Axpert invertors

DollyAAAA said:
I've also installed the Axpert KS-2KVA with 2 x 102Ah Deltec deep cycle batteries in series. Does its thing quite admirably.

This thread got me thinking, last night I measured the AC voltage between Earth & Live and Earth & Neutral, while operating in battery mode (isolated inverter input with DP isolator). Got ~85V between Earth & Neutral and ~140 between Earth & Live on the output. Measured with a DMM.

Does this imply that the neutral is floating, i.e. not bonded internally? Do I need better test equipment? Do I need to/can you bond the neutral and earth on this unit?
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I get similar values. So yes - floating neutral.
 
Quote Originally Posted by DollyAAAA
I've also installed the Axpert KS-2KVA with 2 x 102Ah Deltec deep cycle batteries in series. Does its thing quite admirably.

This thread got me thinking, last night I measured the AC voltage between Earth & Live and Earth & Neutral, while operating in battery mode (isolated inverter input with DP isolator). Got ~85V between Earth & Neutral and ~140 between Earth & Live on the output. Measured with a DMM.

Does this imply that the neutral is floating, i.e. not bonded internally? Do I need better test equipment? Do I need to/can you bond the neutral and earth on this unit?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Whats the answer to that?
 
It looks like Chris has tied his neutral to earth, as described in one of the earlier posts. Just need to verify that his Inverter is also an Axpert unit...
 
joeyhza said:
Does this imply that the neutral is floating, i.e. not bonded internally? Do I need better test equipment? Do I need to/can you bond the neutral and earth on this unit?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Whats the answer to that?
Click to expand...

Best of luck to you. I (and I honest to g*d hope the rest of the community that has a clue), WILL NOT support and assist you in getting your Mecer inverter connected into your DB. You clearly do not understand what you are doing, the implications of what you are doing, nor the huge safety risk of what you have already done. Best of luck to your dead man's cables - I will have no part in such careless and reckless installations.

greg_SA said:
It looks like Chris has tied his neutral to earth, as described in one of the earlier posts. Just need to verify that his Inverter is also an Axpert unit...
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It is (5KVA) - soon to be replaced by an Infini, but I'm pretty sure the issues will be the same as they're manufactured by the same company.
 
Dead mans cable? You keep referring to it in that sense. My setup certainly is not a dead mans cable. There is a transfer switch between the inverter and the DB and Eksom and the DB. How is that a dead mans cable? In other words - when the switch is in a certain position - it only uses power from the inverter when in the other position it only uses power from the mains?

This sort of configuration is actually well documented and well within the limits. I dont see where the danger is. What implications are you referring to?
 
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DollyAAAA said:
Yes, don't want to try and do that and smoke it... :wtf:
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There's absolutely nothing wrong or dangerous with doing this (as long as your inverter is not behind a E/L). I need to run out in a few minutes, so don't have the time now. I'll post something about this (and why) a bit later. Neutral + Earth, must be bonded. Hint - look at this from a generation point of view, not a distribution point of view. When you are in Battery / PV mode, your inverter is a GENERATOR.
 
savage said:
There's absolutely nothing wrong or dangerous with doing this (as long as your inverter is not behind a E/L). I need to run out in a few minutes, so don't have the time now. I'll post something about this (and why) a bit later. Neutral + Earth, must be bonded. Hint - look at this from a generation point of view, not a distribution point of view. When you are in Battery / PV mode, your inverter is a GENERATOR.
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I am completely with you on this, no question. My only concern was that I have heard of lesser inverters (typically transformerless types) that do not like their neutral tied to earth for some reason. I wasn't sure if the Axpert belonged to this group.
 
FNfal said:
http://www.comx-computers.co.za/RCT-AXPERT-5K-RCT-5000VA-4000W-Inverter-Charger-Buy-p-91891.php
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That's a fair price, but they get their supplies from Rectron who has >3000 units on back order already. They are clearly quite popular.

Also note that there's a lot of incorrect information on the Com-X page, likely the result of a bad copy&paste job. Like the parallel card - there's no such thing, the 5kVA unit has the interconnect and sync cables included. Also, further down they refer to specs of the 3kVA unit (eg. for the battery voltage and max PV count). Rather get the precise specs and manual from the source:

http://www.voltronicpower.com/oCart2/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=132

--deckert
 
Hi all; has anyone bought any inverters from www.ecotrades.co.za looks like a re-branded Axpert 5kva; what is very interesting is that they still sell an option with pre-wired Inverters on a board complete with trip switches and fuses.
 
savage said:
There's absolutely nothing wrong or dangerous with doing this (as long as your inverter is not behind a E/L). I need to run out in a few minutes, so don't have the time now. I'll post something about this (and why) a bit later. Neutral + Earth, must be bonded. Hint - look at this from a generation point of view, not a distribution point of view. When you are in Battery / PV mode, your inverter is a GENERATOR.
Click to expand...

Only risk I can see is that the UPS itself isn't E/L protected. So if something fails in the UPS (which has a metal case), you could shock yourself?
 
Just checked with Rectron ... the back orders on these units are unbelievable. Any orders placed today will only be fulfilled sometime in August. :eek:

.... can help out :whistle:
 
The case should be earthed too. Then if something go wrong in a big enough way, your main breaker will go. If it goes wrong in a smaller way, you will just run up a fat electricity bill. :)

On the Infinisolar the case is tied internally to the earth connectors, so I would assume for the Axpert it will be the same. If it isn't just earth it somewhere.
 
greg_SA said:
Only risk I can see is that the UPS itself isn't E/L protected. So if something fails in the UPS (which has a metal case), you could shock yourself?
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The same argument can be made for stoves and geysers, which are not required to be protected by earth leakage. The metal body of the device should be earthed, so that at least the circuit breaker will trip when a live wire comes into contact with the metal body. Otherwise, the live wire will cause the metal body to become live and dangerous to touch if you happen to be grounded.
 
Yep, agreed... The setup that Chris suggests makes the most sense.

It is just strange that the SANS diagrams show the UPS powered from an E/L. Hope that they don't insist on this for a COC.
 
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