I was losing my mind troubleshoot why my GFI kept tripping when I plugged my camper into my garage receptacle. I was able to troubleshoot with a continuity test that the ground and neutral were somehow bonded. Your video confirmed it. Now it’s time to snip the bond wire. Thanks for this video 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Saved me a lot of time, THANK YOU! I was using this as a home backup inverter and was plagued by the GFCI fault. Opened it up and pulled the sensor wire only and it doesn't fault out anymore. Saved me from having to return it, thanks again! (2000 watt unit)
Thank you , I'm having gf trip when turning on my mini split , I have it on a semi and renogy customer service is useless in this situation, will try disabling the gf connector ,I read in other forums that HVAC systems should run on constant power outlets, because of the compressors .
That grounding bolt ... Should my grounding cable lug be sandwiched between 2 nuts on the bolt, or should it be pressed directly against the metal case (but it's painted!)?
That's a good point, I didnt think about that with mine i sandwiched it. Steel is a relatively poor conductor of electricity but it will have continuity no matter where you connect it
Thanks. I had a discussion with the folks at Renogy and they highly discouraged connecting their inverter to a transfer switch of course because of the neutral-ground bond issue, but they said an inverter charger would be fine. Do you know why? Something to do with the transformer? Can a low frequency inverter charger be directly connected without worrying about a ground neutral bond? I purchased a Bluetti AC 200 max because I did not want to fiddle with stuff I didn't understand.
@@LibertyDIY I think you're right. I just recently purchased a Sungoldpower 6,000 Watt inverter charger to use independently but the thought crossed my mind if it would be okay to plug into my transfer switch if I needed it.
Thanks for the info. But can you tell me if this is only if you want to connect the AC OUT to a grounded load? These have AC IN as well, which I imagine, is NG bonded as well
Great video. I have a 700W inverter by Renogy as well, and am having issues similar to what you mentioned, when using in a residential, earth-grounded environment. Question: have you ever been able to find schematics or wiring diagrams for their inverters? My board is different than yours, and the N-G bond is not as obvious on mine. I've reached out to customer service, but no success so far; not their fault; just liability. A wiring diagram would be awesome. Thanks, and good job again.
Thank you, in this case I just tracked down the n/g bond by examining the board and then confirming with a multimeter using the continuity tester. I have noticed the larger more expensive units (sunpowergold) have auto switches and disconnects that you can unplug or replug manually. So Renogy is assuming these units are being used in RV or Auto
Update: Renogy confirmed the location of the N-G bond on my 700W. Lifted it, and disabled the GFCI, and it runs without error. I'll post a link below to cross-reference, being that there are probably more folks out there with this issue. Thanks so much again! ua-cam.com/video/IHSP0O1ro_s/v-deo.html
@@LibertyDIY Renogy Has No intention of their Equipment being Used Residentially, There 20 ft Adapter or Extension Cables Prove this, They can only Put one 100 Watt Panel on One Extension Cable, 10 AWG . They Sell The Cables but Donte tell you what they are good For ? One Panel LOL
You made an interesting point when you said you can't have a earth neutral bonded in two places . Some hybrid inverters have facility to connect a generator . Which would you choose to bond . The generator or the inverter in that case ?
I’m using a solar system with 2000w inverter to power a subpanel in a mobile home. This is in the middle of nowhere and the only source of power. In this case I should leave the bond between the ground and neutral inside the inverter correct? Should I ground the subpanel to earth and the inverter case to earth as well?
Yes feeding a subpanel that (probably) does not have a neutral-ground bond in the panel, so in that case the NG bond inside the inverter shouldn't give you any problems.
Yes the panel and inverter should both be grounded to earth, simply because they are metal and the earth ground functions in case a live wire ever shorted to the metal case, it would instantly trip the breaker rather than "surprise" someone later on.
