Redesign Vermont Yurt System

[YurtSolar]

Greetings! My old battery system needs to be replaced and I am trying to decide between a small 24v battery upgrade and a larger system upgrade. I have a separate post about finding batteries but wanted to post here now that I'm considering a whole system upgrade. Can you help me design a system that will work?

Idea 1: Replace the 4 FLAs (24v) with 1 or 2 24v 200ah lithiums. Probably EG4s. Keep my charge controllers and inverter. Cheap option but limited power.

Idea 2: Upgrade to 48v system. Replace my controllers, AC battery charger, and inverter with something like a 6548 all-in-one (recommended by William Prowse). Buy 1 or 2 48v batteries, with many more options available in this voltage. But it looks like the all in one inverters all use a lot of power 1kwh per day?) and might require me to upgrade my panel array?

I'd love to stick with my current panel array if possible. Very excited to hear your ideas and recommendations!

Thank you! Evan

Current Set Up:
4 Trojan T-105 FLA batteries (6 years old)
3, 300 watt 24v panels
3 Victron 75|15 controllers
Cotek SP-1000 inverter
Cotek battery charger

 

[chrisski]

We'd really need to know what your power requirements are in kWh along with max output and how many days of backup power needed.

and inverter with something like a 6548 all-in-one (recommended by William Prowse).

These can have a high idle draw, but at least some of them can shut off the inverter portion of the All In One when not in use and save quite a bit on the idle draw. I opted to go with separate battery charger, inverter, MPPTs and converter. That way when the charger and inverter is not in use, I shut them off and the total system idle draw is reduced to 1/3 rd. What doesn't get turned off is the entertainment system that pulls 12 watts off, 12 watts for the absorption fridge in gas mode, etc...

 

[Tomthumb62]

It’s finding a balance between the cost of upgrading your components for maximum efficiency or upgrading the size of your battery bank or upgrading your PV array.

IF you have the space, a larger array is usually much cheaper than upgrading components.

BUT if you cannot upgrade the size of your array (such as it would require cutting down trees that aren’t yours to cut down), then your best option is to maximize efficiency of the rest of your system.

All in ones are cheaper than individual components, but at the cost of higher idle draw and if one part of the AIO dies, you need a replacement AIO on hand so you can immediately get back on power while you wait for your broken one to get repaired. The cost of a backup unit can sway the balance of the AIO route being cheaper or not.

I started with cheap Renogy components, which were very inefficient and gave me lots of headaches trying to get them to work properly. I replaced with Victron components and I have NO MORE HEADACHES! The bang for your buck with Victron is no contest compared to the cost of the headaches with a brand like Renogy. And since you already have some Victron equipment you know what I mean.

If you expect your future to require higher energy use, such as adding an air conditioner, then go 48v. If not, then stick with 24v and save yourself a chunk of money. But as @chrisski said, I would personally prefer an individual component system over an AIO unless I had a big enough array and the budget to expand the array and keep a spare AIO on hand. Victron does make some AIO type devices, which I have no experience with, but they tend to be more expensive than individual components. The Victron AIO have additional features that you’ll not get with individual devices.

 

[yabert]

The two other members give you good informations and I fully understand your desire to go 48V.
Still, I think another option is reasonable. Buy a 24V lithium battery and an affordable 2 kW or 3 kW 24V AIO inverter. Those can be find for 300-500$.
I have a cheap PowMr 2.4 kW AIO inverter. His MPPT work well, it charge the battery and it cost me 300$. His idle draw is 30w, so a bit less than 1 kWh/day.
If you have the money, go for 48V, but a low cost 24V system is possible to.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Hey Evan,
Given that you are in a small home (we are too!) the idea of 48V is interesting but that higher voltage can bite harder than 24V or 12V. Your location might determine where you get equipment, where are you?

Years ago we had those same Trojans; consider keeping them. As a backup or light loads, you can incorporate them within your evolving system.

