time period anywhere from the last few seconds to the last 2 years on one screen, which can then be zoomed into to only show the time period you want. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll link some videos of what it’s like and how to get it configured to do all this 😅

[@OffGridBasement]

I do have something from Sonoff. I really only shows a daily chart, but I guess it's better than nothing. Maybe I'll try to work with something like that to show more information about the process. Thanks for the information!

[@andyjack2368]

I dont need my inverter to on ok even you turn it off its still power in inverter ok I do my own ok I have a shout off switch between positive off battery and positive off my inverter ok so when I turn it off it shout off no power in side of my inverter even you turn it off with inverter switch its still have power in side of it take little bit power from battery dont know that

[@elixier33]

That tells you AC not DC amps.

[@yoshiyukisekiguchi8957]

I did not think of the fact low efficiency means energy loss..thank you.

[@OffGridBasement]

You're welcome. Glad I could help.

[@jamesk97]

There's gotta be something wrong with that Alffaa inverter. I just got one and it's working great. Idle consumption is 4.5 to 5 watts and AC output voltage is pretty stable around 110 volts and slightly higher with more load.

[@OffGridBasement]

There was. One of the capacitors was blown. The inverter has a 5 year warranty so I got it replaced for free. Thanks for the comment.

[@osst12]

Transformer type efficiency difference i guess. The first two might be high frequency inverters. Aluminium winding has 1.5-2A idle draw. Copper based around 1A. Experiences from Indian inverters.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@Ulbre]

Judging by the clamps, that little 500W inverter is probably sold as an emergency jump start. I have had an even smaller 250W version and it works a treat. Jumped my car with it 30 odd times including one time where I jumped it 7 times without recharging the inverter. Admittedly my car is just a small Honda Fit, but that 500W one should be great for just about any car. Every car owner should carry one!!!

[@OffGridBasement]

That's a great use! Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@ricklevi]

There is an essential flaw in the way you did the test and that is that efficiency is not a linear variable in this type of equipment. They generally show a low efficiency at values ​​below 10% of the nominal capacity and give their maximum efficiency around 75-85% of their capacity even less in some of them. This is why each inverter must be used in its correct application to avoid wasting energy. And in fact the inverter should not be oversized too much for that reason.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the great information and the comment!

[@handymandev03]

Trouble too is the market is flooded with inverters that simply looks good, sound good on paper but wjen it comes to performance is a different story. Never use modified sign wave on sensitive electronic items as they can cause failures in the circuitry and most modern fridge freezers run so many electronics too. I find when using my home made ups system its best to calculate the total loading from the appliance/s plus a bit more for extra measure when choosing the right size inverters, also if you use a inverter thats say rated for 2000watts and your very close to its limits that inverter is working rather hard all the time. I personally use high end inverters and ones that are designed for frequent use. Victron make excellent gear. Oh also 24volt inverters are much better than 12volt less current draw and they are less demanding on batteries. If you have a home backup system, i use x4 6volt agm 224amp hour batteries and it gives me around the 24 hour mark running my fridge, tv, lamps, and also a kettle (sparingly). Sorry i know its long winded, amd not everyone would agree with my comment.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the comment and info!

[@JR-xw5dk]

Some of the newer fridges have an inverter type set up like the mini splits. So some will not have the 1000-1500 watt surge. My 15 year old 18 cf fridge has around 1500 watt surge and runs at abour 120 watts. You may want to see some specs on your fridge. Just a thought.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the information and the comment.

[@SteffenBoserup]

The HCS 2000-watt inverter/charger is manufactured by Go Power! They produce a range of power solutions for various applications, including RVs, marine vessels, and off-grid systems. The HCS (Hybrid Charger System) is one of their products designed to provide reliable power and charging capabilities in off-grid or mobile settings.The +60 watt standby usage is the same as My UPS - both are designed to switch between grid and battery, like fast enough to not turn on a running tv...

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the information and the comment.

