Sine Wave Inverter Anomaly

Gdetrailer wrote:
The more expensive BTL inverters will include a high frequency transformer in the high voltage chopper circuit which allows the output stage of the inverter to be "bondable" to the equipment ground.

If you take a inverter which uses BTL output without an isolated 12V input and SHORT one of the output lines to the battery ground you now only have 60V AND often the inverter has a meltdown..

If the manual does not specifically state that you CAN BOND the neutral to equipment ground then you better NOT bond.

While this is an interesting technical explanation for those of us interested in understanding the "why" your admonition overlooks a couple of important points - first, that we as consumers have a choice in whether or not to bond. In my case I did not because the load itself, in my case the trailer, automatically provided that bond simply by plugging it's main service cable into the inverter. I only became aware of this floating neutral because I took the time to first check the inverter output with a polarity checker before plugging in, then followed up with DVM measurements to confirm what the checker was telling me - but really, how many consumers would do that with a product designed to be sold to the mass market? ... probably close to zero. Secondly, checking an owner's manual which is written for the masses and includes little technical information achieves nothing ... these are price point inverters, sold by big box stores staffed by clerks who wouldn't have a clue as to how these things are designed, built, and intended to be operated, and these owners manuals are written for that level of understanding. That this particular inverter works just fine in my situation tells me, without knowing exactly how it's output stage is designed, that even though it clearly has a floating neutral it does meet the requirements for bonding, otherwise masses of consumers who have no knowledge of nor any interest in any of these details would simply "plug in", expecting the inverter to work, but be enraged to have it go up in smoke and be returning dead units in droves to the retailers, obviously a situation no retailer or manufacturer wants to see. So, while I'm sure we all appreciate you taking the time to offer your technical expertise on the subject your admonitions are IMO unrealistic when we're talking about a product intended to be sold to and used by the mass market which doesn't care about the technicalities and just expects the product to WORK.