No 110 outlets with solar

[Trailblazers]

My 110 outlets are not working with my solar. Everything else works fine; lights, refrigerator, water pump, etc, but no 110 outlets. The outlets work while plugged into shore power or with the generator. This started when I was boondocking and did not notice my refrigerator was still set on DC, from traveling. When I went to make coffee in the morning, the electricity started struggling and eventually went out. I've checked all the possible fuses, breakers and GFCI plug, and all seem to be good. Is there a fuse for the inverter that is located somewhere else in the trailer, or could I have maybe fried the transfer switch? Thoughts?

My trailer is an 2018 Elite II.

[John Dorrer]

16 minutes ago, Trailblazers said:

My 110 outlets are not working with my solar. Everything else works fine; lights, refrigerator, water pump, etc, but no 110 outlets. The outlets work while plugged into shore power or with the generator. This started when I was boondocking and did not notice my refrigerator was still set on DC, from traveling. When I went to make coffee in the morning, the electricity started struggling and eventually went out. I've checked all the possible fuses, breakers and GFCI plug, and all seem to be good. Is there a fuse for the inverter that is located somewhere else in the trailer, or could I have maybe fried the transfer switch? Thoughts?

My trailer is an 2018 Elite II.

Your outlets will only work with shore power, a generator, or with an inverter turned on if you have one. More information is required. What batteries do you have

 

[Trailblazers]

I have four AGM batteries and the inverter is always turned on when using the solar. 

[Galway Girl]

If your batteries are too low of voltage < 10.5v the 2000 watt inverter shuts down.  the inverter should alarm on low voltage or give an E01 code.

 

when you are in solar if the batteries drop too low the inverter will not turn on again until the batteries are charged  

When we boondock we leave the inverter off unless we need 110 as it draws down the batteries just being turned on.

 

if you fully charge your batteries the inverter should begin working.

 

 

 

Edited 18 hours ago by Galway Girl

[Trailblazers]

The batteries are back to fully charged. They went to down to around 50%, when this happened, but back to 100% now.

[Mike and Carol]

I recommend you leave your inverter off until you need to use 110, especially with AGM’s.  As mentioned above, just having your inverter on and not being used draws down battery capacity.  We rarely turn our inverter on.

[John Dorrer]

2 hours ago, Trailblazers said:

I have four AGM batteries and the inverter is always turned on when using the solar. 

Inverter should be off unless using microwave, outlets, or watching TV

[jd1923]

44 minutes ago, John Dorrer said:

Inverter should be off unless using microwave, outlets, or watching TV

Yes, in an OTT installed system, yet we keep our Victron system on always, 24x7x365! It’s ON now, as we sit on our deck with A/C set to 85F to keep things nice!

Solar on/off has nothing to do with 110VAC outlets working, PERIOD!

We could only guess, not knowing battery, inverter or any other particulars.

[Snackchaser]

7 hours ago, Trailblazers said:

Thoughts?

All the comments are right on the money.  But for a little more perspective of why you fell short of power, consider this:

My guess is that you have about 400 Amp Hours with your 4 AGM batteries, which gives you about 200 AH usable power without going below 50%.  

You stated that your inverter stays on.  A Xantrex Freedom inverter uses 72 AH per 24 hours of standby power (turned on without a load.)  The Victron Multiplus is better at 40 AH a day with standard factory settings, and as low as 16 amp hours a day with power saving settings.  These are both zero AH when turned off.

The batteries are being supplemented with an assumed 320 watt solar system, which is under 30 AH a day in sunny conditions.  You mentioned a coffee maker which burns a lot of power, typically about 20 AH to brew coffee, and more if your keeping it warm.  That could cancel out the solar contribution.

Now add in the AH values for whatever else you're using, and you can figure out how long you can last when boondocking.  

Hope that helps!  Cheers, Geoff

[Trailblazers]

I'm sorry we got off track here. The first reply after my post said "Your outlets will only work with shore power, a generator, or with an inverter turned on if you have one." I replied our inventer is always on when using the inverter. I should have said my inverter is always on when using the outlets. But then the discussion turned to why not to use the inverter full time and away from the original post. 

We were out on a long camping trip, when this happened and it was the last BLM spot we camped in. I am home now and want to start working on the problem. The batteries are fully charged and my 110 outlets will not work with the solar. I am wondering if there is a fuse somewhere else in the trailer, other than the fuse/breaker panel or if I have a problem with the transfer switch, maybe? I'm asuming the problem is inverter-related, but not sure. I have the 320 solar watt package, with the Xantrex 2000 watt inverter. Looking for any ideas. Thank you!