If you tell us more about your lifestyle and conceivable future, we can fine tune suggestions. Will Prowse is seriously admirable but there are other perspectives out there.

Now is a great time to buy Lithium Ferrous Phosphate batteries. Current Connected is reputable but I bought an EPOCH battery a few months ago. Consider how heavy you can go in terms of battery weight. I would stick with a single 24V LFP in order to lessen cell imbalance but something different might be more suitable for you.

 

[YurtSolar]

We'd really need to know what your power requirements are in kWh along with max output and how many days of backup power needed.

These can have a high idle draw, but at least some of them can shut off the inverter portion of the All In One when not in use and save quite a bit on the idle draw. I opted to go with separate battery charger, inverter, MPPTs and converter. That way when the charger and inverter is not in use, I shut them off and the total system idle draw is reduced to 1/3 rd. What doesn't get turned off is the entertainment system that pulls 12 watts off, 12 watts for the absorption fridge in gas mode, etc...

These are really good questions @chrisski . I am not sure what my power requirements are, but I have been using a 1000 watt inverter for the past 18 months with 6 year old Trojan T-105s and have not had any power issues so I think its pretty limited. I have used a kilowatt meter on a few of my larger appliances and found that my mini fridge uses 0.3kw per day. Most of my appliances, like my laptop, pull 50 watts when they are plugged in. I think my overall consumption is less than 2 kwh per day, but I do not have a complete detail in this area. I would love to have more than 2 days of backup power for when things get cloudy and would invest in more than that to have extra. I like your strategy of separate devices and plan to do the same if I stick with 24v (which is how I am leaning right now). Very smart!

It’s finding a balance between the cost of upgrading your components for maximum efficiency or upgrading the size of your battery bank or upgrading your PV array.

IF you have the space, a larger array is usually much cheaper than upgrading components.

BUT if you cannot upgrade the size of your array (such as it would require cutting down trees that aren’t yours to cut down), then your best option is to maximize efficiency of the rest of your system.

All in ones are cheaper than individual components, but at the cost of higher idle draw and if one part of the AIO dies, you need a replacement AIO on hand so you can immediately get back on power while you wait for your broken one to get repaired. The cost of a backup unit can sway the balance of the AIO route being cheaper or not.

I started with cheap Renogy components, which were very inefficient and gave me lots of headaches trying to get them to work properly. I replaced with Victron components and I have NO MORE HEADACHES! The bang for your buck with Victron is no contest compared to the cost of the headaches with a brand like Renogy. And since you already have some Victron equipment you know what I mean.

If you expect your future to require higher energy use, such as adding an air conditioner, then go 48v. If not, then stick with 24v and save yourself a chunk of money. But as @chrisski said, I would personally prefer an individual component system over an AIO unless I had a big enough array and the budget to expand the array and keep a spare AIO on hand. Victron does make some AIO type devices, which I have no experience with, but they tend to be more expensive than individual components. The Victron AIO have additional features that you’ll not get with individual devices.

Thank you for this insight @Tomthumb62 . I think I could upgrade my array a little bit to add a few panels, but I am pretty in the woods and will not do much cutting (you are right that I do not own the property or trees, and would have limited ability to cut them). It sounds like the AIO might not be the best route for me for the reasons you shared, and since I don't have any need for AC or anything I will probably stick with 24v for now. The Victron sccs recommended by another forum member (my last system upgrade) have been perfect so far. I have my eye on a 3000w Giandel inverter (3x my current inverter) recommended by William Prowse - is there a different one you would recommend?

The two other members give you good informations and I fully understand your desire to go 48V.
Still, I think another option is reasonable. Buy a 24V lithium battery and an affordable 2 kW or 3 kW 24V AIO inverter. Those can be find for 300-500$.
I have a cheap PowMr 2.4 kW AIO inverter. His MPPT work well, it charge the battery and it cost me 300$. His idle draw is 30w, so a bit less than 1 kWh/day.
If you have the money, go for 48V, but a low cost 24V system is possible to.

