12V inverter with low consumption at idle

[French_guy]

That tool/site looks at the distance which many amp rating charts do not. Having oversized conductors isn't a bad thing, it might cost a little more, and in some cases is preference. Thicker wire will run a little cooler even at short distances with constant amperage flowing.

If you want some affordable nice pre-made wires I have used Spartan a couple of times now.

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So to be safe, I should go with 2 AWG.....But not 2/0, right?

 

[JRH]

As @chrisski said the Victron is a decent inverter. I have the 24v version and I can easily start up my fridge and a small pump with it. The eco mode only pulls 1-2 watts and I think ? I used #4 for the wire from that batteries to the inverter. If you’re running 12v you probably need larger wire.

Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/1200| VE.Direct | 1200VA Output| 12VDC Input | 120VAC Output

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I’m using the same 24 volt for a small A/C unit…and 4 ga is as big as will fit..( on mine) ..I tried to get 2 ga to work… but it’s a no go…
I think your right about a 12 volt needing bigger wire..I have to say it’s a great little unit…if they ever come out with a 1600 or 2000 VA like it , I’m getting one of those too…

 

[French_guy]

I’m using the same 24 volt for a small A/C unit…and 4 ga is as big as will fit..( on mine) ..I tried to get 2 ga to work… but it’s a no go…
I think your right about a 12 volt needing bigger wire..I have to say it’s a great little unit…if they ever come out with a 1600 or 2000 VA like it , I’m getting one of those too…

For their 12V/110V 1200W, Victron specifies 2 AWG on the manual....

 

[JoeHam]

Any idea why Giandel includes a 6 AWG set of wires?

To save money.

Sometimes the accountants overrule the engineers.

 

[Tomthumb62]

For their 12V/110V 1200W, Victron specifies 2 AWG on the manual....

I have that inverter. I think 2AWG is the max that will physically fit. I can’t recall exactly but I did use 2AWG and I don’t think there was much room to go anything thicker.

 

[French_guy]

Would it be "safe" to use 2 AWG wires with the 12V/1200W Giandel inverter, knowing it won't be running continuously (the sump pump usually kicks in every 10min for ~30sec in the worst case scenario)? And in that case, what fuse should I use?
Or are 2/0 AWG definitely required?
And by the way, it's not about the cost, but more about dealing with thick wires if it's not absolutely necessary

 

[MaikaiLife]

Yeah, 2 AWG would be fine, if you find the wires get hot or you suspect you need larger you can always change them.

Once you get it up and going, I would suggest a thermal review, use a thermal camera to check for any hot spots and determine if you've got any areas of concern. I've been running my 1200W Victron on 4 AWG for a year now and it's fine, however, I'm not running a sump pump so I will only ever have light electronics loads on it.

Here is a link to a thermal imager if you don't have one or might be interested in getting one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072J49BX7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

You can typically find them used or on offerup for much less. This has been an invaluable tool for me every time I provision a Solar system I use this to check for loose connections and or to review existing systems I check temperatures and hot spots to see if there are any concerns.

 

[French_guy]

I did a chat with Giandel and asked why they ship their 12V/1200W inverter with 5 AWG cables....They told me itwas tested, and if properly tighten, they are all good being only 2 ft long
Very surprising...........and dangerous it seems !!!

 

[MaikaiLife]

I did a chat with Giandel and asked why they ship their 12V/1200W inverter with 5 AWG cables....They told me itwas tested, and if properly tighten, they are all good being only 2 ft long
Very surprising...........and dangerous it seems !!!

For that short of a distance, they're probably right. Running your actual loads and checking the thermals will be the only way to know for certain if you can safely run your configuration.