[@brixtonianme9717]

You should try the biggest inverter with eco mode on, it sends a small pulse on the output every second or two to see if there's a load attached, some inverters in eco mode use 1/2 watt... the load must be over a certain level, 15~30 watts, on some it can be modified on the lcd panel or with a knob... it won't help with your fridge as it needs constant power to run the electronics but is perfect with older ones that only have a mechanical thermostat.

[@OffGridBasement]

I'll try it out. Thanks!

[@imark7777777]

Using a modified sign Wade inverter along with not sounding right also causes things to not run as efficiently eating up more power from your batteries. This is generally more effective with motors and sensitive electronics. Now that most electronics use a switch mode power supply this is not so much an issue although there are some cheap Chinese ones out there In both camps. And then there's compressor lock up if the compressor was running when it was unplugged the surge current needed to start it back up again could be rather high. Laying it sit for a few seconds decompression can drop down.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the good information and the comment.

[@imark7777777]

Oh yeah in someways it might be more efficient to have a slightly higher standby current on a pure sine wave inverter then to run a modified sine wave inverter. But I haven't personally tested this.

[@415sf305]

This dude seem hella happy tho hahahah

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks! I try to make my videos informative and entertaining. Thanks for the comment.

[@Gyppor]

Dont forget inverters are more efficient near the top of their output range. Also interesting is that the 2kw unit only requires an extra 100w compared to standby to run a 95 watt load. Idle consumption is high but it seems like the actual power conversion is efficient.

[@OffGridBasement]

I'm sure it is. It's a very well built low frequency inverter.

[@mybobbleheads]

Very good info ... More is not better when boondocking

[@OffGridBasement]

Agreed. Thanks for the comment.

[@hakes2]

Thanks for the review

[@OffGridBasement]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment.

[@SorosNews]

Pure Sign Waves, Have a Separate Board, that Smooths the Current , and takes wats to do it ! Clean, but less Efficient ! I am Going With the Renogy 2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V DC to 120V I Have a 60 amp MPPT Tracer, Epever 6415 AN For the Charge Controller.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@cliffandrews]

When you were testing the refrigerator did you wait for the compressor to kick on each time?

[@OffGridBasement]

The compressor kicked on as soon as I plugged in the refrigerator. The fridge was pulling over 100w from each inverter I plugged in. Thanks for the question!

[@cliffandrews]

@@OffGridBasement Mine pulls about 240 watts when on and it's smaller than your. But it's also a lot older.

[@baneverything5580]

Onite LED light bulbs are warm white and USB powered. Great off grid 5w lights.

[@hardergamer]

I have a 2-year-old Beko FF similar looking to what's in this video, and I have put a watt meter in its socket for the last 5 days, I'm in the UK, so we are on 240v AC and the FF plate claims 75W and 190w in defrost, but my meter is showing how it's really using 100w when running 2.4w when it's not and 225w in its defrost cycle which is once every 10 hours, and it lasts for 20 minutes, but the startup of the compressor is 1kw for nearly a full minute, So I just think you have been hitting different cycles, so you need to run a much longer test. Also, mine has used 4.5kwh over the 5 days.

[@OffGridBasement]

Good to know! I'll try an extended run to see what happens. Hopefully I can document the entire process and keep track of some data along the way. Thanks for the comment.

[@wherami]

Very important topic

[@OffGridBasement]

Yes I believe so as well. Thanks!

[@dsdsmitty2]

My 400w inverter that I first bought doing solar still going strong - also under $50 - I know I'm limited on use but it isn't a problem. My 1500 inverter on the other hand is too touchy - same with my 1000 that I returned. Can't handle surges. I have a 3000w pure sine wave foreign one that is really good - a powerhouse.

[@OffGridBasement]

That's good! If you ever need to run just one small device, you have that smaller inverter for it. Thanks for the comment.

[@atburke6258]

Sir: At 67 watts on standby, the 2000 watt inverter is probably a low frequency unit and the large transformer is taking a lot of the 67 watts. A T Burke

[@OffGridBasement]

You're correct. It's low frequency alright. It also weighs a ton compared to the other ones! Thanks for the comment.