I am leaning towards this as well @yabert . I will probably stick with a independent inverter if I stay with 24v so that the system is more efficient and I can keep using my sccs but your AIO sounds good!

Hey Evan,
Given that you are in a small home (we are too!) the idea of 48V is interesting but that higher voltage can bite harder than 24V or 12V. Your location might determine where you get equipment, where are you?

Years ago we had those same Trojans; consider keeping them. As a backup or light loads, you can incorporate them within your evolving system.

If you tell us more about your lifestyle and conceivable future, we can fine tune suggestions. Will Prowse is seriously admirable but there are other perspectives out there.

Now is a great time to buy Lithium Ferrous Phosphate batteries. Current Connected is reputable but I bought an EPOCH battery a few months ago. Consider how heavy you can go in terms of battery weight. I would stick with a single 24V LFP in order to lessen cell imbalance but something different might be more suitable for you.

Great to hear from you @KITROBASKIN , nice to meet someone else in a small home! I am in Vermont (Northeast Kingdom) and the higher voltage bite does have me more worried than what Im used to with 24v. Good idea on the Trojans. My wife will probably want to get rid of them given how much space they take up but I like the idea of keeping them for backup. I would love to hear your suggestions - I live in a yurt, and have used a 1000 watt Cotek inverter for the last 18 months. I teach full time at a local public school and our power needs are mostly a small fridge/freezer, laptops, phones, light, etc. I will check out EPOCH - I have emailed with Current Connected and was kinda confused by their email. Good call on the battery weight - our yurt is up on cinder blocks and not the most structurally sound, although the T-105s are pretty heavy and our wood stove is about 300 pounds as well. If a single 24V battery is not enough backup, what is the risk with cell imbalance with 2 24v wired in parallel?

 

[KITROBASKIN]

2 24V in parallel is fine if that meets your overall goals. You clearly value quality. That usually helps with reliability.

Over 20 years I have been an Albuquerque Public Schools educator supporting teachers in the classroom, mostly Spec Ed.

There are others here who have much more experience. If your panels are producing enough for your needs, that is great. You can get 24V LFP, considering how much battery you can carry (teamwork?) at one time. Twice we have purchased from alt e (based in Massachusetts) good experience with Bramley Munz sales rep.

For now to keep things simple, decide if you want to get a nice quality A B battery switch. This is an easy way to access those fine Trojans if needed (or they could provide DC lighting or phone charging). Lead Acid likes to float and dislikes deep discharge (which you probably know).

Perhaps the next step would be to get a more powerful inverter. We have the Victron Phoenix 24V 1200VA, and that can power our countertop induction burner (no more than medium high but plenty hot for bringing food to boil), reduced size toaster oven and Presto Dish (with tilt) electric heater.

Getting a 3000 watt inverter sounds really good for a wider choice of options; regular sized appliances. Giandel has been recommended here on diysolarforum. At that point you may consider devoting one of your panels and charge controller to the Trojans to use with your 1000W Cotek, creating a separate system for increased flexibility during the cloudy times, or malfunction.

Another rigid solar panel (that could be used in a semi portable way for unforeseen scenarios or vacation time even) would further expand your capabilities. It could be devoted to the Trojans most of the time, but utilized with the LFP when mobile? EPOCH batteries is not on many member’s radar here but their marine (trolling) batteries are water resistant with removable handles and an on/off switch. There are many other choices. Northern Arizona (NAZ Solar) has a good rep and came through for us with a warranty issue.

Have fun and take time with this. Feel free to post your communication with currentconnected (we have their SOK batteries) for help in understanding. Sometimes sales reps assume you know more than actuality.

 

[YurtSolar]

2 24V in parallel is fine if that meets your overall goals. You clearly value quality. That usually helps with reliability.

