Chuck H Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 We have an odd issue with our Xantrex Freedom combi 1500 inverter/charger in our recently purchased 2002 Monaco Knight 34pbd. The inverter portion is not inverting. The charger portion is working fine. The odd part is a previous owner has removed the 200 amp fuse and inserted a small guage battery cable as jumper eliminating any protection. Before I purchase a new inverter/charger and install a fuse I should probably try to research why someone would have removed the fuse in the first place and why the inverter portion isn't working. I'm new to this stuff and not sure where to start. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Pic of remote looks as if the inverter should be working. Other pic shows looped jumper cable where a 200 amp fuse should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ko7pjim Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 (edited) Isn't your display indicate you are on shore power? If so your inverter isn't going to supply the 120VAC. Edited August 18, 2021 by ko7pjim Sp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubflyer Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 (edited) Glad you posted the photos, you need to delete the other two posts to help eliminate confusion.... I agree with Jim, it seems you are on shore power, in that configuration the shore power is supposed to 'pass thru' the inverter and power the outlets on the inverter circuit. To tell if your inverter is "inverting" you need to disconnect from any power source (except your batteries), push the "inverter" button on that display and the inverter should power (some) outlets, probably the microwave, not the air conditioners.. If it does that it is 'inverting'.... it could be possible that the inverter is doing that but not passing thru shore power... or passing thru and not inverting... check it out and get back to us. As for the wire in place of a fuse.... no telling, but until there is an overload condition it does not matter if it is a wire or a fuse. Ken Edited August 18, 2021 by Cubflyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck H Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share Posted August 18, 2021 Thanks for the replies! That's what is showing now on the remote with no shore power attached. If I push the invert button it all goes blank, push it again and it lights back up to what the picture shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubflyer Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Based on what you just reported, pushing the inverter button with no shore power gives you what is in the photo, and pushing it again the display goes blank.... is normal operation (at least that is what mine does).... now the question is.... Do you have any ac power to anything in the coach when the "inverter" button has a light on?... I do not see any "DC Amps" lights on in your photo, when I turn my "inverter" on (with that button) there is no DC Amps at first, then a few seconds later the first light comes on along with power to the ac circuits on the inverter. I believe that indication (DC AMPs) is the inverters draw on the batteries. When using the batteries to make ac power the inverter can not charge the batteries..... Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck H Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share Posted August 18, 2021 No there is no A/C power to anything. There is 12VDC coming into the inverter that matches what the state of charge is on the batteries. Everything works fine on shore power and geny power, all outlets all appliances are working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubflyer Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Checked the output circuit breakers on the inverter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck H Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share Posted August 18, 2021 They are not tripped. Could they go bad? Sorry that's a loaded question considering this inverter is 20 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cubflyer Posted August 18, 2021 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Here is a block diagram... I believe it's pretty generic/common set up. As you see, the inverter is powered by batteries or when there is shore/gen power it "passes thru" that power to the circuits 'on' the inverter... ie, microwave, TV, kitchen, etc... so if those circuits are getting power when the genny or ground power is powering the coach and not getting power when the inverter is turned on and drawing power from the batteries.... it must be broke.... I think..... blockRVpowerdiagram.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck H Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share Posted August 18, 2021 That's kind of what I've been thinking that it gave up the ghost! I'm just very concerned as to why somebody removed the fuse and also I've been told that the 50amp main cord has been replaced because the original should have been black. I just don't want to replace the inverter and fuse to have it blow again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck H Posted August 22, 2021 Author Share Posted August 22, 2021 Update... I decided after checking everything I had the guts to check I took off the covering (see attached photo)over the Invert button on the front of the unit itself because it was so smashed in that the button wasn't operable. There was a small piece of round foam the size of the button behind the front covering and between that and the actual button that had dried out and become very hard. So after removing all of that I then was able to just push the button with the eraser end of a pencil and the Inverter came to life. It now works fine. But and there's always a but. The remote inside isn't communicating with the Inverter properly because I can turn off the Inverter using the remote but can't turn it back on, it just goes blank. So I have to go back outside and turn it on again. So one issue resolved only to find another one. Anybody out there with any ideas? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diys1 Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 I had the same inverter and the plug for the remote at the inverter (the phone plug on the front) kept failing. You could get a long phone wire and plug it in to the remote and the inverter to test if that wire is the problem. I replaced that inverter with a full sign wave Xantrex model and am happy with the results and so is my residential refrigerator. JimJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck H Posted September 2, 2021 Author Share Posted September 2, 2021 Thanks Jim for the reply. I just recently tried a new remote and cable to no avail. It would seem that it is an eternal issue and given its age it's probably not worth fixing. I have also been contemplating replacing it. Did you have to change anything such as cables, remote, wiring, different size fuse from battery to Inverter( just installed a new 200 amp fuse) or anything else I should be aware of? Chuck H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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