How to Troubleshoot 12V 700W/1000W/2000W/3000W Pure Sine Wave Inverters?
This document aims to provide users with troubleshooting guidance for common faults of Renogy inverters below:
- 700W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter (SKU: RNG-INVT-700-12V-P2)
- 1000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter (SKU: RNG-INVT-1000-12V-P2)
- 2000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter (SKU: RNG-INVT-2000-12V-P2)
- 3000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter (SKU: RNG-INVT-3000-12V-P2)
- 1000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Power Saving Mode (New Edition) (SKU: R-INVT-PGH1-10111S)
- 2000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Power Saving Mode (New Edition) (SKU: R-INVT-PGH1-20111S)
Inverter Problems
Common problems with inverter chargers include:
- Won't start
- Cycling start
- No output
- GFCI fault
- Insufficient Load Capacity
- Smoke
- Internal Abnormal Sound
Below are some helpful troubleshooting steps for different issues.
Inverter Not Start
Symptom: The inverter does not power up.
Use a multimeter to measure the voltage on the input terminal of the inverter. If the input voltage is lower than 10V, disconnect and recharge the battery. After fully charging the battery, reconnect it to the inverter. If the voltage is 0V, check whether the circuit breaker and fuse are normal, and whether the wiring between the inverter and the battery is correct. If the voltage is normal, turn on the inverter switch. If the Power light does not light up, please contact us.
- When the inverter is powered on, the red fault light is illuminated, a buzzing sound is heard, and then the inverter shuts down.
- Disconnect all loads on the inverter and measure the battery voltage on the input terminal of the inverter during the startup process.
- If the battery voltage is below 11V during this process, check whether the wire gauge is properly sized. If the wire gauge is undersized, replace with correct gauge wire. Next, check whether the battery maximum discharge current is lower than the inverter start current. If the maximum battery discharge current is lower than the inverter start current, you need to increase the size and capacity of your battery bank.
- If the input voltage is higher than 16V, check whether charging equipment connected to the battery is also sending a voltage higher than 16V. If so, disconnect the equipment from the battery.
- Check whether the ambient temperature of the inverter is above 104ºF. If it is, disconnect the loads and allow the inverter to cool.
Cycling Start
Symptom: The inverter is cycling on and off by itself.
- Measure whether the input voltage is within the normal range during the cycle start. If it is within the normal range, the inverter is faulty.
- If the input voltage drops to 0V before shutting down, check whether there is a self-resetting fuse or circuit breaker on the input wire.
- If the input voltage drops significantly before shutdown, check the battery power and whether the maximum continuous discharge current of the battery is greater than the load running current. Running current = load power / conversion efficiency 90% / 12.8 V. If the maximum continuous discharge current is not enough, you need to increase the number of batteries to ensure normal operation; if the maximum continuous discharge current is enough, it may be caused by battery decay or low power.
Symptom: The inverter is on but has no output
If the inverter can start up normally but has no output, measure the voltage on the output terminal or socket. If the voltage is normal, check the output circuit. If there is no voltage, please contact us.
Abnormal Output
If the output voltage, frequency, or other parameters are abnormal, please record the abnormal situation on video and contact us.
GFCI Problem
Symptom: Yellow LED GFCI indicator light is on
- Check if the wiring on the AC terminal load block output L, N, and G are correctly connected. The G and the grounding point of the inverter's case need to be connected to the common grounding point or grounding rod.
- If the current load has GFCI problems on other sockets with GFCI or other loads have GFCI problems on this inverter, please check if the current load has leakage problems.
- If the current load has no GFCI problems on other sockets with GFCI or other loads have GFCI problems on this inverter, please contact us.
Insufficient Load Capacity
Symptom: Inverter is on but not able to start or run a plugged in device.
- Confirm the running power and starting power of the load. For inductive loads, the starting power may exceed three times the rated power, so it is necessary to ensure that the starting power of the load is less than the peak power of the inverter and the running power is less than the rated output power of the inverter.
- Confirm that the specifications of the battery can output sufficient current to operate the load. Check if the voltage and discharge current of the battery can meet the requirements. Assuming the conversion efficiency of the inverter is 90%, the continuous discharge current of the battery required to run a 1000W load is 1000W/90%/12.8V=86.8A. If the battery discharge current is insufficient, the battery voltage will decrease, triggering the undervoltage protection of the inverter.
- Check if the inverter input wire gauge, fuse, and circuit breaker specifications are too small.
- Turn on the inverter, then turn on the load and measure the voltage change process at the input terminals of the inverter. If the battery voltage drops below 11V during this process, please refer to the above points 2 and 3 for troubleshooting. If the battery voltage does not drop below 11V during this process, please contact us.
Smoke
Symptom: Smoke coming from the inverter
- Check if the input voltage exceeds the limit of the inverter. If so, replace the battery with a battery with the correct voltage for the inverter.
- Check if the wiring to the inverter input or output is reversed or short-circuited. If it is, correct the wiring per the instruction manual.
- Check if the inverter output is connected to the same circuit as other power sources. If it is, disconnect the inverter from the circuit. Make sure that only one power source is connected to the circuit.
- Except for the PGH series inverters, the N and G outputs of any inverter cannot be bonded externally.
If none of the above steps resolves the symptom, please contact us.
Internal Abnormal Sound
If there is any abnormal sound or noise during the operation of the inverter, please turn it off, disconnect it, and contact us.