Concern or just part of the new set up.

[b.bodemer]

Thanks for all the replies to my Brainstorm or Brainfart post.

Yesterday I purchased an Optima Yellow top and an inverter. The inverter instruction said a 20' extension cord could be used....Right now I happen to have a 25' indoor/outdoor 12 gauge cord on hand.

So ran a test last night. Battery to inverter. Got a green light on inverter and fan ran smoothly. Plugged in extension cord to inverter and then to the shore inlet on td. Turned on small fan, turned on dvd player. All ran good, no cords got hot or anything. All is good..................

Now when I hook to shore power my circuit testers light up for the "correct" setting. That's two lights on at the last reading.

For the heck of it I used my two Sperry circuit testers to check my GFCI outlet and regular 3 prong outlet in the td with the new battery/inverter set up. Now the bottom reading had all three lights lit. There's nothing on the chart to tell you what this means.

Everything ok to run and proceed????? or is this a concern????

thanks in advance,
Barb

[Miriam C.]

I hope someone will correct me if I am reading this wrong. You have a three wire tester and your GFCI is 3 wire and what I think is happening is that you get a light for each wire. I am posting the manual for those more familiar with these testers.

http://www.sperryinstruments.com/sperry ... a-300a.pdf

[Dale M.]

I think you may have problem with way GFI is wired....

My circuit tester say "CORRECT" when plugged into any GFI outlet (only two amber lights).

Are GFI outlet safety ground, inverter safety ground and shore power safety ground all tied "common".

Only condition NOT documented is a neutral - ground reversal... I wonder if this may be an inverter only fault?

How sure are you are wired correctly...


Dale

[Mary K]

Is this the one you have?



Mk

[Mary K]

What happens when you plug the tester in at the inverter? Same reading, all lights on?

Mk

[Dale M.]

I hope someone will correct me if I am reading this wrong. You have a three wire tester and your GFCI is 3 wire and what I think is happening is that you get a light for each wire. I am posting the manual for those more familiar with these testers.

http://www.sperryinstruments.com/sperry ... a-300a.pdf

A "CORRECT" connection should only have the two AMBER lights illuminated. RED lamp should be OUT!

Dale

[b.bodemer]

Thanks again everyone.

I talked with a tech at Sperry Instuments and he told me that the three lights lit up because it was coming from a 12v source and it was not a concern or warning.

These testers are made for utility type connections only.

Each time I take a jab at electric I learn something new. It will be fun to have some extended time on the dvd player and fans this holiday weekend when I get out for a few nights.

Have a fun holiday weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barb

[Dale M.]

Thanks again Miriam.

I talked with a tech at Sperry Instuments and he told me that the three lights lit up because it was coming from a 12v source and it was not a concern or warning.

These testers are made for utility type connections only.


Barb

Sounds kind of lame..... I would query tech support for inverter to see if their diagnosis is the same!

Dale

[bobhenry]

This little 8 dollar tester was made for home construction. The clipped sine wave or square wave of the inverter is imposible for it to read. Everything works , no smoke , no fire. I'd give the effort a thumbs up. Good job Barb.
How about someone with and inverter and a similar tester experimenting for barb ?????

[b.bodemer]

To clarify:
Yes when I am hooked to shore power my Sperry circuit testers give me the "correct" reading with just the last two lights, middle and right for that bottom reading. It's been like that all along, but I continue to take these with me to test any shore power I am using or to check my own two outlets in the td.

My confusion came when I just tried the tester for the hell of it when I was running my new battery/inverter set up. Again the tech at Sperry said the three lights which now appeared did so because I was taking a reading off of 12V. Those circuit testers were meant to read "utiltiy conncetions only".

thanks everyone for the advice and concern and to you too bobhenry for the thumbs up!

Barb

[Alphacarina]

The inverter doesn't put out a true sine wave and I suspect that fact is what's messing up the reading on your little circuit tester

25 feet of 12 gauge wire is just fine for the inverter . . . . as would 25 feet of 14 or 16 gauge wire, considering the very light loads you're powering with the inverter

Don