Forum Discussion

LastOfTheBohica's avatar
Apr 27, 2014

Anyone here ever heard of Sunforce Inverters

I had posted a while back about a large solar install. Unfortunately, dollars and complexity killed that dream off for now. I am sure technology will catch up and permit what I had originally thought up.

I purchased a Go-Power 120 watt portable solar panel kit. It worked great keeping my one 12 volt battery charged for our limited dry camping.

I am looking at a Sunforce 2000 Watt Pure Sine inverter from Costco. As well, I will beefing up the battery bank. (4 x GC2 Interstate Batteries).

Has anyone here every heard any feedback on these inverters?
  • With just a 120w panel you may get behind the curve a bit on battery charge.
    Go for it and keep in mind you may need to expand the solar.
    Keurig is available as low as 700 watts (K130) if a 1000w inverter would be easier.
  • LastOfTheBohicans wrote:
    Ok dropping out the coffee maker is pure sacrilege in my family.
    Don't blame you there. No way I'm gonna go outside and fire up a gen to make coffee.

    But you will need more battery.
  • Hi,

    If you drop out the coffee machine a 300 watt pure sine wave will "do the deed".

    Sunforce gets poor reviews in general.
  • I have gone away from my original rewire the entire trailer to run from the inverter philosophy.

    I was looking at this inverter to only run a tv, bluray player and a coffee machine.

    It was pretty inexpensive from Costco with a remote switch and a keyfob.
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    Have you thought out what happens when you draw 2000WATTS from an INVERTER connected to your battery setup...

    The INVERTER will draw somewhere around 12.3VDC@162AMPS from your battery bank. The big question I would think is how long will my battery bank produce 12.3VDC with that load on them...

    The specs says it will produce 12VDC@20AMPS load for 447 minutes (7.5HRS) for two GC2 batteries connected in series. Having two groups of these batteries will increase that to 894 minutes (15HRS). This is ONLY for 20AMPS drain from your batteries. You need to find out what happens when you pull 175AMPS of DC current from your battery bank before your Inverter kicks off-line when the DC voltage drops below 11VDC.

    The only experience I have had first hand was pulling 1500WATTS from a single 105AH 12VDC battery and it only lasted about 12 minutes. This was with a rental car with the motor running. It killed the alternator as well...

    I'm thinking if you want to pull a total 2000WATTS continuously you will need alot more batteries in your setup... If you are going to use your 2000WATT Inverter for maybe some 300-400WATT combined loads it will be a different story.

    Might want to talk with the guys that live 24/7 off the power grids in their motorhomes and see how big their battery banks are to survive on...

    Large WATTAGE Inverters are very very battery hungry.

    Just saying...
    Roy Ken
  • I guess search is my friend.

    I had never see this name come up in my solar investigation.

    MOD: This can be closed.