[@dontknowbrian]

Your fridge runs on different modes where it could be in defrost mode which adds a minimum of 500 watts above the normal compressor draw. If your fridge trips your inverter randomly, it may be in defrost mode.

[@OffGridBasement]

That's a good point! It's always good to factor in the defrost mode.

[@jerryberkel8421]

I wish you had checked the big inverter in power save mode

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the comment.

[@bountyhunter1890]

After watching this video I tried to charge my Tesla with a 500w inverter it did not work no idea why but it did turn on the interior light??????????

[@OffGridBasement]

Haha! I can't understand why it didn't work. Might want to get a 600w inverter and try again. 😜

[@kujirasami376]

Did you actually allowed the compressor to kick and start cooling or just to see the inner light on. 🤔

[@OffGridBasement]

The compressor kicked on as soon as I plugged in the refrigerator. The fridge was pulling over 100w from each inverter I plugged in. Thanks for the question!

[@DavittFinol]

Hello. Is that modified wave hum bad for the fridge?

[@OffGridBasement]

Yes. You typically want to use a pure sign wave inverter for anything with a motor.

[@practicaltactical1336]

Excellent video! Great info they never publish but should have to publish the standby consumption! I wonder if you could plug in a power conditioner strip or unit into a regular inverter to get the clean sine wave ? It could save a lot of money on the purchase price up front or improve what you have? My power conditioner strips use 7w standing by but they have auto on controls when you start up 1 item in the strip (computer turns on the printer and the monitor). Thanks!

[@OffGridBasement]

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment and info.

[@calic3538]

What makes the whole test suspect is that we don't know which ones are interrupted or pure sin wave? Pure sine wave is supposed to be much more efficient at every level.

[@OffGridBasement]

I will admit the testing wasn't fully thought through. I need to re-evaluate the process of testing. Thanks for the comment.

[@pyromaniaman]

Depending exactly when (which point in the sine wave) you plug your appliance into the inverter, the instantaneous power draw will be that much higher. So if you try and power your device on at the peak of the sine wave, current draw for a compressor / AC motor startup will be much lower compared to if you plugged in your device at the bottom of the sine wave - because the voltage is lower there, current requirement to start the compressor will be that much higher that your inverter can trip.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the info and the comment.

[@zangzang1268]

Light on inside refrigerator, doesn't mean the compressor is starting and running. 1A isn't the full load. They typically run 300-600 watts which is 2.5-5 amps, with a relay and motor start surge on top of that. You are correct with the assertion that the 108V inverter may not start the refrigerator.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info. I found out the 108v inverter had a blown capacitor. I've since got it replaced with warranty. Thanks for the comment.

[@phillean]

A useful review and findings. But I think you were lucky the square wave inverter did not scramble or even ruin the electronics in the fridge, it can happen. Lots have people have commented on load variation and maximum watts needed for some of the fridge functions.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks. The testing on the refrigerator wasn't the best. I didn't let the compressor turn on for each inverter. Thanks for the comment.

[@Janisg616]

You should try 500W on all inverters, and see if 1100 or 1500W inverters are not more efficient than maxed out 500W inverter and if the 500W inverter actualy can give 500W.. And maybe check what is the actual max power they can handle. Also surge currents are important when starting a motor, like a refrigerator or drill or vacuum cleaner. Im very interested what is the maximum motor it can handle, a drill angle grinder etc.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the information and the comment. It's a very good idea for a video.

[@davydacounsellor]

The sign wave as far as im aware is the key to inverters, ive two generators one has a sign wave rating of less than 5% and will run a welder at 140 amps sweet as a nut. The other chinese generator has the same kva and will trip the welder at 90 amps as its signwave rating is not as clean as the older Italian generator. The modified will indeed produce a dirtier frequency i think.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the comment and info.

[@fc436]

a difference I note between my victron 500 and 3 1500 or 2000w cheaper inverter is the voltage stability. victron stay at 230v at any power. only drop 228 at 90-100% power. the others drop just at 50% power and a 100% maybe give 210v. Victron give 230v with 14,4v input and also with discharged battery at 10.8v. The others have a little output voltage drop if input drop. victron if you shut down a 100% rated power load, have much less voltage pick than the others, and have less voltage drop when you start the big load.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the info.

