Inverter question

drgolfer

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Aug 16, 2005
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First of all what size should i be looking for when purchasing an inverter. I would need something that could power a handful of bulbs, say 5, a few portable fans, say 3, and maybe 3 televisions. What should be the general size needed for something like that? How many batteries would be needed? Is it worth purchasing in the states and bringing over on one of my trips, quality and price wise? Living in Santo Domingo, beginning of Charles De Gaulle, lately the power has been awful. Got to get something for the winter when i live there for 5 month period. Appreciate the help.
 

jalencastro

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Dec 15, 2004
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are you SURE this is all you will be powering? stick to buying all the equipment in DR, forget about bringing over any batteries from the states. i was just at a hotel close to carretera mella and charles de gaulle, you can get batteries cheaper up in the Villa Mella center and your inversor....it doesnt seem like you need much from your description but just make sure you arent plugging anything else into it, my guess 2 batteries tops, but im no electrician....
 

DominicanBilly

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Mar 9, 2005
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Are you sure you don't want to power your refrigerator?
How many hours of street power are they providing in your location?

From what I see so far, I would suggest a Xantrex (formerly Trace) 1.5 KW inverter at least 4 batteries, depending upon your budget and the duration of your blackouts. If you only had short blackouts, you could get by with a 2 battery system, but it would be a frugal existence for sure.

Try and get a better brand of deep cycle batteries such as Trojan or US Battery.

Have the inverter properly set up for the proper charge rates for the capacity of the batteries and have battery discharge protection mode on. Equalize once per month and check the water levels and top off with distilled water to cover the plates when needed.

I have a 1.5 kw inverter and 4 batteries and keeps my 2 tv's, computer, lighting and 3 fans working for up to 6 hours. Now of course not everything is on all the time or at the same time. With a 2.5 kw inverter you can keep the fridge on as well but I find it's not necessary to have it on the inverter just keep the door closed.
 
Feb 7, 2007
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Calculate the wattage of all the appliances and add 30%. I have 1.5 kw w/2 batteries @ 225 amph and can run 7 bulbs, 2 tvs, a fan, computer, printer, dvd, modem, router, voip terminal, cellphone chargers, etc. for 24 hours.
 

tee

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Sep 14, 2007
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A 2.5 KW Trace inverter costs about 14,500 pesos new. A 3.6 KW trace inverter cost 18,500 pesos new...at least here on the north coast. You can get Everyready batteries in Pricemart in Santiago for 3,800 pesos each.
I have a 1.8 KW with 4 batteries and it is sufficient enough for about 36 hours, but obviously not with everything running at the same time.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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A 2.5 KW Trace inverter costs about 14,500 pesos new. A 3.6 KW trace inverter cost 18,500 pesos new...at least here on the north coast. You can get Everyready batteries in Pricemart in Santiago for 3,800 pesos each.
I have a 1.8 KW with 4 batteries and it is sufficient enough for about 36 hours, but obviously not with everything running at the same time.

That price for a Trace 3.6 KW Inverter seems extremely LOW!

April, 2007 Prices

I have had a 3.6 kw Inverter for 10 years now, and NO PROBLEMS.....

Square Wave Inverters:

0.5 kw - $11,200 pesos
1.0 kw - $14,000 pesos
1.5 kw - $25,300 pesos
2.4 kw - $29,900 pesos
3.6 kw - $38,000 pesos

Sine Wave Inverters:

4.0 kw -- $92,300 pesos
5.5 kw - $115,200 pesos





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tee

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Sep 14, 2007
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Tell me about it...we had two separate people from our office double check yesterday for these prices....and both quotes were the same.
 

SantiagoDR

The "REAL" SantiagoDR
Jan 12, 2006
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Tell me about it...we had two separate people from our office double check yesterday for these prices....and both quotes were the same.

Then I would guess they are perhaps stolen, computer inventory pricing error, or clones (Using Trace's Name).




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socuban

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Nov 24, 2002
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Some fun I was having calculating usage

if the juicy juice went out for 5 hours;
 
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karlheinz

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Oct 2, 2006
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recharging

I'm getting ready to return for the winter, the apartment owned by a friend has frequent outages even though they are only 5-6 blocks from the Presidents Palace (different circuit i guess). Anyway, i'm wondering what most people do to recharge their batteries? Use the inverter charger? Solar? Wind?

It seems to me that a wind generator mounted atop the houe, perhaps combined with 2-4 solar panels of say 300W each, could almost take the house off the grid.

Since the biggest power hogs are refrigerators, perhaps a switchover to propane powered instead would be more economical.

