Invertor selection

Los Lobos

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Mar 8, 2011
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Which one would be a good choice? I guess I would be running Med size fridge, lights, computer plus home survailence system.


100% Excellent quality.
Power Express Brand (same factory as Coleman)
Unit in a Power Express factory beautiful/colorful gift box
AC power cord (included)
Wireless Remote Control (Transmitter & Receiver) included

The dual power inverter with charger is the combination of inverter and battery charger. They are ideal for places or homes whereby the power supply from the power plant is constantly disrupted from time to time. It is also good to use as emergency power back up from unforeseen happening such as storms, rolling black out & other power outage. This inverter, once set up, will provide you with undisrupted power supply up to 2200W continuous. So that one can continue with his usual living without much hassle.

The dual power inverter will require connections from 1) The AC power input (110/120V AC), usually from your household incoming power line & 2) DC power input (12V DC), usually from your battery bank.

Once Properly connected, the system will automatically sense both inputs. When AC power is available, the system will provide AC power from supply as is up to 2200W. As soon as the power is disrupted, the inverter will immediately activate the system and covert DC power from the battery bank to AC for load usage. Once power is restored, the inverter will go back to AC supply from power line but at the same time charge back the battery to full capacity for the power that has been used up during power outage

Specifications:
Continuous output power: 2200 Watt
Surge Power: 4000 Watt
Output voltage: Dual 110/120V AC RMS +/-5% >li>Frequency: 60Hz
Wave form: Modified sine wave
Efficiency: 85%
DC input: 12 Volt

$345 USD


Or this one

Specifications Output Power
Continuous Output Power: 3000 Watt
Surge Output Power: 6000 Watt
20 Amps Output Charger

AC Input
AC Input Voltage: Four 100/120AC(+15%-25%)
AC Input Frequency: 60Hz+/-3%

Charger Voltage & Current
12V DC system: 13.8V DC 20A

Battery DC Output
12V DC system: 12V DC normal(11-15V) operative

Inverter AC Output
Voltage: 100-120V AC RMS+/-5%
Frequency: 60Hz+/-3%
Wave Form: Pure Regulation Modified Sine Wave
Efficiency: 90%

$450 USD

Thanks for the replies
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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Get the largest size of good quality you can afford. The difference in price between a 2.5 & 3.5 is minimal, and the utility difference is enormous.. Enormous is good.

There are numerous threads on inverters on DR1 with a treasure trove of information. Do some research.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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our inversor runs what you specified plus a bit more. 3.5 kw with 8 batteries. not sure whether that helped.
 

donluis99

Bronze
Jul 12, 2004
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12 VDC 3,000 watt Inverter with a 20 amp charger, no way big cables needed to pull that amperage of a 12 VDC battery bank and a measly little 20 amp charger, not gonna charge the bank in time for the next black out............

logical best choice are only Xantrex/Schneider 2 kw, 3.6 kw, 4.0 kw or 6 kw after that go creole, no with what you are contemplating

g'luck
 

donluis99

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Jul 12, 2004
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Usually we only care about Continuous Duty Wattage, surge wattage is for momentary demands of power, while say starting an angle grinder or drillmotor or even just a fan, or some other rotating device that takes several times running power to just to begin rotating.

If you calculate your wattage required that you want to back up, multiply by a minimum of 1 1/2, that's the size Xantrex/Schneider your going to need and you need not worry about any thing else.

Do not even waste grey matter to be concerned about surge kw.

g'luck

We have a pair of Trace/Xantrex SW5548's going on 10 trouble free years, battery changes every 4 1/2 years, I have a friend who has a 5 kw creole now for 13 years, which amazes me, but he only gets 2 1/2 - 3 years from his batteries, whether lack of proper care or the inverter I can not say, but batteries is expensive even peso exchange 40:1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Ringo

On Vacation!
Mar 6, 2003
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Usually we only care about Continuous Duty Wattage, surge wattage is for momentary demands of power, while say starting an angle grinder or drillmotor or even just a fan, or some other rotating device that takes several times running power to just to begin rotating.

If you calculate your wattage required that you want to back up, multiply by a minimum of 1 1/2, that's the size Xantrex/Schneider your going to need and you need not worry about any thing else.

Do not even waste grey matter to be concerned about surge kw.

g'luck

We have a pair of Trace/Xantrex SW5548's going on 10 trouble free years, battery changes every 4 1/2 years, I have a friend who has a 5 kw creole now for 13 years, which amazes me, but he only gets 2 1/2 - 3 years from his batteries, whether lack of proper care or the inverter I can not say, but batteries is expensive even peso exchange 40:1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I have the same as donluis but only one and it powers all my 120V on our property. Main house and two full guest apartments. Lots of programable options including shutting off the street power when it is dirty and it is full sine wave. We believe that has helped save a lot of electronics from burning up. Mine has run trouble free for over 5 years and I get good life out of my batts. They do not make this model anymore but I saw some in Santiago not to long ago.
 

Los Lobos

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Mar 8, 2011
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Thanks guys. I think with the price of a 4Kw invertor plus batteries I am just going to ship a Generac 8Kw generator down. Comes with 50amp transfer switch and can run on LPG or Natural gas. Will burn 1.73 gallons per hour at full load and .83 gallons at 50%. Price is 2200 and Encargopaq gave me a quote of $500 to ship down and this includes all fees taxes dutys and to my door. At todays exchange rate that comes out to about 110K pesos. Maybe Im crazy but vertime I think it will be better because I dont have to replace batteries. Thanks for all of the replys
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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Thanks guys. I think with the price of a 4Kw invertor plus batteries I am just going to ship a Generac 8Kw generator down. Comes with 50amp transfer switch and can run on LPG or Natural gas. Will burn 1.73 gallons per hour at full load and .83 gallons at 50%. Price is 2200 and Encargopaq gave me a quote of $500 to ship down and this includes all fees taxes dutys and to my door. At todays exchange rate that comes out to about 110K pesos. Maybe Im crazy but vertime I think it will be better because I dont have to replace batteries. Thanks for all of the replys

I would not go this way. I know of two people that had Generac units running on LPG gas right in my neighbourhood. Neither unit lasted a year. Very problematic for both of them.