[@tattoojones23]

GOOD VIDEO - POINT TAKING

[@budmartin3344]

i do not think that the 500w and the 1100W inverter actually handling the compressor startup surge, you can test by turn the temperature to warmer and let it sit for a couple minutes, then turn the fridge control knob to max and see what will happen. You should also get a clamp-on Amp meter that can show peak current capture on the output AC side of the inverter. The standby power of Low frequency inverter such as the 2000W unit you have will have higher power consumption in stand by than the High Frequency inverter at the same power rating.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info. I'll try to run the fridge for an extended amount of time on just the 500w inverter to see if it can last.

[@budmartin3344]

@@OffGridBasement BTW, what does the tag on the fridge show as far as the Voltage and current? My 25 cu-ft side by side shows 120V 6.5A full load, I check compressor startup, it is over 30 Ac Amp. Also does your fridge use a couple 25W incandescent lamp? When I try using 1500W inverter, I can hear the compressor trying to come on then I can hear it click off due to false start (lock rotor), but the circulating fan is still running which will make you think the compressor is running.

[@receptionfrontdesk1377]

what kind of inverter should i get to run a hair dryer or flat iron?

[@OffGridBasement]

You don't want to max out your inverter every time you use it. Whatever the hair dryer is rated for I would double it in the size of the inverter. 1000w hair dryer = 2000w inverter. Hope this helps. Thanks for the comment.

[@randylenart9674]

Very good topic I have a 400watt I've had for years and a 4000watt I use at my cabin to run the well and power tools

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you have it well thought out. Thanks for the comment.

[@kennthbrowne7051]

Thanks 🙂🙂🙂 the only thing not try is Tablesaw my table is 15A my inverter is 3000 watts pure sine wave I know its run things 8.5A.10A.12A but never try Tablesaw 15A

[@OffGridBasement]

The surge on the table saw might be too much. Good luck!

[@Auditing.northern.N.Y.]

To me the 57% efficiency would be worth it to know it will power what I need. I'd rather see a video of these inverters under heavy load. From what I've seen, most can't handle what they claim.

[@OffGridBasement]

That's a good idea. I'll do that in a bit.

[@xlgoldfish]

That 1500w has actual running wattage of 750w. Also those type of inverter don't do much well on surge . That 500w will either fry or go into protection if that refrigerator compressor kicks in.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the info and the comment.

[@dieseldawg7132]

Dumb question but why not just install a circuit breaker on the power side to minimize any standby wattage

[@OffGridBasement]

So you can turn the inverter off and on? It would work well if you don't mind manually switching the circuit breaker on every time you want to use the inverter. Thanks for the comment.

[@dieseldawg7132]

@@OffGridBasement I’m trying to build a power station so I can just run an a/c on it at night it’s an a/c that doesn’t take much power

[@Whizzo333]

A full refrigerator or freezer runs way more efficiently than empty. It takes tons of energy to cool airspace......

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the information and the comment.

[@thomasmaughan4798]

This is not correct. Cooling air is easy. It is the thermal mass that matters. Most food is mostly water, and water has about 50 times the thermal mass of air. Then comes the heat of fusion the fancy word is "enthalpy". You have to suck 79.72 calories per gram of water to turn water at 0 C into ice at 0 C. This is why picnic coolers use ice, not just cold air, to keep food cold. Ice absorbs 79.72 calories per gram just to turn back into water at 0 c. After that, each calorie raises the gram of water by 1 degree. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enthalpy_of_fusion

[@مشتاق-م3ف]

i am lee Very important topic Thanks

[@OffGridBasement]