Wouldn't just disconnecting the GFI circuit be enough? Wouldn't that be safe enough to run via extension cord a household refrigerator that's causing the Inverter's GFI to trip? Thanks in advance for any input.
im running a renogy 1000w from a 12V 190Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery 2432Wh BMS hooked up to my delta max 2000 it was set to only 500w input on the delta max doing fine for about 15 min then triped the gf on the Renogy 1000 ...whats the down side of doing this clipping the jumper an pull 2 wire plug?
This is giving me motivation to hack my 1000W inverter, but the circuitry is different. The ground and neutral lines are not so close together on the PCB and I don't think there is a jumper wire hidden under the small amount of caulk/RTV. I'll have to take the entire PCB out of the box and look at the bottom side. But maybe I'll ask Renogy directly... Or just disconnect the red sensor wires...
I have the 2000 watt version and the gfci light keeps coming on. I use this inverter on my semi. I have plugged to it a small dorm refrigerator, a 750 watt microwave, and a 32 inch smart tv. I’ve had this inverter for about 6 months and everything was good until about 2 months ago when the gfci started to pop up. I have the red and black cables connected to my batteries. If I unplug the gfci sensor, do I need to use a copper wire to ground to my truck chasis? I am not good with electricity and don’t want to burn my truck down. 😅 thanks for the help
Yes for your safety grounding the inverter is a good idea so if the 120v ever reaches the truck body the circuit breaker will trip. As far removing GFCI yes sometimes you can get nuisance tripping from the fridge compressor.
So would you say these renogly inverters are suitable to chaege an ev (tesla) Im looking into doing a offgrid solar charger and have read about some inveters not being neutrally grounded, resulting in the tesla mobile connector having an error light with grounding issies Basically my question is does this brand of inverter come neutrally bonded allowing for me to charge my tesla without issue?
My RV storage lot reported to me that after I installed a Renogy 2k inverter their pedestals went dead. Sure enough , adding the inverter triggers a ground fault. I have switch over relay for my black output wire so it goes no where with the inverter off and I’ve removed the external ground from the inverter (which is powered off) and I still trip the RV storage lot GFI. Should I go inside the inverter to snip the bonding in this case?
I suspect you're right and the bonding in the inverter is tripping something on their end, even when the inverter isn't in use. Is there a way to isolate the inverter completely from the system while using the pedestal? (Or snipping that bond if necessary)
@@LibertyDIY I can remove the hot and neutral romex wires from the inverter output that leads to the distribution center and then the pedestal is fine but that’s like not having installed it. I’m just reluctant to go under the cover of the inverter and make a permanent change I might want in a different situation.
Assuming one were to do this and then use the inverter to back-feed power to the house main panel (only while the grid power was turned off), then would this, in theory, work as a back-up power supply? To be clear the main power is locked off during this type of use and the inverter would be disconnected prior to turning the main power back on. The only bonded neutral would be in the main house panel. The chassis of the inverter would be connected to an earth ground. Thank you.
Hello, may i ask you one question, if you dont mind, just to check my understanding? If I plug in the invertor input wire in the network, while its blackout, would it be grounded still? In other words, is it a neutral earth bonded inverter? Important for phase-dependent devices. Thanks)
I was losing my mind troubleshoot why my GFI kept tripping when I plugged my camper into my garage receptacle. I was able to troubleshoot with a continuity test that the ground and neutral were somehow bonded. Your video confirmed it. Now it’s time to snip the bond wire. Thanks for this video 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Saved me a lot of time, THANK YOU! I was using this as a home backup inverter and was plagued by the GFCI fault. Opened it up and pulled the sensor wire only and it doesn't fault out anymore. Saved me from having to return it, thanks again! (2000 watt unit)
It would work, but don't you still have a NG bond left in place, thus creating a hazard?
Worked great. No more ground fault from my Powerboost generator.
Thanks dude. Gonna check this on my 2k model.