I ran a small reefer, TV, dish receiver, laptop computer and fans totally off DC power while living on a sailboat in the Fl. Keys. The combined solar and wind kept the batteries going for months. Noting that the total output of the wind generator was about 5-10 amps/hr and combined with the two 300 w solar cells kept a bank of 4 heavy-duty deep cycle "scrubber" batteries going well. I believe it had a total amp capacity of 815 amp hrs.
 

drgolfer

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Aug 16, 2005
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I guess it would depend on what I have whether the refrig was hooked up or not. I live close enough to La Sirena, that daily trips are the norm. Lets say yes, I will hook the refrig up, 5 bulbs, 3 televisions, and 3 fans, thats all I think I would be using. 2.5 KW is needed? with 4-8 batteries? I live right at the beginning of Charles de Gaulle if coming from the autopista that runs by the airport. The power went out daily from 3-9 hours span. ALOT more than what I experienced in Boca Chica the past 8 years. Is the consensus here that purchasing an inverter here in the U.S. would not be a major savings or better quality? Thanks again you all......lots of info.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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Didn't read the whole thread but what I see the Op can get away with a 2 kilo watt inverter but to be on the safe side, stick to 3.6k. 4 batteries will provide plenty of juice for a few hours of blackout. i would use all low wattage bulbs and leave the fridge out of the circuit. I have left all wall outlets out of the circuits so no one can connect a toaster or a hairdryer by mistake and do potential harm to my inverter (2K watt).
call eddy in SD 809 304 5003 cell or 809 686 4241 office. His name is eddy and he speaks very good english. I have 2 of his units and for 8 years i am problem free.

Now 18K for a 3.6k inverter seems reasonable because this unit comes without warranty. Now there is a new trend of selling mass quantity of inverters without warranty for cheaper prices. I can get one 3.6k for around this price as well but without warranty. they all use copy of Triplite rojo brand motherboard in the locally made inverters. This board works just fine.
Eddy seems to use his own designed motherboards and from reading the specs, it seems its virtually impossible to burn his inverters with a heavy load. the board just turns off and then can be setted with a reset button. It even works in areas where the street voltage is below 110 volts.
AZB
 

Danny W

Bronze
Mar 1, 2003
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About 5 years ago we bought a Trace with 4 batteries from MrMike. We ran a medium sized refrigerator, tv, 4 lightbulbs and even used the microwave occasionally - and got about 8 straight hours.

last year we bought a no-name inverter from Freddy Multiservice with 4 batteries and we get about 2 hours running maybe 2 lightbulbs and a tv - nothing else.

I'm an ignoramus when it comes to these things, but when I move into my new house I'm going back to Trace, and I am going to make sure that my batteries are top of the line.

-D
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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About 5 years ago we bought a Trace with 4 batteries from MrMike. We ran a medium sized refrigerator, tv, 4 lightbulbs and even used the microwave occasionally - and got about 8 straight hours.

last year we bought a no-name inverter from Freddy Multiservice with 4 batteries and we get about 2 hours running maybe 2 lightbulbs and a tv - nothing else.

I'm an ignoramus when it comes to these things, but when I move into my new house I'm going back to Trace, and I am going to make sure that my batteries are top of the line.

-D

it has nothing to do with brand, your Tv and appliances don't know where they are getting the square wave voltage from. They can care less.
The problem you had with your local brand inverter is that you either didn't have it adjusted right for maximum charge voltage or the batteries were weak to begin with.
What happens is that inverters have to be set to charge the batteries to certain voltage and then the cut off the charger. if the charger in inverter is off and adjusted to charge the batteries to 11 volts then the batteries will not charge to full capacity and thus the inverter will only last 2 hours. The adjustment in inverter is small, like 3 minute work by a tech and then it works like a charm.
My inverters are local brand and I get the same service out of them as trace would supply. My 2 batteries last more then 7 hours in my house.
AZB
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
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Many locally made inverters do not have the same adjust ability that a Trace inverter has for battery type, charge rate, discharge protection, under voltage settings,etc. Some do. If you don't want to spend the price for the Trace/Xantrex, at least get one that is a close copy with those adjustments on the front panel.

I have heard ceiling fans running when powered by one brand of locally made inverter at a neighbors house. The buzzing sound was about 10 times louder running on that square wave than the sound my fans make running using the Trace DR series. They were having trouble sleeping the sound was so loud. In that case, all square wave outputs were not created equal.

Inverluz in Moca sells their own brand of inverter that seems to be very well designed, but I don't have personal experience using them since I have only used Trace units. Inverluz is very good at repairing inverters from various companies..
I agree with you on most of what you have said above but when it comes to fan noise, i would like to add this: not all fans make the same noise when connected to inverters. i have fans in my house that make various level of noises when connected to the same inverter. one fan in guest room makes helicopter noise while the one in my bedroom is almost quiet. 2 fans, same brand are connected to my inverter in my office. one makes far louder noise than the other. So it depends on the fan as well.
Eddy's inverters in Sd are designed to be used in DR. They have over load protection so you can virtually put a short on the output the inverter simply shuts down, doesn't burn. It also has low input voltage, meaning if the street voltage is between 90-120 volts a/c it will run just fine. i would like to see trace do that if the incoming voltage is 90 volts a/c as it has been measured in many parts of this island (remote places).
I suggest you get trace if you have the cash but let me tell you, the local brands have also done their homework. they work just fine as well.
AZB
 

SKY

Gold
Apr 11, 2004
13,450
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A German electrician friend of mine who has been working on the North Coast for 15 years advised me to buy nothing but a Trace, regardless of price. He is well known in the area, and considered by many as the best electrician here.

I will not mention his name as he has no time anyway for more business, but many on this forum know him.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
of course trace is the best but what about the local brand that we have been using for many years without problems? You folks always follow a straight line. There is more to life than buying trace inverters. We , the residents in DR, are not so stupid. Our inverters work fine and will work fine for many years to come. You want to have trace brand, go get it but trace is not the only brand that works good. Mine works just as good as trace and my TV and PC doesn't complain.
AZB