You’re welcome 😊

[@lonndawg7554]

man,... I don't know where to start, I haven't finished watching this video but you're up to the point where you got the big dog inverter.. You have a long way to go in knowledge in what you're tinkering with, just as a comment the blue inverter that was giving you a problem... Did you hear yourself say how much voltage was being read on that device ??? there something wrong with that inverter, all the others read around 120 V. And now as the video plays on I don't want to even see you tinkering around because you're not educated enough to know what you're specifically doing... I read a few comments, and I hope you understand about the initial current draw on the startup of the compressor vs. the running apps or what's needed, anyways doggone it this is kind of frustrating to watch you tinker without understanding what you're dealing with. Let me throw a big wrench at you in this sense... There is a device called a "soft start " do some research on like AC compressors and generators using a soft start, that might give you an idea of what you're dealing with and how to get around it. The devices aren't very cheap but, you need some education to learn about startup current especially when it comes to compressors. I don't know if I want to finish watching the video the title is why NOT to oversize your inverter... Now for guys who have a little bit of knowledge in this area I would call that a hook to get people to watch this video... Let's say you had a 4000 W inverter would not be a problem to hook up to your refrigerator it's tremendously oversized for the refrigerator and somehow you're implying it's a problem and you're going to tell me why I don't think I'm going to finish watching the video, I am really trying not to pound on you in any way or bring up nasty comments or belittle you in any way that's not my point, you're doing something that you haven't even begun to do some research to gain some understanding before you go spread this stuff you're doing. Anyways thanks for giving me a chuckle, ..... :-) P.S. you know in places like New York, you want to see what happens when so many people are drawing so much current that the overall voltage in the area goes below 100 Volts AC. Some of the terms used for this condition might be called a brownout, old-style televisions with a picture tube, if the television set was running... You would see the TV screen in a collapsed kind of state, the edges of the screen kind of collapse in, you don't have enough voltage to run the picture tube, and its electron-beam so it kind of collapses. We don't have this problem anymore with modern TVs because her LCD and other forms.... Anyways just another tidbit of knowledge to toss at you, so you can gain some more of your life's experiences. P.S.S. when on that blue inverter you could not plug in the kill - A - Watt you could have taken a three-pronged extension cord you know the kind with straight ends and use that as an adapter. Sometimes you need to be a little more resourceful 🙂

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for your honesty. I appreciate it. This is one of my early videos and I've learned a lot since then... The start of the video doesn't have anything to do with the topic and that is my fault. It is supposed to be about not using a huge inverter for a small AC load because of efficiency losses. I do need to re-do the video and make it more to the point. Thanks again for your comment and honesty. It sounds like you have a lot of knowledge to share.

[@lonndawg7554]

well when it comes to knowledge,.... To share, I would say I kinda do from life's experiences I spent time being a licensed electrician, I have also a lot of electronics knowledge, but I've never would call myself an electronics technician. But I do understand electronics, -I have been fixing things since I was a kid that was a very long time ago 🙂 my garage is full of tools and toolboxes for various trades, and just expressing some of my abilities... But absolutely do not take this is being too much of an authority on anything when I don't know something thanks to modern technology meaning the Internet you can pretty much get an understanding of anything if you put the effort into it and you have to base skills to understand what a book or a video or someone showing you something to understand what they are expressing, and in some cases what they're not expressing... That's where having base skills to fill in those gaps. As I said I was a licensed electrician, and you have to be very careful when you watch certain things being demonstrated as a how to do on KZbin,... Because a lot of times person showing you something is not doing it correctly. I see it all the time. So more importantly I took a few minutes and started to go through your video catalog... And I am very glad to see that according to the titles of some of these videos, you started to explore how things work to get a better understanding maybe that's not set correctly but, the titles of the videos indicate you did some exploring to gain better knowledge. looks like I see some videos on batteries, I hope you get a little research for important points to pass on one thing that comes to mind is not to discharge a battery beyond a certain point, giving those numbers are important for example a car battery 10.5 V, there's a number for lithium batteries, and other battery technologies where the composition of the battery is made of different materials now for some laughs and trivial knowledge... Ever notice that a lead acid car battery has 6 cells??? did you know that each cell produces a chemical reactive voltage of 2.1 V per cell, multiply that by 6 cells and you get 12.6 V 🙂🙂I think you realized some of the lack of information and understanding in your videos... I gave you more ideas content because the later videos cover a lot of further education. I will hopefully watch a few more videos in your catalog and comment, as to show my participation and letting you know I watch that particular video. But, I may not always make a comment 🙂 thanks for taking the time to read my overly and very lengthy comment. Hope it's helpful to you and make sense P.S. I'm also a somewhat retired computer technician... And if you want to catch me, check out LiveWindowsTraining with Doug Betts, typically Monday through Friday 9 AM California time, you might poke in to meet a small group of guys and Doug isn't excellent computer guy along with doing great things with video editing. Could give you some ideas and a place as a resource anyways enough said@@OffGridBasement

