Samlex Inverter Power Draw Question

EMD360 wrote:
So it does not damage the AC compressor to have the inverter just shut down without turning the AC off first? I’m always leery of running the air on just an extension cord even with a 20 amp fuse.

The air cond compression is mostly a ‘power off or on affair’, with ‘power on’ being the most difficult LRA load for your inverter to resolve (called Locked Rotor Amps), A soft-start device (in lieu of the OEM start capacitor) has often been reported to help manage this extreme high compressor starting load, making life easier on inverters and generators…

To your question about a low voltage inverter shutdown, I would be more concerned about operating while in a continuous low voltage condition which could result in increased current to the motor windings…Improper battery cable AWG gauge and excessive round-trip cable length can also result in a low voltage bottleneck…Some inverters even have double terminals so one can double up on their cabling to reduce voltage drop (smaller gauge cables in parallel can be easier to manage).

Also, know that there are lots of bargain priced inverters on the market, and not all inverters of the same ‘advertised wattage’ rating can handle these extreme LRA load (inductive loads) in the same way, because of differences in electronics. This aspect should not be overlooked…Motor start-up load amperage can momentarily be 4-6 times that of normal running amps, spec’s that should reflected in your inverter’s published surge rating and duration…

3 tons