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Hi: I have a 3000w, or should say a 3 x 1000w inverter from Canadian tire. It was less than $200.00 so figured I would give it a shot. Problem is there are three recepticles on it and each is capable of putting out 1000w. Has anyone tried combining two outputs to get a 2000w continuous output. I know each outlet will surge to 2000w but would like a steady 2000w out of one receptacle. Just wondering if it will work or make a smoke show, has anyone tried it yet?
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It all depends on just how it is actually built.
If it is three independent (and not synchronized) 1000W inverters there is nothing that you can do to parallel the outputs. They will not stay in phase and thus will short each other out.
If it is three separate inverters driven by a common frequency source, then you could possibly parallel the outputs either directly or through a transformer.
Is it a Modified Square Wave (MSW) or Pure Sine Wave (PSW) inverter?SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels. -
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Even if the unit was rated for two outlets supplying 1000 at the same time, which I bet isn't the case, I don't think this would be a good idea for the same reason that paralleling batteries isn't a good idea: you could never be sure that the currents in both circuits are equal.Comment
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Well a 1000 watt load at 120volts is only 8.3 amps. So if an inverter is rated 3000 watts (~25 amps total) I don't see why it could not handle 2 x ~1000 watts loads at the same time.
The problem is that most 120 volt outlets are rated for about 18 - 20 amps max and have a set of parallel pins. That keeps someone from plugging a 30a plug into a 20a outlet because of the different pin arrangement.
It is possible that inverter has each "outlet" on a separate over-current device which will limit the max load on that outlet to 80% of the rating of its over-current device. So it might be possible to plug a 1500 watt load into two of the outlets but I doubt any one outlet would be able to handle 2000 continuous watts at 120volts.Comment
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If you have two outlets rated at 1000W each, and you wire them externally in parallel and connect them to a 2000W load, I think one of them is going to be feeding over 1000W. I don't know if they would be split 1100/900, 1500/500, or what, but I don't think they would be equal, and if one developed just a bit more resistance then the other, through maybe a slightly loose connection, the other would take most of the current. It doesn't sound like a good idea.Comment
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Oh. You are correct. Trying to "parallel" them would more than likely cause a problem. Any difference in resistance would cause an imbalance.
I was under the impression the OP just wanted to run a single 2000 watt 120volt load using "one" outlet on the inverter, instead of rigging up a wiring scheme to "combine" two outlets together.Comment
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If you want to do this safely I would open the inverter and put in an appropriate connector. 2000 watts is 16.6 amps, so a NEMA 5-30R receptacle (good to 30 amps) should carry the load with no problem. A NEMA 5-20R would work but is a little over the continuous limit (16A continuous, 20A intermittent.)
(this is assuming it is really one output, not three independent inverters.)
You may also find that the really cheapo inverters don't really go to the powers they are rated to. But that's a good learning experience.Comment
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