I would recommend a diesel generator over other types in the DR.

Most people have determined that the first level of back up is a battery inverter system and then you run a generator when that is exhausted. That is normally the best method rather than just have a generator if you have regular blackouts of more than a short period of time. Fuel costs will add up very quickly if you only have a generator.
 

donluis99

Bronze
Jul 12, 2004
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for short term blackouts 4 - 5 hours a Small generator verses inverter with say 8 batteries is no match economically speaking.

First of all the run time of 4 hours per day over 4 years, you'll need 2 gen's so, 8 batteries over 4 years is like 44,000 pesos, 2 gensets even little 8 kw, cost what RD$50,000.00 x 2!!!!

Even with the high cost of electricity being about US$0.27 Kwh, the recharge on the batteries with the inefficiency loss will no doubt be less than propane or diesel, which when I last ran the numbers, diesel was only about 100 peso per gallon and cost to generate on small scale was around US$0.45 per Kwh.

Good to have a generator absolutely, but for long term outages such as storm time, but a good inverter beats all for convienance and cost of operation.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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I only use my Detroit Diesel generator when the batteries die, which is about 8 hours (4 Batteries) which happens a lot these days.
Despite being on an "A" circuit, with "supposed" 24/7 service.
Things "MAY" get better now, for a while, as the government just paid the generating companies 350 million US dollars.
HALF of what they are now owed.
This is what has been going on forever here.
The only way the generators ever get paid, is by not generating.
The people get mad, burn tires, the Gov. says it's due to "Plant Maintenence" (A Lie) and then the Gov. pays a little of what they owe.
"Welcome To Paradise"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wanna ask about the "Water"????????????????????
And, "Oh Yeah!"
Don't bring that generator!
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,087
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I second (Third?) that sentiment. I also had a neighbor who bought one and had it professionally installed, right down to the fenced in structure with a cement floor and all the wiring bells and whistles (and transfer switch).

They had the maintenance folks out almost on a weekly basis.

That Generac is an EMERGENCY generator, it's definitely not a "run every day" generator.

Ya gotta do diesel. As long as you change the oil and filters regularly, they pretty much last forever.

I hope the OP is seeing these replies and does not purchase a Generac for the DR.

(Did anyone ever notice that the Generac units look like the coffin used in the movie,
"The Search for Spock" ? Except the Genrac's are white?

coffin.jpg


mainImageGuardianSeries.jpg
 

jekel35

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Oct 31, 2012
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I know this may be a rather rudimentary question but are invertors setups hard wired into the house or is it plugged in or what? Also, would anyone recommend using a UPS to, lets say keep the computer on long enough to properly shut it down???
 

Los Lobos

New member
Mar 8, 2011
146
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I hope the OP is seeing these replies and does not purchase a Generac for the DR.

(Did anyone ever notice that the Generac units look like the coffin used in the movie,
"The Search for Spock" ? Except the Genrac's are white?

coffin.jpg


mainImageGuardianSeries.jpg

Nope havent done it yet. After some thinking I came to the same conclusions about Generac. For emergencys only a few times a year. Everyday use they wont cut it. My only options are the invertor with a small generator back up or go BIG and do solar. If I can finanacially I would love to go the solar route.
 

Los Lobos

New member
Mar 8, 2011
146
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I only use my Detroit Diesel generator when the batteries die, which is about 8 hours (4 Batteries) which happens a lot these days.
Despite being on an "A" circuit, with "supposed" 24/7 service.
Things "MAY" get better now, for a while, as the government just paid the generating companies 350 million US dollars.
HALF of what they are now owed.
This is what has been going on forever here.
The only way the generators ever get paid, is by not generating.
The people get mad, burn tires, the Gov. says it's due to "Plant Maintenence" (A Lie) and then the Gov. pays a little of what they owe.
"Welcome To Paradise"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wanna ask about the "Water"????????????????????
And, "Oh Yeah!"
Don't bring that generator!

Water??? Thats what wells are for and I even have an old picther pump to use when power goes out but not normally necessary because the pump fills the cistern also.

If at all possible I dont really want to rely on any services rendered by the city.
 

donluis99

Bronze
Jul 12, 2004
721
16
0
Los Lobos

The first thing that will decide what you are going to do is budget, what is your budget, the next the capacity you need or want.

If you want to build up to solar, you can start with an Xantrex XW 4Kw to 6 kw inverter, which will allow you to use presently as a stand alone inverter.

you can expand and add you generator to connect through the Inverter, may need some adjusting to the rated output of the gen. but you will want to adjust it to the maximum the genset can produce, maximizing fuel kw ratio. This will charge your batteries at the same time, then for example if the power continues to be off you pull juice from the battery bank.

Later you can install solar, participate in the net metering program and with the XW you can create a mini-grid, so that even when the power goes out in the street at a clear sky solar noon, you will at least be able to harvest sunlight for you internal use and keep the battery bank charged. You see with grid - connected only your solar electric plant must shut down or instantaneously disconnect from the grid to avoid send electricity out an injuring or killing a electrician that goes to work on the grid and thinks the power is off.

with the mini grid hook up you disconnect and keep reaping the benefits....

g'luck