Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

[CapLeaker]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

This isn't proper wiring between the battery and the inverter to start with. That's not going to work for too long and not working good at all under heavy loads. Fix that cabling. You really want to put reliable 200A through that?

[budm]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

Looking at those RED and BLACK wires from the batteries, they sure look under rated.

[Behemot]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

for a few minutes...yeah

80Ah battery will work for at least quarter hour at 200 A.

[smorg]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

Very interesting observations, thank you very much!
Guess it's running normally and I'll just have to find other backup solutions for the furnace & water pump.
Thanks again!

[jojo69]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

for a few minutes...yeah

[Behemot]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

I think that 80+ Ah battery would be enough for that…those have strong screw terminals, they can handle 200 A no problem…

[jojo69]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

exactly budm!

OP needs a SERIOUS source of nominal 12VDC to even approach this unit's rating

I suspect if he did build a huge battery bank to run the thing for any length of time he would also have to address supplemental cooling for the inverter as it is clearly only intended to run for a few minutes with the original battery.

[budm]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

If you look at the spec sheet:
Internal battery capacity 51 amp-hours (3 x 17 amp-hour batteries)
Internal battery voltage 12 VDC (nominal)
It uses three 12V batteries rated at 17AH each for total of 51AH (connected in parallel).
So per spec sheet it can continuously put out 120V @12A = 1440 Watts.
So we have 12VDC to power the inverter circuit to create 1440W of power, for the sake of calculation we make it 100% conversion efficiency (which cannot be) that means the current draw from the batteries 120A! (12V x 120A = 1440 WATTS). Can it actually do that?
I do not see run time rating at full load.
It shows Microwave 920W for 12 minutes.

[jojo69]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

Marketing error/ploy?

or as Dave Jones over at EEVBlog calls it "marketing wank"

Yes OP, the length of the wires is very much a factor when trying to move very high currents like this, as is the contact area of the actual connections.

The good news is that your inverter is very probably just fine, you just need to build a solid, dedicated battery bank to power it.

[budm]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

Continuous rating is only 1440 W per user manual.
'Not sure how to reconcile that with it's claims of handling 1800W continuous.' Marketing error/ploy?

[smorg]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

The Owner's Guide specifies a "low battery shutdown" voltage of 10.5 V (nominal).

That is interesting. Seems to indicate that the unit is operating normally then?
Not sure how to reconcile that with it's claims of handling 1800W continuous.
The built in terminal cables don't seem that much more substantial than my booster cables (but much shorter obviously).
Perhaps that's the limiting factor?
Thank you all, for your input!

[fzabkar]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

The Owner's Guide specifies a "low battery shutdown" voltage of 10.5 V (nominal).

[smorg]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

Tried retesting the 900w heater, dropped from 13.7 volts to 10.7 then cut out.
Checked the 10yr old batteries after an hour on the car and they measured 5.5 volts.
Thanks!

[jojo69]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

recommend you stop playing like this, you risk overloading your vehicle alternator or melting those little jumpers

this inverter requires a serious source of 12V for large loads

I think the inverter is fine, you need to invest in a way to feed it.

[smorg]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

Hi Thanks for your messages.
Yes, the batteries seem to be dead, understandable since they are 10 years old.
Yesterday, tried plugging in the 900W heater with voltmeter attached and watched it drop from 13.5 to about 10.3 before overload cutoff.
Today, tried it again (in light rain) and -Surprise!- the heater ran without overloading the box. Didn't get the volt reading though - will try again later.
Thanks again.

[jojo69]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

get those dead batteries out of it and recycle them down at the port

I believe that the poor contacts and small diameter wires you are connecting to your 12VDC source are insufficient for your load. You need some heavy cabling for this, heavy and short as possible with solid contacts

For a 900W load you would be pulling 75A at 12V f the inverter were 100% efficient, which it is not. Probably need closer to 100A...your toy jumper cables just aren't going to do that mate. And that is assuming that your vehicle alternator can make that, which I doubt.

[budm]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

'I'm hoping to find a bit of specific advice on a Noma-branded Xantrex Powersource 1800 battery backup.
It's an old unit, with maybe 10yrs service as a sump pump backup, so the batteries inside are not holding a charge anymore' So the batteries (3) are 10 years old?

[Behemot]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

If I understand it correctly, the battery reads 0.1 V? I guess it is completelly dead. Seems like some cell went bad and now there is discontinuity so it reads as 0.

[smorg]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

Hi thanks for the replies!
With the booster cables attached and the car running the battery reads 13.5V.
Once disconnected, it drops to 0.1.
As soon as the 900W is connected there is an overload error.
I'll have to check again to see if there is a visible voltage drop before the unit shuts off.
Thanks!

[Behemot]

Re: Xantrex Powersouce 1800 Overloading (Error E03)

Thanks for the tips on caps brands.
I understand that non-sine AC is hard on motors, but we're just looking for temporary backup for our home's main systems like water, heat, etc. in case of an outage.

It's hard on both systems, UPS generaly don't like inductive load unless they are somewhat built for that. It may very well have killed it. But yeah, what's the state of the batt?