Over 20 years I have been an Albuquerque Public Schools educator supporting teachers in the classroom, mostly Spec Ed.

There are others here who have much more experience. If your panels are producing enough for your needs, that is great. You can get 24V LFP, considering how much battery you can carry (teamwork?) at one time. Twice we have purchased from alt e (based in Massachusetts) good experience with Bramley Munz sales rep.

For now to keep things simple, decide if you want to get a nice quality A B battery switch. This is an easy way to access those fine Trojans if needed (or they could provide DC lighting or phone charging). Lead Acid likes to float and dislikes deep discharge (which you probably know).

Perhaps the next step would be to get a more powerful inverter. We have the Victron Phoenix 24V 1200VA, and that can power our countertop induction burner (no more than medium high but plenty hot for bringing food to boil), reduced size toaster oven and Presto Dish (with tilt) electric heater.

Getting a 3000 watt inverter sounds really good for a wider choice of options; regular sized appliances. Giandel has been recommended here on diysolarforum. At that point you may consider devoting one of your panels and charge controller to the Trojans to use with your 1000W Cotek, creating a separate system for increased flexibility during the cloudy times, or malfunction.

Another rigid solar panel (that could be used in a semi portable way for unforeseen scenarios or vacation time even) would further expand your capabilities. It could be devoted to the Trojans most of the time, but utilized with the LFP when mobile? EPOCH batteries is not on many member’s radar here but their marine (trolling) batteries are water resistant with removable handles and an on/off switch. There are many other choices. Northern Arizona (NAZ Solar) has a good rep and came through for us with a warranty issue.

Have fun and take time with this. Feel free to post your communication with currentconnected (we have their SOK batteries) for help in understanding. Sometimes sales reps assume you know more than actuality.

@KITROBASKIN Thank you so much for writing this thoughtful reply. It is wonderful to meet another educator on the forum - my hat off to you! I teach 7th grade social studies

I love your ideas for using all of the batteries as they do still have some life in them. I have never heard of an A B battery switch. Would that allow me to use both battery banks and only 1 inverter, basically pulling power from whichever battery bank is switched on?

I like the features on the EPOCH batteries but they are quite a bit more pricey than the ones I am considering. Currently I am choosing between 2 200ah EG4s or 4 100ah LiTimes, with a price savings of over $700 for the LiTime batteries. There is just so much to consider, and I definitely feel the pressure of the Black Friday sales at the moment to make a decision.

I really appreciate your encouragement to have fun and take my time. I love learning and this solar adventure has been full of new lessons!

 

[Tomthumb62]

I have my eye on a 3000w Giandel inverter (3x my current inverter) recommended by William Prowse - is there a different one you would recommend?

Why would you need to triple your inverter power? You’ve been getting along fine with 1000W. Moving to a bigger inverter comes with a cost other than money: higher idle draw. Idle draw is the power required to keep the inverter on and providing power. It doesn’t meaning the power is being used, but it’s available. So your 1000W inverter might have a 10W idle draw but a 3000W one might be more like 30-40W. Multiply that number by 24 hours and now you’re up to 720-960 watt-hours per day, not even powering anything. That will require a bigger battery and more panels to support. So now the cost swings back into needing to spend more money and convince the landowners that it’s in their best interest to cut down some trees.

If you must upgrade your inverter, then go for a Victron Phoenix 24/1200VA. This is a 1000-1100W 24v inverter. It’s a beast. I have the 12v version. It will only run 1000-1100W continuous, but has a real 5-30 seconds of surge power up to 2400W. Most inexpensive inverters only surge for less than 1/4 second, which allows them to say it legally that the device has a (useless) surge rating of X watts. The Phoenix will be the last inverter you’ll need. And since I have a very similar use case as yours, I can share my Eco Mode settings with you so you can have a 1-3W idle draw. Which means you’ll get more juice out of your battery bank for cloudy days.

