We have a Hunter 430 in the UK with the 220 volt Grunert fridge which runs fine on shore power. However when run off the invertor (Heart Freedom 20) the fridge fires up ok and then shortly after, the light on the invertor panel heads to the top of the voltage range then flashes on and off next to the 50 aph reading. Then the invertor starts to smell funny (invertor fan running ok. At this point we shut down the system for fear of doing some damage. The batteries are brand new (2 x 4D) Everybody has told us that we should be able to run the fridge on the invertor ok. This happens even with the engine running at high revs. There is no generator on the boat otherwise we would use that. Any help or advice welcome.
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Heart Interface Links
Heart web site: http://www.heartinterface.com/ E-mail address for technical support: techhelp@heartinterface.com The Hart web site has a section for Technical Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) but I didn't spot anything that fit your situation. If something doesn't smell right, as you suspect, it probably isn't right. Is the smell coming from the inverter? The first thing I'd look at is the water heater to ensure it's turned off. The second thing I'd look at are the connections and make sure that they are good and tight. Are the 12volt conductors from the inverter set with set screws and are they good and tight? Ditto shore power connection. Diesel engines cause the boat to vibrate and it's easy for wire connections with set screws to become loose with time. A slightly loose connection will increase resistance and increase heat buildup. Extra caution is advised when working around an inverter because it could be hot.
Heart web site: http://www.heartinterface.com/ E-mail address for technical support: techhelp@heartinterface.com The Hart web site has a section for Technical Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) but I didn't spot anything that fit your situation. If something doesn't smell right, as you suspect, it probably isn't right. Is the smell coming from the inverter? The first thing I'd look at is the water heater to ensure it's turned off. The second thing I'd look at are the connections and make sure that they are good and tight. Are the 12volt conductors from the inverter set with set screws and are they good and tight? Ditto shore power connection. Diesel engines cause the boat to vibrate and it's easy for wire connections with set screws to become loose with time. A slightly loose connection will increase resistance and increase heat buildup. Extra caution is advised when working around an inverter because it could be hot.
Current draw?
Phil, do you know the amp or wattage rating of the refer? The Freedom 20 is a 2000 watt inverter. I have a 110v refrig that draws 1.1 amp. That is a little over 11 amps from the 12V batteries. And converting to watts(volts x amps) we get less than 150. Even a large box should be less than 500 watts at 220V. It seems that the Freedom 20 should easily handle your refer. Even if there are other draws on the battery bank while the refer is on you should have enough inverter capacity. I have to think there is a problem with the inverter, the refer, or the installation. I have never had a problem with the Freedom 20 so I would start with 1) checking all the wiring, especially the grounds, and 2) finding some other A/C appliances to plug in to see if they also cause the problem. If you are handy with instruments you could accurately measure current flow to the refer. Let us know when you find the cause.
Phil, do you know the amp or wattage rating of the refer? The Freedom 20 is a 2000 watt inverter. I have a 110v refrig that draws 1.1 amp. That is a little over 11 amps from the 12V batteries. And converting to watts(volts x amps) we get less than 150. Even a large box should be less than 500 watts at 220V. It seems that the Freedom 20 should easily handle your refer. Even if there are other draws on the battery bank while the refer is on you should have enough inverter capacity. I have to think there is a problem with the inverter, the refer, or the installation. I have never had a problem with the Freedom 20 so I would start with 1) checking all the wiring, especially the grounds, and 2) finding some other A/C appliances to plug in to see if they also cause the problem. If you are handy with instruments you could accurately measure current flow to the refer. Let us know when you find the cause.
430 Fridge
Phil, We have a 430 with the Grunert reefer wired at 120 v and have not had great luck running the fridge through the inverter. Our problem is unless the batteries are topped right up, there is not enough power to meet the surge required to start the fridge. Whenever we are motoring, I will run the fridge through the inverter. Otherwise we rely on shorepower or the genset. Peter Milne S/V Blue Heron
Phil, We have a 430 with the Grunert reefer wired at 120 v and have not had great luck running the fridge through the inverter. Our problem is unless the batteries are topped right up, there is not enough power to meet the surge required to start the fridge. Whenever we are motoring, I will run the fridge through the inverter. Otherwise we rely on shorepower or the genset. Peter Milne S/V Blue Heron
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