just wondering?

[timlsalem]

You people that use an inverter, do you have it grounded to the frame? My 1200 watt inverter works great when I plug anything straight into it. When I try to plug into the main trailer electrical inlet so I can run things off the plugs inside the TT my red warning light on the inverter comes on. Just wondering if the unit has to be grounded?

[deceiver]

Hmm... the 12 volt side has two wires. One hot and the other ground so yes it has to have both connected. I have mine connected to ground which goes to the battery in my trailer and also to the charging system in the tow vehicle.

If you're using the cigarette lighter plug to get 12 volt power then one of those prongs is the ground so the socket should be grounded.

[timlsalem]

I have the unit hardwired connected to the battery but do not have a wire running from the case of the unit to the frame which would ground the unit, right? My main breaker inside the TT is grounded to the frame also. Like I said if I plug anything dirrectly into the inverter, it works great. I made up a short extension cord to plug into the inverter and the other end to plug into the main electrical shore power inlet. When I do my red warning light comes on in the inverter.

[deceiver]

I have the unit hardwired connected to the battery but do not have a wire running from the case of the unit to the frame which would ground the unit, right? My main breaker inside the TT is grounded to the frame also. Like I said if I plug anything dirrectly into the inverter, it works great. I made up a short extension cord to plug into the inverter and the other end to plug into the main electrical shore power inlet. When I do my red warning light comes on in the inverter.

I think you may have things backwards? An inverter gets power from the battery and changes it to 110 volts. You don't plug it into shore power, you plug an electrical device into it.

If you have a CONVERTER then that is to get 110 shore power to convert to 12 volts.

[Dale M.]

Be careful of the terminology... Yes "deceiver" is correct...

Converter drops 110v AC to 12v DC (for our purposes)..

Inverter changes 12v DC to 120v AC (for out purposes)..

Converters - inverters come in all sorts of voltage ranges for various applications but for us its usually 12v DC / 120v AC...

Dale

[timlsalem]

Right, inverter changes 12 vdc to 110-120 vac. I get that. So what I'm wanting to do is run my 110 outlets inside my TT off of the inverter and I'm thinking I can do it by pluging into the shore power inlet. It would be just like pluging into 110 v shore power. Does that make sense or am I missing something here?

[parnold]

What wattage is the inverter? It should not have to be grounded independently. The ground would come through your 12v system automatically, unless your 12v system is completely isolated from the frame. It still shouldn't matter.

What does the manual say the red light means? Is there anything plugged into the 110v system when you power up, or just empty recepticles?

[timlsalem]

It's a 1200 watt inverter parnold. Yes, there was nothing pluged into the recepticals when I attached the cord. My power inlet goes to a 30 amp main breaker and then that powers two 15 amp breakers. I only have two recepticals in the tear. I'm just wanting to be able to watch the news on my TV when I'm traveling. Unfortunatly I can't locate the manual for the inverter but I think somethings not right. My battery is fully charged and like I said, I can plug anything into the inverter and it works. It's only when I try to hook into the inside power that I have a problem. I think I had the same problem with the last tear I had. Only with that one, nothing would work until I grounded the whole unit. Tomorrow I will ground the battery, which isn't at this time, and will connect a ground wire to the case of the inverter and see what happens.

[Shadow Catcher]

It is likely a fault light. Have you checked the 110 circuit to see if there is a load when nothing is plugged in or on, or if there is a short? Do you have a secure clean connection to the battery?
Time for the VOM and some test leads.

[Miriam C.]

Possibly your inverter is telling you you are drawing too many amps from your battery.....You need to read a manual and be sure what your red light is. Might be it is reading power draw and that is all......

[timlsalem]

Got it figured out. Thank you all espeacially shadow catcher. You reminded me of something I had forgotten about. My power center has a 4 stage charger built into it and is on one 15 amp breaker and my two recepticals are on the other 15 amp breaker. As soon as I turned the breaker off that has the charger on it everything worked great again. I even watched the morning news today. I did locate the manual on my inverter and have it in a real safe place now.

[dh]

Got it figured out. Thank you all espeacially shadow catcher. You reminded me of something I had forgotten about. My power center has a 4 stage charger built into it and is on one 15 amp breaker and my two recepticals are on the other 15 amp breaker. As soon as I turned the breaker off that has the charger on it everything worked great again. I even watched the morning news today. I did locate the manual on my inverter and have it in a real safe place now.

So, you where running an inverter off a converter powered by said inverter. One big loop.

[timlsalem]

Ya some how I forgot about my charger/converter. Like I always say S... happens, then it gets better.