PROJECTA IMW300 Modified Sine Wave Inverters User Manual

CONVERTS 12 VOLT DC – 230 VOLT AC
POWER INVERTER
POWERS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES
FROM A 12 VOLT BATTERY P/No.s IMW300, IMW600, IMW1000, IMW2000

WARNING

• For use with negatively earthed vehicles & systems only.
• For indoor use out of weather only.
• Internally bonded for safety, battery DC negative to case & AC socket earth .
• Hazardous voltage inside – do not attempt to open or repair.
• Do not use if damaged.
• Read operating manual before using or making any connections.
• Only connect 230V AC appliances that are in safe condition.
• It is recommended that a type portable residual current device (RCD) he used for added output protection.
• For independent use, do not connect to buildings.

FEATURES

• Peak Power Technology runs appliances with high start up loads.
• Noise-free filtering reduces TV buzz & interference.
• Built in safety protection against AC power overload and low battery.
• Heavy Duty power leads for direct battery connection.
• Approved AS/NZS power outlet sockets.
• Twin power outlet sockets (except IMIN300).
• SV DC 2.1A USB power socket.
• Axial cooling fan.
• Temperature controlled automatic cooling fan (except IMW300).

SPECIFICATIONS:

x 21.7 x 10.0
Weight| 0.8kg| 1.41kg| 2.0kg| 4.18kg
Approvals| Electrical safety (AS/NZS4763:2011), EMC

WHAT IS AN INVERTER?

Inverters are designed for powering household appliances from a battery or vehicle. They are electronic devices that convert (12V DC) battery power to (230V ACI mains power.
Inverters are compact and often lightweight making them an ideal source of portable mains power. Thanks to their portability they are commonly used in cars, caravans, motor homes, boats, 4WD’s and utility vehicles.
Using an inverter with standard household appliances is a much cheaper option than purchasing specialised 12V appliances for times when power is not available.
These are two different types of inverters, modified sine wave and pure sine wave. The difference between the two is how close the output replicates mains power.
These graphs show the difference in output between mains power, modified sine wave and pure vino wavQ invortarc

Logically it follows that the process used in a pure sine wave inverter is more complex than a modified sine wave inverter and subsequently they are lot more expensive.
In reality most electric appliances operate unaffected on a modified sine wave and hence they are more common.
Pure sine wave inverters are reserved for use on medical equipment and sensitive electrical appliances.
Inverters are available with different power output levels to suit the type of appliances to be powered. Small inverters are designed for powering one small low power electrical or electronic appliance. Larger inverters can be used to power multiple small appliances or one larger appliance. Typically inverters are not an efficient method for running appliances with very high power requirements such as electric heaters, stoves, kettles and air conditioners. This is due to their high current draw and battery consumption.

CONNECTIONS / CONTROLS & ACCESSORIES

After unpacking your inverter take a moment to check that you have all the correct accessories for your model and familiarise yourself with the connections and controls.
P/No. IMW300

Supplied:

• Operating instructions
• Negative (Black) DC connection lead fitted with battery clips (900mm)
• Positive (Red) DC connection lead fitted with battery clips (900mm)

P/No. IMWI000 & IMIN2000
Supplied:

• Operating instructions
• Negative (Black) DC connection lead fitted with ring terminal (1100mm)
• Positive (Red) DC connection lead fitted with ring terminal (1100mm)

PLACEMENT/ LOCATION / MOUNTING OF INVERTER

Caution:

• The inverter must be mounted away from any flammable goods, gas bottles or gas appliances.
• Batteries should be mounted in a separate well-vented enclosure.
• For vehicle or camping use the inverter must be protected from rain, water or moisture.

Projecta inverters are designed for indoor, out of weather use only. For best performance the inverter must be used or mounted in a cool, dry, clean and well-ventilated area.
For best TV / Radio reception keep inverter as far away from TV’s, radios, antenna cables and antennas as possible.
All models are supplied with mounting brackets. If used in mobile applications such as 4WD, Caravan, Motor home or boat the inverter should be mounted to a suitable horizontal or vertical panel, with at least 50cm clearance from the rear panel of the inverter to provide good ventilation for the cooling fan.

SUITABLE POWER SOURCE:

In order to operate the inverter and supply power to an appliance a suitable 12V DC power supply is required. This can be a vehicle or caravan battery, portable power pack or an independent 12V lead acid battery. For most applications, a deep cycle battery is recommended for best performance.
The size of the battery used will determine how long the inverter will supply power to an appliance and how well the inverter will perform. Most batteries are marked with their size in Amp hours (Ahl or Cold Cranking Amps lCCAl.
Because 12 Volt inverters are capable of drawing high currents the inverter should only be connected to a suitable size battery. Connection to an undersized battery could damage the battery and will result in the inverter shutting down within a short period due to low battery voltage. The amount of power drawn from the battery is proportional to the inverter load.

