Inverter Problem

[dsbentley]

I have a Xantrax 12 Volt 2500 watt inverter and a Heart Freedom 2500 watt 24 Volt inverter that is now giving me a E-03 overheat warning on my Link 2000 battery monitor. The 12 Volt inverter is working fine and feels much cooler than the 24 volt. The internal fan on the 24V does not seem to be coming on and I assume this may be part or all of the problem. I am told that the Xantrax is a better inverter even though Xantrax now owns Heart. The 24V inverter also trips off when I try to run the refrigeration while charging the batteries either on shore power or with my 12KW generator running, is this because the inverter is using all the available power to charge the batteries?

[camaraderie]

I have the 12V version of the freedom2500 and have had excellent results over two boats and 6 years of use. I assume the 24V unit is similar in design. I am having a hard time understanding your wiring set up and exactly what you are having an issue with.
Are you having a problem with the INVERTING to AC power function of the 2500 OR the battery charging function when plugged in dockside or running your generator to run the charger inside the 2500.

Do you have 2 completely isolated DC systems? How many batteries are attached to each and how are they wired?
I was told NEVER EVER to run both the INVERTER function and regular AC shore power at the same time...it sounds like you are trying to do that.
Your 2500 should have lights on the box as well as error codes on your link 2000...which should be explained in your manual and may give you a clue as to what is going on.
There may be a problem with the inverter or you may have a short somewhere else in the system. There is no way that all available poser is being used to charge your batteries with a 2500. Mine uses about 15-20 AC amps during bulk charge. I assume your fridge is DC and uses modest amperage over long periods...if it is an AC powered fridge then THAT combination could be tripping your breaker.
Is the bot new to you or has this been working just fine all along and NOW is causing these problems?

[dsbentley]

Camaraderie,

I have two completely separate systems, a 12V that has the Xantrax inverter and powers half of the A/C plugs in the boat. That battery bank has four 6 volt glass mat batteries that give me 440 amp hours and are wired to the 12V battery switch on bank 1, bank 2 controls the gen set start battery. Those batteries also run the autopilot, two 6000 lb rule davit winches and most of the lights on board. I also have a 12V Airex wind generator and a 130 Watt solar panal on the 12V side. The other system is the Heart Freedom 2500 with two banks of 6 volt AGM batteries with another 24V Airex wind generator. I assume the 24V banks are 220 amp hours each bank. These banks are wired to another battery switch that controls each bank. I usually run that switch on both and they seem to always be about the same level. The 24 V supplies power to the other half of the plugs, the two Raratan treatment systems (rarely used) the winlass winch and the A/C refrigeration system. The Link 2000 shows that when the Refrig is turned on, it draws around 50 amps to start then settles in around 20 amps. It also shows the battery charge rate to be around 70 amps when charging one 24V bank or 35 amps when charging both. If I turn on the refrig while charging the batteries, the inverter breaker will trip leaving the refig running off the batteries and draining the batteries. My father started building the boat in 1974 and launched in 1990. The inverters are new 5 years ago and the batteries are new this year. The 24V inverter function is working fine, its just the overheat E03 warning I get when charging the batteries.

I have two Crosby refrigeration systems one is labeled 24V but runs off the generator driven compressor so I would not say this is 24V as it will not run unless the gen set is running. The other system is labeled 110V and appears to be running off the inverter only.

I would like to add air conditioning to the boat and realize the gen set would need to be running or the shore power hooked up. I am considering changing the gen set from the old loud Isuza to a Panda Fisher unit that could run all the time when I am on the boat.

The E-03 overheat problem has only been occurring the last few days of the trip down and I am thinking that the cooling fan has gone out and that is why the unit is over heating.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[camaraderie]

Ok...good description DS...I had to read it few times but I think I've got it.
I don't know if you have the manual but for the 2500 it is at http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/431/docserve.asp

Your diagnosis could very well be correct but I would suggest before calling xantrex for a new one, you check the LED status lights on the unit itself rather than on the lnk. The error status code lights are descrbed on pg. 39 of the above manual. An overtemp could be caused by a fan failure, lack of adequate ventilation even with the fan on in a small compartment, or a short in the system and the LED's may give you a clue. Are you having to Re-set the breaker on the Unit or at the external breaker? Given your refrigeration loads I can understand why it would be tripping.
The 2500 also has TWO AC inputs and Outputs. Input/Output #1 is REGULATED so battery charging SLOWS DOWN when there are large AC loads on the system so the breaker should not be tripping IF you are using only #1...it would kind of point to the fan. If you are using input/output #2 however you could easily trip the breaker with the loads you have and an unregulated amp demand from the fridge and the charge pulling down 65amps.
Hope this helps a bit!