 

[Rednecktek]

Umm... do you live in the yurt full time? Just curious because Vermont winters and LFP batteries are not good bed fellows.

Replacing the 1000w inverter with a 1200w inverter just seems to be a waste of money for very very little gain. That's a few hundred bucks that can go towards larger batteries or more panels or literally anything else that will provide a real gain.

 

[Rednecktek]

I love your ideas for using all of the batteries as they do still have some life in them. I have never heard of an A B battery switch. Would that allow me to use both battery banks and only 1 inverter, basically pulling power from whichever battery bank is switched on?

Yup, that's exactly what it does. We use them on boats all the time.

 

[yabert]

Replacing the 1000w inverter with a 1200w inverter just seems to be a waste of money for very very little gain.

Little gain are relative. Here we talk about idle consumption of 8W (or lower) vs 30w (Victron vs Cotex). So around 200 kWh less needed to produce over a year.
Peak power of the Victron is serious compare to the Cotex 1 second 1.5-2.0 kW.

 

[Tomthumb62]

Little gain are relative. Here we talk about idle consumption of 8W (or lower) vs 30w (Victron vs Cotex). So around 200 kWh less needed to produce over a year.
Peak power of the Victron is serious compare to the Cotex 1 second 1.5-2.0 kW.

Keep in mind that the Victron 24/1200VA is listed as a 1000W inverter. It’s 1200 volt-amps which translates into a real world number of about 1000W. I have observed my 12/1200VA to hum along continuously at 1100W, but will beep “overload” at 1175W, measured with a kill-a-watt meter.

Some people, like me, practically worship Victron gear. It’s just that good. Compared to what it usually replaces, it’s clear to me that the bang for the buck is much better with Victron.

And there in lies the controversy. Some people are anti Victron simply because it costs more and they don’t like the guru status some of us have given it. I bet some of these people would still hate on Victron should it cost the same as the cheap stuff, simply to stand their ground to not become “one of them”.

Victron recently slashed prices about 30% on some of their products, namely the Smartsolar charge controllers. It doesn’t cover the Phoenix inverters, though you might find a cyber Monday deal somewhere.

I’ma fan of the seller invertersRus.com. They have been excellent and good prices for all my Victron gear. They do have a “Victron B-stock” list that you can sometimes get a good deal (includes original warranty) on:

Victron Energy B-Stock Sale - Open Box, Cosmetic Damage, Used

We sell a lot of Victron Energy products, so naturally, we get our fair share of returns as well. Open Box, Cosmetic Damage or Used

invertersrus.com

Note: this list doesn’t format correctly on my mobile phone, be sure to look at it on a computer or maybe a tablet would work.

EDIT: Their listing for the Phoenix 24/1200:

Phoenix Inverter 24/1200	PIN242122500	CALL or EMAIL	$345.75	“Open Box”
		CALL or EMAIL	$311.18	“Cosmetic Damage”
		CALL or EMAIL	$288.13	“Used”

I bought a Victron IP22 charger "open box" (from ebay) from them and it arrived truly as such. It was brand new as far as I could tell but was missing the original box. When I ordered an "open box" Phoenix 12/1200 inverter from them, the first one they sent was not in open box condition but quite damaged...they replaced it immediately with a BRAND NEW inverter. They paid for all shipping in all cases and all I had to do was box up the damaged one (which actually still worked wonderfully under my stress tests) in the box the new one came in and let UPS pick it up. They were awesome about the whole thing and were very apologetic that they missed the boat the first time.

 

[wme]

Just check the continuous amp rating of the switch. Look for a 4 way switch. on 1, on 2, on both, off

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Yes more standby draw with a larger inverter but Yurt Teacher can turn the larger inverter off when no one is at home or sleeping. They can use the smaller system for (low draw) items that need to be on 24/7?

 

[KITROBASKIN]

I would not get a switch that can use both because of different battery chemistry and capacity?

If the new LFP batteries are not heated and get below freezing, do not charge them. Reading up on LFP is a good idea.

