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murphy-r avatar image
murphy-r asked

Phoenix 12/1200 reporting high VA value and trips

So we have a a new Phoenix 12/1200 hooked up to our new Victron lithium battery in our van. We have a very simple AC solution. The issue we are seeing is that our new travel water tea kettle is causing the inverter to trip into overload when it should not.

Here are the details.

Single AC outlet wired into a busbar which is then wired to the AC outlet on the Phoenix. Short runs and everything is new. The tea kettle is advertised "rated" for 800W. I clamped on an amp meter and it is pulling 8A so about 960W. The Phoenix shows anywhere from 1280-1400VA and trips with an overload alarm.

Would not a tea kettle be a resistive load and a power factor near 1.0?

Either way the data sheet for the Phoenix said it can sustain a 1000W load and the tea kettle is at or below that.

Thoughts?

Phoenix Inverter
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2 Answers
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kevgermany answered ·

Datasheet shows the continuous rating of the phoenix is 1000W at 25C, dropping after that. So by design, you're on the limit.

As the Phoenix shows much higher loads than the meter, this difference needs to be resolved.

How did you measure the current? Many clamp meters only work properly on a single conductor.

First guess is that the kettle is drawing more than you measure.

Any other loads you missed?


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murphy-r answered ·

I used a Klein clamp on meter with an line spliter. No other loads on the inverter during the time.

I tested a counter top induction plate that allows me to set the power level at 900W. The clamp on meter showed 7.1A which equates to about 860W. So pretty close. The Phoenix shows 1200VA.

Maybe I am not understanding how the Phoenix is calculate VA.

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