135Ah I600CCA)
Run time with makmum load & minium battery size| 40rnin| 30min| 15min| 5min
Run tine for a 100 Wan gbbe with minimum battery site| 2 hours| 4 hours| 6 hours| 7 hours
Ideal battery site| 50-70401| 50.130Ah| 75-250Ah| 134-400Ah

CONNECTION TO POWER SOURCE & EARTHING

Caution:

• Even though the inverter is powered from a battery, it still produces Dangerous High Voltage AC power and has the potential to fatally injure if incorrectly installed or used.
• Before making any connections ensure inverter is switched off and has no AC appliances plugged into the AC output sockets.
• Ensure vehicle/system is a negative earthed or negative ground system only.
• Double check battery negative and positive posts before making any connection, a wrong connection (Reverse polarity) will cause the fuse/s to blow and may damage the inverter.
• A small spark (Arc) can occur when making the final battery connection, this is most common when the inverter has not been used for some time. This spark is caused by the inverter’s large capacitors charging quickly. To minimise this, make the last connection quickly and completely.
• Do not make any connections if there are any flammable fumes present or near any volatile fuels.
• Batteries can be dangerous, follow all battery manufacturer’s instructions and warnings.
• Projecta inverters are designed FOR INDEPENDENT USE ONLY. That is, they cannot be connected to household wiring whether the building is connected to the electricity grid or not
• Never operate the inverter without the DC negative input connected direct to the battery and never install a fuse, circuit breaker or battery switch in the negative supply line.

P/No. IMW300, IMW600, IMW1000 & IMW2000
These inverters can be connected to a power source on a temporary basis with the supplied DC leads (see the section Temporary Connection) or hard wired for a permanent installation with suitably sized cable and hardware for your application (see the section Hard Wired Connection). Regardless of which connection method is used it may be advantageous to earth the inverter case, see the section on External Earthing for more details.
TEMPORARY CONNECTION:

• Connect the ring terminal on the negative lead (Black) to the negative (Black) DC terminal on the back of the inverter.
• Connect the battery clip (Black) or ring terminal (IMW1000, IMW2000) on the other end of the lead to the negative DC supply or (-) battery terminal.
• Connect the ring terminal on the positive lead (Red) to the positive (Red) DC terminal on the back of the inverter.
• Connect the battery clip (Red) or ring terminal (IMW1000, IMW2000) on the other end of the lead to the positive DC supply or (+) battery terminal.

“HARD WIRED” CONNECTION
When mounting the inverter in a vehicle, caravan, boat or cabin it may be preferable to use longer DC battery cables than those supplied, so that the inverter can be placed in a more convenient, cooler or more protected location.
If longer cables are required only use suitably insulated automotive battery cable according to the following table (Note: B&S = AWG)

• It is recommended that a circuit breaker or high current fuse be placed in the DC positive (+) line close to the battery.
  P/N o.| IMW300| IMW600| IMW1000| IMW2000
  ---|---|---|---|---
  Fuse or Circuit Breakers size (+) Only| 40AMP| 100AMP| 150AMP| 250AMP (or 2 x 150AMP
  in parallel)
• It is recommended that a heavy duty battery switch with a current rating higher than the fuse (or combined fuses) be fitted in the DC positive (+) line close to the battery to allow the supply to the inverter to be switched off, this can also be achieved by using a circuit breaker which has a trip facility.
• Positive and Negative cables should be run close together to reduce cable inductance, and be protected from damage by corrugated conduit.

EXTERNAL EARTHING: (OPTIONAL)

Projecta inverters have been internally bonded for safety, by connecting the AC socket/s earth pin to the inverter case and to the DC negative supply input. Because of this most installations do not require the inverter to be earthed. However if the inverter is used in a stationary land based application or if the inverter is causing interference with TV sets or radios it is recommended that an external earth connection is made by one of the following methods:.

• xternal Earthing Stationary Applications – Connect an earth wire (Preferably solid Green or Green with Yellow stripe) from the external earth connection (Chassis GND) on the rear of the inverter to a metal stake or pipe that is driven into the ground at least 1.2m.
• External Earthing Mobile Applications – Connect an earth wire (Preferably solid Green or Green with Yellow stripe) from the external earth connection (Chassis GND) on the rear of the inverter to the chassis of the vehicle or ground wires in a boat.