[@kaihuang1851]

Which one inverter brand do you think is better?

[@OffGridBasement]

My full time inverter is the brand "Reliable" and it just works. If you have the extra money I would go with Victron. It really depends on what you are using it for. Thanks for the question.

[@kaihuang1851]

​@@OffGridBasement thank you for kind answer

[@AminuIbrahim-e8r]

Question. I've a submersible water pump that I intend to use , Off-grid, for 12 hours every day,. The water pump power rating is 1700w(1.7kw). I also have an array of Solar Panels of 3600w output capacity. I've no need for battery or charge controller, only an Inverter, as I don't need to store energy. I intend to use the power directly on the appliance. What size/capacity of Off-grid Solar Power Inverter do I need to buy. Thank you.

[@OffGridBasement]

Unfortunately you can't go from solar panels straight to an inverter. Depending on how the panels are wired, it could be way too much voltage. That's why you need a solar charge controller. It regulates the voltage of the panels. I also think you will need a battery bank to constantly pull that much energy. Sorry this isn't what you wanted to hear.

[@AminuIbrahim-e8r]

@@OffGridBasement Yes. But thanks anyway. I appreciate it.

[@jensschroder8214]

Ë = It is used to indicate that the E is to be pronounced separately from the preceding vowel

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you for the info and the comment.

[@timbookedtwo2375]

Induction motors, like a fridge compressor, do not like modified sine wave power. In fact, they can be damaged if the modified sine wave inverter is used for a long time. Also, having the lights and display in the fridge turn on is not proof that the inverter is capable of powering the fridge. Will the compressor work? THAT is the question.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thanks for the information and the comment.

[@candi-qy6bk]

I have 1000 W inverter sometimes it runs my fridge sometimes it doesn’t. What does that mean?

[@OffGridBasement]

it's probably the initial amperage draw of the fridge. It might be overpowering your inverter.

[@TinkerbatTech]

That blue inverter is sick. Should be able to put out a real consistent voltage under the loads you are running. It's a bit tricky to compare directly a PSW and an MSW inverter's efficiency . An MSW tends to draw less standby, but it's output power can cause issues with many devices. BTW, my cheap modern refer pulls about 100W after starting, unless it's in defrost cycle, in which case it's about 400W. (but I don't think the compressor's running, just a heating element.) I'm running it on an Ideaplay 2000WH 'solar' generator pack. It's good for about 40-50 hours runtime, depending n temps and how often I run the coffee maker and microwave from it. (High loads, but short duration). The rest of the house (LED lighting, computer/internet/cell site/50"TV routers, CCTV sys, CPAP and electric blanket) runs from a 400W (Soon to be 800W) sine wave computer UPS that is powered by about 7kWh worth of 36V Li-ion recycled scooter batteries. In the mountains and lose power quite often, sometimes several days. Too many trees for solar, use a couple different (1800W and 3000W) inverter generators to charge up things if it's staying down for awhile. (See my channel's couple vids about the cobbled up system and what happens when you drive a drywall screw into a scooter battery pack..:) When I lost utility power for a couple years back a ways, I used a 12V system with a modified APC ups to run the house lights, laptop, internet, TV and so on. A trick I used for a really low draw refer setup was one of the bigger (11CF?) chest freezers hooked to a 3000W low frequency PSW monster inverter that pulled about 30W standby. The real trick was using a cheap electronic thermostat in the freezer set to maintain 36ish F temps. The freezer 'stat was just left in the middle. The new thermostat was wired into monster inverter's trigger input and in line with it's power cord, also plugged into the big inverter. Normally, the inverter was entirely off and only used for microwave, coffee and the creek water pump. If the freezer/refer needed to run, tho, it would fire up the inverter and connect the compressor in until it hit temp again, then completely shut down. (Unless the inverter was on for other items.) As a chest freezer's the least lossy type of refrigeration when opened, and it's insulated for much lower temps, I didn't even see a loss of battery run time, compared to the lower but longer loads from the UPS draw. (Freezer draws about 80W once it's running stable. Big start kick, tho.) Anyway, this is just a bit of out of the box thinking stuff to really tighten up your losses and be able to have the low loss situation (400W UPS always on) and the big daddy power when needed without having to waste the standby current. Most larger inverters have these trigger (remote) inputs to make this easier. Sorry for the ramble but battery/emergency/cheap power's kinda my thing. (40+ years messing with such, 20 years UPS/Standby power systems at a large international airport and 50+ years as an electronic tech/hobbyist, now building/testing/repairing broadcast electronics. And living in a redwood forest...) Take care, keep on creating! Blessings, Stu

