I have a 1500watt HF MSW.I don't use it often, so I am not acquainted will all of its oddities.Last year I tried to use it with my 65w fridge at it would not work (alarm sounded). Although it had no problem with 300w electric heater! I upsized the cables, tested it with the fridge, and it was fine.I pulled it out again last week, and it would not run my mattress pad, which it previously had no problem with. Sometimes it would not even run a 15w heating pad! Other times it would run two of them.All comnections are tight, battery fully charged. Inverter fan is not coming on. Plastic case feels warm in one spot, but not hot.Suggestions? I am baffled.

I assume the alarm was low input voltage.Heating pad controls do not like MSW.At least you saved some money.

You may want to read up on what may happen to things using a MSW verses PSW Power Inverter... It has been my experience that my cheap 750WATT MSW Power Inverter purchased from a local auto parts store is not very user friendly with any thing that has a motor, transformer, or electronics involved. Things that have transformers and motors get very hot in a quick order and makes huming noises.. The two things that I have burned up in my OFF-ROAD trailer using this power inverter was a 20-inch box fan and a controller for a 50WATT lap heating blanket.Seems like the controller went up in blue smoke almost before I plugged it in - I guess it knew what was going to happen haha...After that all I ever use my MSW Power Inverter for is bringing up incandescent light bulbs on the outside of my OFF-ROAD trailer setup. I got the 600WATT PSW AIMS Power Inverter from AMAZON after that and it has performed well since 2009 being my low wattage Plan B duty Power Inverter for all things 120VAC. In 2009 it cost around $159 from AMAZON. I installed this a few feet away from my main Battery swicth and ran two mulit-tap extension cords from it with one going to home entertainment center area and the other one going to a table near the the bed area we sleep in. This powers up all of our emergency use items in case of power failures or being off-road. I saw it listed the other day on AMAZON for $138. Almost got another one... Just checked AMAZON awhile ago and it is now listed for $144...Being PSW I don't have to worry who uses it in my OFF-ROAD trailer for any small wattage thing they have to power up... Great for computer/tablets recharging and running my WX ALERT Radio... Grinds my fresh coffee beans too for perking up good ole coffee on the propane burner when off-road...Roy Ken

MSW inverters are not the same and Harbor Freight inverts are very square wave."With bigger appliances like refrigerators and washing machines beware of those with electronic controls. Not lot of thought gets put into the power supplies for them, so they "see" low Voltage and don't work right. Usually it doesn't hurt them, at least not right away. They'll either work or won't. Motors will draw more current, start harder, and have a shortened lifespan."

I wouldn't mind buying a PSW if I thought it would solve my problem, but I'd feel more comfortable knowing why the problem with the heating pads is NEW and VARIABLE, first!I have run my heating pads and mattress pad a lot on the MSW, with no problems. The fridge, not so much. And it did kill my laptop, so never again.

MSW inverters are not the same and Harbor Freight inverts are very square wave.What other MSW inverter is less of a square wave?

Why is my inverter freaking out? | Good Sam Community

Shadow_Catcher
Explorer
Mar 20, 2016
MSW inverters are not the same and Harbor Freight inverts are very square wave.
"With bigger appliances like refrigerators and washing machines beware of those with electronic controls. Not lot of thought gets put into the power supplies for them, so they "see" low Voltage and don't work right. Usually it doesn't hurt them, at least not right away. They'll either work or won't. Motors will draw more current, start harder, and have a shortened lifespan."
RoyB
Explorer II
Mar 20, 2016
You may want to read up on what may happen to things using a MSW verses PSW Power Inverter...

It has been my experience that my cheap 750WATT MSW Power Inverter purchased from a local auto parts store is not very user friendly with any thing that has a motor, transformer, or electronics involved. Things that have transformers and motors get very hot in a quick order and makes huming noises..

The two things that I have burned up in my OFF-ROAD trailer using this power inverter was a 20-inch box fan and a controller for a 50WATT lap heating blanket.

Seems like the controller went up in blue smoke almost before I plugged it in - I guess it knew what was going to happen haha...

After that all I ever use my MSW Power Inverter for is bringing up incandescent light bulbs on the outside of my OFF-ROAD trailer setup.

I got the 600WATT PSW AIMS Power Inverter from AMAZON after that and it has performed well since 2009 being my low wattage Plan B duty Power Inverter for all things 120VAC. In 2009 it cost around $159 from AMAZON. I installed this a few feet away from my main Battery swicth and ran two mulit-tap extension cords from it with one going to home entertainment center area and the other one going to a table near the the bed area we sleep in. This powers up all of our emergency use items in case of power failures or being off-road.

I saw it listed the other day on AMAZON for $138. Almost got another one... Just checked AMAZON awhile ago and it is now listed for $144...

Being PSW I don't have to worry who uses it in my OFF-ROAD trailer for any small wattage thing they have to power up... Great for computer/tablets recharging and running my WX ALERT Radio... Grinds my fresh coffee beans too for perking up good ole coffee on the propane burner when off-road...

Roy Ken
time2roll
Nomad
Mar 20, 2016
I assume the alarm was low input voltage.
Heating pad controls do not like MSW.
At least you saved some money.

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