OPERATION

Caution:

• Always switch off the appliance and inverter before recharging the battery or starting the vehicle engine.
• Never connect the AC output of the inverter to normal fixed building wiring or any wiring connected to the mains grid. Normally AC wiring contains a M.E.N. link, this neutral to earth link will damage the inverter.
• This inverter is designed for direct connection to appliances however extension leads and power boards can be used.

PROTECTION FEATURES
Projecta inverters include sophisticated circuitry that monitors the operation of the inverter and turns the inverter off if a problem is detected. The “Fault” light will illuminate and/or an audible alarm will be heard if this occurs. This prevents damage to the inverter, battery or appliance being powered.

• Low Battery – This feature will sound a continuous alarm when the battery powering the inverter is low (10.5£0.3V). It is recommended that the appliance is turned off, then the inverter is also turned off and the battery is recharged.
  If the appliance is allowed to continue to run, the inverter will tum off when the battery is very low (9.5 +0.3V) to prevent damage to the battery or inverter. This will cause a sudden disruption of power to the appliance that may cause problems for some appliances, for example most computers that need to be shut down properly.

• Overload – This feature will turn the inverter off when the total load connected exceeds the inverter’s rating (see “Determining suitable load/appliance”). This may also occur due to highly inductive loads, such as any appliance with a motor causing a  udden peak load on the inverter. If this occurs, IMW300 will automatically recover once the load is reduced. All other inverter models will need to be manually reset by switching off the appliance and the inverter. After 2 seconds, turn the inverter on and it will provide power again. If the inverter shuts down more than 3 times, it is likely that the appliance is drawing more load than the inverter can supply, and a larger inverter would be recommended.

• High temperature – This feature will turn the inverter off if the inverter has reached a high temperature. This may occur from continuously running a high load for long periods, due to high ambient temperatures or due to poor ventilation around the inverter. If this occurs, tum the inverter off and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before resuming operation. Where possible reduce the load on the inverter and improve ventilation.

DETERMINING SUITABLE LOAD / APPLIANCES:
The inverter is fitted with 1 or 2 approved AS/NZS Australian socket outlets (depending on model) either or both sockets can be used, as long as the combined load (Watts required to run appliance) does not exceed the inverters’ continuous rating. All appliances have a rating plate that shows the amount of power (Watts) used or the current (Amps) drawn under normal use The following table shows the maximum combined AC Watts or AC Amps which can be run by the inverter.

P/No.| IMW300| | IMW1000| | IMW2000
---|---|---|---
AC Combined max load (Watts)| | 300W| 1000W| 2000W
AC Combined max load (Amps)| | 1.3A| 4.35A| 8.7A
Number of sockets| 1| 2| 2

Some appliances that use an electric motor or transformer may draw 2 to 6 times their rating when first turned on, these are called inductive loads and are the most difficult for the inverter to run. For these appliances it is often a matter of trial and error to see what size inverter they will run on, if in doubt always use a larger inverter. The following table is a guide to the appropriate AC Watt drawn by various appliances. The DC Amps column shows the approximate power drawn from the 12 Volt supply.

CONNECTING APPLIANCE AND RUNNING INVERTER

• Connect the appliance AC plug to the inverter AC outlet socket.
• Switch the inverter “ON”, the “Green” power light will illuminate to indicate operation.
• Turn the appliance “ON”, if the appliance is fitted with an “On/Off” switch always switch the inverter on before switching the appliance on and always turn the appliance off before switching the inverter off.
• When not in use turn the inverter off.

RESIDUAL CURRENT DEVICE (RCD)
For added safety it is recommended that a Type “A” Residual Current Device (RCD) be used for any appliance that is being operated by the inverter. These are sometimes called “Safety Switches” and are designed to be connected between and appliance and power source.

1. Connect the RCD to the inverter AC outlet socket
2. Connect the appliance to the other end of the RCD
3. Tum the inverter “ON”
4. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to turn the RCD “ON” and “TEST” that it is functioning correctly.
5. Tum the appliance on. Some RCD do not work properly with the inverter’s “Modified Wave” output. Check with the RCD manufacturer and always follow the manufacturer’s “TEST” procedure to check that the RCD is functioning correctly.

TROUBLESHOOTING / FAQ:

Q. Why does the inverter turn itself off?

A. If the inverter makes a beep sound and/or the “RED

Q. The inverter will not run my appliance even though the appliance draws less power (Watts) than the size of the inverter?

