trying to run a chest freezer from an inverter, no luck

CamperMan

Hi,

I have a small chest freezer, in the manual, it says it consumes 150w and mentions 0.65 amps, the problem I am having is the freezer will not run, it starts and stops over and over again, I have tried 2 different inverters, a 300w hooked up to a 12v battery and a 1400w hooked up to a 24v battery bank and still get the same problem, the only way it will start and run is if I have the 2.5 kva generator hooked up to the 1400w inverter.

any ideas?, does the freezer have a big power draw on starting?

2011

any ideas?, does the freezer have a big power draw on starting?

When the compressor starts up it will draw at about 6 to 8 times the full load current. That works out at about 4 A minimum.

This starting current only lasts for a very short time, but the invertor may not be able to respond quickly enough.

Buford T Justice

Depends on the rating of the batteries too. Most modern inverters are fitted with safety circuits now, where they will trip out if the voltage coming from the batter drops too low, so as to not run down the battery its taking the load from. That could be it.

CamperMan

Fingers McGee wrote: »

Depends on the rating of the batteries too. Most modern inverters are fitted with safety circuits now, where they will trip out if the voltage coming from the batter drops too low, so as to not run down the battery its taking the load from. That could be it.

Fingers, I will put some charge to the batteries see if that helps

Buford T Justice

Are the batteries fitted in a van or camper?

If its the engine battery, it could be that it would need the extra support of the juice from the alternator when the engine is running to support it.

If its a leisure battery you are running it off, then make sure its heavy enough to take the max load the inverter will pull. It could be that the inverter is pulling such a load from the battery that its killing the volts momentarily causing the inverter to trip.

CamperMan

Fingers,

it's a bank of batteries, 8 x 6v wired up for 24v, the batteries are 160amp each, wired up like this gives me 320 amp, the batteries read 25 volts with a multimeter

2011

That 25 volts you are measuring is under "no load conditions". I bet it will drop to a far lower value when the freezer compressor kicks in. When the generator is running it can absorb that. I bet you can hear the generator rev as the freezer turns on?

Buford T Justice

CamperMan wrote: »

Fingers,

it's a bank of batteries, 8 x 6v wired up for 24v, the batteries are 160amp each, wired up like this gives me 320 amp, the batteries read 25 volts with a multimeter

Any batteries will easily read over their voltage when there is no load placed against them.

Ar the batteries new? Are they old, and possibly a few dead cells and are shagged?

2011

Any batteries will easily read over their voltage when there is no load placed against them.

This is know as "no load conditions". See post 7 above.

Buford T Justice

2011 wrote: »

This is know as "no load conditions". See post 7 above.

Yes thanks, I did read that from your earlier post.