[katanapilot]

Solar can charge the batteries (12 volts DC).  Batteries can run the inverter (12 volts DC converted to 120 volts AC).   Inverter is a pass through of 120 VAC when on generator or shore power.  Inverter is also a converter and will provide 12 VDC to charge the batteries if AC load allows.  

Solar cells do not provide AC! If the batteries are charged, the inverter is turned on, the GFCI on the inverter is not tripped and the CB in the main panel is not tripped  - the AC outlets in the trailer should operate. 

If the outlets aren’t working, check the GFCI on the inverter and the CB on the main panel under the dinette.  Wire plugged into the GFCI feeds the AC outlets through the CB. 

Edited 3 hours ago by katanapilot
Added clarifying text

[Ronbrink]

1 hour ago, Trailblazers said:

I'm asuming the problem is inverter-related, but not sure.

A good way to check if the GFCI on the inverter is working is to see if the microwave has power, since it plugs directly into the GFCI outlet on the inverter. If the microwave has power then your inverter is working. If not, the GFCI has tripped and needs to be reset. For reasons unknown my GFCI has tripped, wherein the microwave and outlet receptacles have no power. There have been times when it took a few presses of the reset button on the GFCI to get it to work again. Once power is confirmed at the microwave, all is good. This may not be your remedy, but a good place to start. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Ronbrink

[Trailblazers]

Thank you katanapilot and Ronbrink. There doesn't appear to be any CB tripped, but I could see it being the CFCI breaker. Where is the breaker for the inverter located? I don't see a CFCI breaker specifically for the inverter.

Also, unforturnately we don't have a microwave.

[Snackchaser]

Typically it's a GFIC receptacle (outlet) with a reset and test button, not a breaker.  It will be the first receptacle closest to the breaker panel that daisy chains to feed the others, mine is the one under the dinette.  

[Galway Girl]

"The batteries are fully charged and my 110 outlets will not work with the solar. I am wondering if there is a fuse somewhere else in the trailer, other than the fuse/breaker panel or if I have a problem with the transfer switch, maybe? I'm asuming the problem is inverter-related, but not sure. I have the 320 solar watt package, with the Xantrex 2000 watt inverter. The batteries are fully charged and my 110 outlets will not work with the solar."
 

is this statement true...batteries at 100%, you are not connected to shore power and your 110 outlets don't work....but your inverter is ON?

Here's a checklist to help:

Battery Charged                          (YES)   
Connected to shore power        (Yes)    (No)
Inverter On                                   (Yes)    (No)
Fridge Breaker Tripped              (Yes)    (No)  =  ours has a 20amp breaker in the panel for the fridge
Inverter Built In GFCI Tripped   (Yes)    (No)  = There is a plug in on the actual inverter that has a GFCI on it...see below
GFCI In Outlet Tripped               (Yes)    (No) =  Our hull has a second gfci outlet on the front of the dinette seat.

 

 

 

[Trailblazers]

Thanks, yes I have the GFCI outlet under the dinette. I tested that when I was plugged into shore power and it tested fine, so I ruled that out. But just double-checked it now, with only the inverter on (not on shore power) and it will not trip, when I test it. I plugged back into shore power and the GFCI outlet tests and resets fine. Looks like that might be it. I'll replace it today. Thanks to all!

[katanapilot]

Before you do that please check the GFCI outlet on the inverter itself.  You said you have the Xantrex 2000 watt inverter and if it’s like the one I used to have in our Oliver, there is a duplex GFCI outlet on the inverter with a romex cable plugged into that outlet that then feeds a CB on the panel.  
 

Your wiring may be different than mine but I hope this helps.  

[Trailblazers]

Correction, it was the GFCI outlet that the inverter plugged into. I did not notice that was a GFCI plug, until I was going through Galloway Girls post again. Went back to double-check that outlet and walla! The circuit was tripped. Thanks for the help!

[Ronbrink]

1 hour ago, Trailblazers said:

Correction, it was the GFCI outlet that the inverter plugged into. I did not notice that was a GFCI plug, until I was going through Galloway Girls post again. Went back to double-check that outlet and walla! The circuit was tripped. Thanks for the help!

It is hard to see and get to, thus I unplug from the GFCI to better access the reset button. Like I mentioned, if it doesn’t reset first try I repeat until it stays in meaning it is properly reset and functional.