[@OffGridBasement]

Wow Stu! Thank you for all of the great info and background of your knowledge and situation. I will definitely check out your channel. What is the name? Screw through battery = not good! I do admit the fridge test in this video wasn't the best, but at least it makes people think. Thanks again! PS. The blue inverter had a blown capacitor. ALFFAA sent me a new one under warranty.

[@rattech]

Good video, its a damn shame the larger ones use so much standby. 60w X 24hrs a day is 1440 watt hours a day. A 12v Lead acid battery with 110ah only has 1320 watt hours of capacity. So that inverter uses more capacity per day, than an entire 110ah battery has, just on standby. Pretty terrible. The reason you had no trouble with the refrigerator starting this time is that it had just been running a few seconds/minutes before. Fridges cycle on and off every XX minutes. That pause of XX minutes lets the refrigerant drain back and pool in the compressor. Then when it wants to kick on next time, its got more refrigerant to pump against which puts more load on it = more start up current required = inverter goes into overcurrent protect. Also the start capacitor needs charging. So turning it on once, will charge it, but it might go into over current protect (because the start cap and the compressor are both drawing high current). But now the capacitor is charged, the next time you plug it in, the capacitor can do its job and help start the compressor going. I learned this because I've been trying to get my 600w / 1200w peak pure sine wave inverter to run my mini fridge. When I first plug it in, the compressor tries to spin, it goes into fault mode and then if I try a few more times the compressor will start spinning and it wont go into fault mode. That and the obvious fact its an inductive load which inverters hate. I've used an AC soft starter relay module with moderate success. Prior to using one my 600w inverter wouldnt run the fridge at all, it would go into fault no matter what. With the soft starter between the inverter and fridge, the inverter still beeps at me to say its not happy, but after a few seconds it stops crying and runs the fridge fine.

[@OffGridBasement]

Thank you so much for all of the great information!

[@TP_LANDSCAPE_PHOTOGRAPHY]

Hi Let me make this clear and I hope you respond I have just bought 2 x 2000 w KRIEGER INVERTERS Plugged them onto 6 x 1000 ah connected in series at home and one blew up the other does not even work as it should WHY ? What size Inverter should you have if say the Voltage I tested says 64 VOLTS From the Solar to the Battery readings ? get back t o me please ASAP Troy

[@OffGridBasement]

Troy, what is the voltage on the Krieger Inverters? I'm guessing they are 12v inverters. That would mean you need to connect all of your batteries in PARALLEL, not series. Disconnect all the batteries and start over by connecting them in parallel. That should give you around 13ish volts. Do you have a solar charge controller?