 

[Tomthumb62]

Yes more standby draw with a larger inverter but Yurt Teacher can turn the larger inverter off when no one is at home or sleeping. They can use the smaller system for (low draw) items that need to be on 24/7?

That's a good plan. Which is what I would do, too. But OP has very little power draw but does need 24/7. Why buy a large inverter if you're never going to use it? No power tools, no A/C unit, no washing machine or multiple electric heaters. IIRC, OP has said they have a mini-fridge and a laptop and I assume a phone. They could probably get by with the Victron 24/500, but for only a watt or two more in idle draw (and more money), the 24/1200 would be more than enough (and then some) for an inverter.

 

[Tomthumb62]

I would not get a switch that can use both because of different battery chemistry and capacity?

If the new LFP batteries are not heated and get below freezing, do not charge them. Reading up on LFP is a good idea.

This is why no one in their right mind would buy a LFP to be used in freezing conditions that doesn't have low-temperature protection built-in to the BMS.

To have to always keep on top of the temperature of the battery to make sure it's always being heated in sub-freezing temps so you don't permanently damage the battery would drive me nuts. Just relax and let the BMS provide that protection if it has low-temperature charging cutoff protection. And of course, insulate the battery and possible add heating pads to keep it warm enough so it can be charged. While the low temp protection is a good thing, I would not want to rely upon it without backup measures in place, hence the heat.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Thinking now we don’t have enough information to make an accurate suggestion. Does someone inhabit the yurt all day so that it does not freeze? What specifically does YurtSolar want from a 3000W inverter? For me it would be cooking appliances, occasional space heating and limited power tools.

This is what we currently have:

3500W inverter with a dozen 12V AGM golf cart sized; this handles water well, entertainment, lighting, compact fridge (we also have a propane fridge), occasional power tools, induction cooktop, toaster oven.

600W inverter with two 12V 100Ah LFP that handles 24/7 Viasat satellite internet (primarily). Clouds come in winter, we sometimes turn off when bedtime arrives but usually keep on when we are gone because of security camera internet feed.

In our secondary living area:

300W inverter with 2 AGM 120Ah (I think) for charging phone, water bottle water heater, small TV (short duration viewing)

1200VA inverter with 24V 100Ah LFP for cell phone booster, space heater (brief use), tv when it is cloudy. During the fire season, it is with the truck (including solar panels) where we use it for induction cooking and smaller toaster oven, charging ebike/scooter batteries, some power tools, etc.

Year and a half ago, lightning took out our 15 year old 3500W inverter, so I took measures to create backup (2 of these systems). But the old stanky lousy-output generator that came with the house was given away and instead of spending on another gasoline drinker we got more solar capability and grateful, so grateful. (We curtail electrical consumption during the winter clouds)

 

[YurtSolar]

Why would you need to triple your inverter power? You’ve been getting along fine with 1000W. Moving to a bigger inverter comes with a cost other than money: higher idle draw. Idle draw is the power required to keep the inverter on and providing power. It doesn’t meaning the power is being used, but it’s available. So your 1000W inverter might have a 10W idle draw but a 3000W one might be more like 30-40W. Multiply that number by 24 hours and now you’re up to 720-960 watt-hours per day, not even powering anything. That will require a bigger battery and more panels to support. So now the cost swings back into needing to spend more money and convince the landowners that it’s in their best interest to cut down some trees.

If you must upgrade your inverter, then go for a Victron Phoenix 24/1200VA. This is a 1000-1100W 24v inverter. It’s a beast. I have the 12v version. It will only run 1000-1100W continuous, but has a real 5-30 seconds of surge power up to 2400W. Most inexpensive inverters only surge for less than 1/4 second, which allows them to say it legally that the device has a (useless) surge rating of X watts. The Phoenix will be the last inverter you’ll need. And since I have a very similar use case as yours, I can share my Eco Mode settings with you so you can have a 1-3W idle draw. Which means you’ll get more juice out of your battery bank for cloudy days.

