Xantrex RV2012GS Owner's Manual

Also see for RV2012GS: Owner's manual

Contents

Xantrex RV2012GS Owner's Manual Manual pdf 43 page image

Powering Loads975-0209-01-01 3–3When in the search sense mode, the green power LED will blink and the inverterwill make a ticking sound. At full output voltage, the green power LED will lightsteadily and the inverter will make a steady humming sound. When the inverter isused as an “uninterruptible” power supply the search sense mode function shouldbe defeated.A neon-type nightlight can also be used as a good indicator to determine if theinverter is in search sense mode. Simply plug the light into any AC outlet. Whenthe inverter is in the search sense mode the light will blink. If the inverter isrunning a load, the light will be solid.Exceptions Example A If Set Idle is set to detect a 40-watt load and a 30-watt incandescentlight is turned on, the inverter will detect the light. The light is a bigger load than40 watts when its filaments are cold. When the light gets bright the filaments heatup and the light becomes a 30-watt load. Since this is below the Set Idle setting of40, the inverter will not detect it and the light will go out, beginning the process allover again.Example B If the Set Idle is set to detect a 30-watt load and a 40-wattfluorescent light is turned on, the inverter will not detect the light. The lightpresents a smaller load than 30 watts until the gas in the fluorescent tube ionizes.Example C There are some appliances that draw power even though they areturned off. TVs with instant-on circuits, microwave ovens with digital displaysand VCRs are examples. These loads present a dilemma. If the sensitivity is sethigher than the combination of these loads, then an auxiliary load must be used tobring the inverter out of the search sense mode before the appliances can be turnedon. If the sensitivity is set lower than this combination of loads, the loads will beleft on and will put an additional drain on the batteries. (Three such 15-watt loadswould amount to an additional 90 amp hours per 24 hours in a 12 Vdc system.)One solution is to turn these items off at the wall. Use an extension cord with arocker switch, a switch at the outlet, or the appropriate circuit breaker.Powering LoadsResistive LoadsThese are the loads that the inverter finds the simplest and most efficient to drive.Voltage and current are in phase, or, in this case, in step with one another.Resistive loads usually generate heat in order to accomplish their tasks. Toasters,coffee pots and incandescent lights are typical resistive loads. Larger resistiveloads—such as electric stoves and water heaters—are usually impractical to runoff an inverter. Even if the inverter could accommodate the load, the size ofbattery bank required would be impractical.