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SpeakEasy
Explorer
Mar 19, 2020

Inverter Installed - Open Ground?

I finished installing my new Victron 250w 12v inverter. I hard-wired it with direct connections to + and - battery terminals using 9 feet of 8AWG wire. There is a connection point on the inverter for a ground wire. The manual tells me that the "AC outlet is isolated from the DC input and the chassis." (They mean the inverter's chassis, not the trailer.)

My circuit tester registered the AC output as "open ground."

I tried running a ground wire from the inverter's ground connection to the trailer frame, believing the trailer frame to be the ground in this case. The circuit tester still registers "open ground."

First question - is any of this a concern?

Second question - why is it still registering "open ground"?

Third question - if I do need to ground it, how do I do so?

Thanks in advance.

-Speak
  • First question - is any of this a concern?

    YES

    Second question - why is it still registering "open ground"?

    Taken at face value, assume it is because there is still an open ground, from the outlet to the inverter chassis

    Third question - if I do need to ground it, how do I do so?

    Assuming the outlet is fed directly from the inverter with appropriate wiring type such as romex, it is likely there is a ground wire in the romex. Insure the ground wire is attached at both ends, the outlet at one end and the inverter chassis at the other end.
  • I had a 1000w PSW inverter that showed one light for open ground. My MSW inverters showed all three lights. I will check the inverters we have now later.

    My Vector inverter's manual says the chassis ground from lug to trailer frame is just to reduce radio and television interference. Deck mount converters also come with lugs on their chassis,

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