Thank you for educating me on this point @Tomthumb62 . I had not considered the idle draw seriously but have since learned about the power save feature on my 1000w inverter and have decided to stick with what I have since it seems to work well. I think if I do upgrade I'll seriously consider that Phoenix you have!

Umm... do you live in the yurt full time? Just curious because Vermont winters and LFP batteries are not good bed fellows.

Replacing the 1000w inverter with a 1200w inverter just seems to be a waste of money for very very little gain. That's a few hundred bucks that can go towards larger batteries or more panels or literally anything else that will provide a real gain.

Yes, I do live in the Yurt full time @Rednecktek . It's pretty sweet! I ended up ordering 2 24v EG4 lifepower batteries. I do have a propane heater that keeps things above freezing down to about 0 degrees on its own (without any wood fire), and will be adding small 12v heating pads for insurance. I also plan to insulate a box for the batteries and will disconnect them from charging when I leave for vacation in case my multiple systems fail.

Yup, that's exactly what it does. We use them on boats all the time.

I'm going to have to look into those and how I could add one to my set up, although I think my wife will want to get rid of the old batteries to save on valuable floor space (we have max 300 square feet total).

Keep in mind that the Victron 24/1200VA is listed as a 1000W inverter. It’s 1200 volt-amps which translates into a real world number of about 1000W. I have observed my 12/1200VA to hum along continuously at 1100W, but will beep “overload” at 1175W, measured with a kill-a-watt meter.

Some people, like me, practically worship Victron gear. It’s just that good. Compared to what it usually replaces, it’s clear to me that the bang for the buck is much better with Victron.

And there in lies the controversy. Some people are anti Victron simply because it costs more and they don’t like the guru status some of us have given it. I bet some of these people would still hate on Victron should it cost the same as the cheap stuff, simply to stand their ground to not become “one of them”.

Victron recently slashed prices about 30% on some of their products, namely the Smartsolar charge controllers. It doesn’t cover the Phoenix inverters, though you might find a cyber Monday deal somewhere.

I’ma fan of the seller invertersRus.com. They have been excellent and good prices for all my Victron gear. They do have a “Victron B-stock” list that you can sometimes get a good deal (includes original warranty) on:

Victron Energy B-Stock Sale - Open Box, Cosmetic Damage, Used

We sell a lot of Victron Energy products, so naturally, we get our fair share of returns as well. Open Box, Cosmetic Damage or Used

invertersrus.com

Note: this list doesn’t format correctly on my mobile phone, be sure to look at it on a computer or maybe a tablet would work.

EDIT: Their listing for the Phoenix 24/1200:

Phoenix Inverter 24/1200	PIN242122500	CALL or EMAIL	$345.75	“Open Box”
		CALL or EMAIL	$311.18	“Cosmetic Damage”
		CALL or EMAIL	$288.13	“Used”

I bought a Victron IP22 charger "open box" (from ebay) from them and it arrived truly as such. It was brand new as far as I could tell but was missing the original box. When I ordered an "open box" Phoenix 12/1200 inverter from them, the first one they sent was not in open box condition but quite damaged...they replaced it immediately with a BRAND NEW inverter. They paid for all shipping in all cases and all I had to do was box up the damaged one (which actually still worked wonderfully under my stress tests) in the box the new one came in and let UPS pick it up. They were awesome about the whole thing and were very apologetic that they missed the boat the first time.

Wow! Thanks for the hookup on that site @Tomthumb62 . I think if I could sell my Cotek for a bit I could add some money and pick up that Phoenix, I'm going to have to measure my idle draw on this unit to see how much it would save me energy wise and if it's worth switching. I'm currently figuring out my fuse and wiring situation, signature Solar recommended 2 lynx distributors but I'm getting help and considering a small dc fuse block that would be able to meet my needs for way less money.