Q. The inverter is powering my portable television, but | cannot get a clear picture?

A. In poor reception areas it is quite common to have some interference on a portable TV (such as faint lines on the screen) when operating on all modified sine wave inverters. * To improve your picture quality: - Keep the inverter as far away from the TV as possible. - Use an extemal long range or fringe area TV antenna with good quality coaxial cable. - Earth (Chassis GND) the inverter (see section on earthing, page 10)

Q. Can I run fluorescent lighting from my inverter?

A. Most portable fluorescent work lamps should operate fine on an inverter even though they may be slow to start. Fluorescent lights are an inductive & capacitive load and often draw at least twice as much power from the inverter than their normal rating to start. * Normal household fluorescent lights should be avoided, because they contain power factor correction capacitors. Power factor correction is used in normal buildings to help smooth out the inductive effects of fluorescent light ballasts. If used with portable power inverters the power factor correction is effected by the harmonic distortion in the modified waveform, this causes a high load on the inverter that can overload the unit. If normal household fluorescent lights must be used, you will need to have a qualified electrician remove the power factor correction capacitor. The light should then be marked “For Inverter Use only”.

Q. Why does it damage the inverter if the battery leads are connected back to front?

A. Your inverter uses sophisticated electronics to convert DC battery power to AC mains power. If you accidentally connect the inverter to the battery incorrectly (reverse polarity) a large current will be drawn by the inverter which will blow the protection fuses, as this occurs some of the high current could damage sensitive electronic components. Because of this risk it is important to always double-check the battery polarity before making any connections.

Q. How do I check or change the fuses?

Q. Why do lights operating from the inverter start dim and then get brighter.

Q. Why does the fan only operate sometimes on IMW600, IMW1000 & IMW2000 inverters?

A. These inverters feature a temperature controlled automatic cooling fan that only operates when needed. This allows the inverter to run very quite for most of the time.

Q. Why does my Residual Current Device (RCD) trip each time | turn an appliance on?

A. Some RCD’s disconnect (trip) when they do not receive any power. These types of RCD's can be tripped by the inverter's Peak Power Technology which allows a gradual ramp up of power. Use a continuous RCD which does not trip out when the power is turned off, these only trip when there isa fault.

Q. Why do some power tools not work properly?

. Some newer power tools use PWM variable speed controllers to vary the tool’s speed as the trigger is squeezed. These power tools switch the power on and off very quickly in a similar way to how the inverter works. Because of this, some may not function properly with the inverter's modified sine wave output.

Q. Can I run laptop computers?

A. Most laptop/notebook computer AC power adapters work perfectly fine with the inverter's modified sine wave. Some however are more sensitive and may not function properly. If your power adaptor does not function or causes a humming noise it is probably not compatible.

Q. Can | connect lights with dimmers to the inverter?

A. Older light dimmers may function fine but most newer light dimming circuits are designed for household sine wave AC power, these may not work properly with modified sine wave inverters.

WARRANTY STATEMENT

APPLICABLE ONLY TO PRODUCT SOLD IN AUSTRALIA
Brown & Watson International Pty Ltd of 1500 Ferntree Gully Road, Knoxfield, Vic,, telephone (03) 9730 6000, fax (03) 9730 6050, warrants that all products described in its current catalogue (save and except for all bulbs and lenses whether made of glass or some other substance) will under normal use and service be free of failures in material and workmanship for a period of one (1) year (unless this period has been extended as indicated elsewhere) from the date of the original purchase by the consumer as marked on the invoice. This warranty does not cover ordinary wear and tear, abuse, alteration of products or damage caused by the consumer. To make a warranty claim the consumer must deliver the product at their cost to the original place of purchase or to any other place which may be nominated by either BWI or the retailer from where the product was bought in order that a warranty assessment may be performed. The consumer must also deliver the original invoice evidending the date and place of purchase together with an explanation in writing as to the nature of the claim. In the event that the daim is determined to be for a minor failure of the product then BWI reserves the right to repair or replace it at its discretion. In the event that a major failure is determined the consumer will be entitled to a replacement or a refund as well as compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. This warranty is in addition to any other rights or remedies that the consumer may have under State or Federal legislation.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law.
You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.

Distributed by
AUSTRALIA
Brown & Watson International Pty Ltd Knoxfield, Victoria 3180
Telephone: (03) 9730 6000
Facsimile: (03) 9730 6050
National Toll Free: 1800 113 443
NEW ZEALAND
Griffiths Equipment Ltd.
19 Bell Avenue,
Mount Wellington,
Auckland 1060, New Zealand
Phone: (09) 525 45755178
Fax: (09) 579 1192
IS178
Issue 3 1.12.21

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