[@TP_LANDSCAPE_PHOTOGRAPHY]

@@OffGridBasement Good evening this is Troy thank you so much for the advice - Gosh I spent load s of time on the batteries today thinking that I eventually got it right - Q - why should it matter in parallel or series I understand in parallel the voltage stays the same like you said 12 or 13 I don't really get the series situation but can you not use a voltage reducer to reduce the voltage to 12 volts instead of ripping it all apart again I have a transformer which could reduce 240 volts down to 12 volts ? Or you think just do what you said put them all in parallel many thanks Troy let me know

[@OffGridBasement]

I believe with the transformer you would lose some energy due to conversion and heat. It would be better to just rewire. Here is the difference between parallel and series connection in your situation: *This is based on 6 - 12v 100ah batteries* - Series connection: You will multiple the number of batteries by the voltage of each battery. 6 * 12v = 72v @ 100ah. - Parallel Connection: You multiple the number of batteries by the amp hours of each battery. 6 * 100ah = 12v @ 600ah Either way you are getting 7200watt hours of energy. The thing is you need to make sure to wire the batteries to a voltage that your inverter is set to. If you have a 12v inverter, you need to wire the batteries accordingly to get the same voltage. It's the same with the solar controller. If you bought a 24v inverter you would wire them 2 by 2 by 2. That means having 3 sets of 2 batteries in series, then wiring the sets into parallel. I hope this helps!

[@TP_LANDSCAPE_PHOTOGRAPHY]

@@OffGridBasement hi this is Troy thank you very much for your help this evening I have listened to what you have said and I would do that tomorrow and I will retry the inverter before I send it back to Amazon have a good evening Troy

[@ericklein5097]

Does the 1500W Alfaa say 98% efficient specifically for standby? Or is it trying to imply 98% inverter efficiency at a certain load? Does it make any claims for efficiency at 50% load or anything like that? I think most high frequency inverters (in the 1kw to 3kw range) are in the mid to high 80's when they have a decent load on them, low 80's when they have a small load on them.

[@OffGridBasement]

98% is with no load. I believe you are correct about 80+% on a decent load. Thanks for the comment.

[@jimw7ry]

No current draw on the yellow inverter... Please???

[@OffGridBasement]

I know. Not the best test.

[@dougprentice1363]

Light on in fridge doesnt mean the inverter handled the surge when the compressor comes on. I wish i could find info on what I could buy the would run a fridge.

[@OffGridBasement]

I've done other videos about the fridge using a 1500w inverter. I honestly don't know what the minimum would be. It depends on the amperage output of the fridge. You would then triple that and multiple it by the voltage to get the wattage needed for start up.

[@josepeixoto3384]

how do you measure the standby efficiency, with nothing being fed on the output? efficiency is out/in, not zero/ in 18.20

[@OffGridBasement]

I figured it to be the power it took to run the unit without a load. I guess I should measure in increments to see the losses in incremental steps of power. Thanks for the info.

[@cant-cook-can-cook]

Great video.

[@OffGridBasement]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@atburke6258]

Sir: I still think you have equipment problems ie. the blue 1500 watt @ low output voltage. A T Burke

[@OffGridBasement]

I do. I have a video coming out showing why the ALFFAA inverter has low voltage.

[@atburke6258]

@@OffGridBasement Good deal. I'll bet someone else is having he very same problem and will have a chance to see the fix. A T Burke

[@rayberger2694]

What does the data plate inside the refrigerator say is the amp draw of the compressor ? There is at least two reading you should pay attention to. The FLA or Full Load Amps, and RLA Running load Amps. In my cabin I have a very basic GE 6 cubic foot refrigerator and it draws between 150 to 160 watts, No extras, it runs (The Compressor) about 5 minutes on and 15 minutes off every twenty minutes. Again what does the data plate say ? all appliances in the US must have a data plate.

[@OffGridBasement]

It really doesn't matter because the test is no good. I didn't wait for the compressor to turn on for each inverter.

[@rayberger2694]

@@OffGridBasement Ok, No worries we all live and learn.

[@heroesandzeros7802]

Was the refrigerator compressor coming on during each test?

[@OffGridBasement]

I don't think so. I didn't run the inverters for long enough.