Thank you , I'm having gf trip when turning on my mini split , I have it on a semi and renogy customer service is useless in this situation, will try disabling the gf connector ,I read in other forums that HVAC systems should run on constant power outlets, because of the compressors .
Thank you very much!
That grounding bolt ... Should my grounding cable lug be sandwiched between 2 nuts on the bolt, or should it be pressed directly against the metal case (but it's painted!)?
That's a good point, I didnt think about that with mine i sandwiched it. Steel is a relatively poor conductor of electricity but it will have continuity no matter where you connect it
Thanks. I had a discussion with the folks at Renogy and they highly discouraged connecting their inverter to a transfer switch of course because of the neutral-ground bond issue, but they said an inverter charger would be fine. Do you know why? Something to do with the transformer? Can a low frequency inverter charger be directly connected without worrying about a ground neutral bond? I purchased a Bluetti AC 200 max because I did not want to fiddle with stuff I didn't understand.
The inverter chargers often have automatic neutral ground bonding switches.
@@LibertyDIY I think you're right. I just recently purchased a Sungoldpower 6,000 Watt inverter charger to use independently but the thought crossed my mind if it would be okay to plug into my transfer switch if I needed it.
Looks like a good fix. Does this create an open ground situation? Will it still be grounded if it is grounded at transfer switch and panel?
Thanks for the info. But can you tell me if this is only if you want to connect the AC OUT to a grounded load? These have AC IN as well, which I imagine, is NG bonded as well
Great video. I have a 700W inverter by Renogy as well, and am having issues similar to what you mentioned, when using in a residential, earth-grounded environment. Question: have you ever been able to find schematics or wiring diagrams for their inverters? My board is different than yours, and the N-G bond is not as obvious on mine. I've reached out to customer service, but no success so far; not their fault; just liability. A wiring diagram would be awesome. Thanks, and good job again.
Thank you, in this case I just tracked down the n/g bond by examining the board and then confirming with a multimeter using the continuity tester. I have noticed the larger more expensive units (sunpowergold) have auto switches and disconnects that you can unplug or replug manually. So Renogy is assuming these units are being used in RV or Auto
@@LibertyDIY Much obliged, dude. Thanks for getting back to me.
Update: Renogy confirmed the location of the N-G bond on my 700W. Lifted it, and disabled the GFCI, and it runs without error. I'll post a link below to cross-reference, being that there are probably more folks out there with this issue. Thanks so much again! ua-cam.com/video/IHSP0O1ro_s/v-deo.html
@@LibertyDIY Renogy Has No intention of their Equipment being Used Residentially, There 20 ft Adapter or Extension Cables Prove this, They can only Put one 100 Watt Panel on One Extension Cable, 10 AWG . They Sell The Cables but Donte tell you what they are good For ? One Panel LOL
You made an interesting point when you said you can't have a earth neutral bonded in two places .
Some hybrid inverters have facility to connect a generator . Which would you choose to bond . The generator or the inverter in that case ?
Those inverters might have an automatic neutral/ground bonding switch built in
I’m using a solar system with 2000w inverter to power a subpanel in a mobile home. This is in the middle of nowhere and the only source of power. In this case I should leave the bond between the ground and neutral inside the inverter correct? Should I ground the subpanel to earth and the inverter case to earth as well?
Yes feeding a subpanel that (probably) does not have a neutral-ground bond in the panel, so in that case the NG bond inside the inverter shouldn't give you any problems.
Yes the panel and inverter should both be grounded to earth, simply because they are metal and the earth ground functions in case a live wire ever shorted to the metal case, it would instantly trip the breaker rather than "surprise" someone later on.
Wouldn't just disconnecting the GFI circuit be enough? Wouldn't that be safe enough to run via extension cord a household refrigerator that's causing the Inverter's GFI to trip?
Thanks in advance for any input.
Yes especially if the fridge is on a separate "critical loads panel" because those panels have neutral and ground unbonded.
❤
im running a renogy 1000w from a 12V 190Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery 2432Wh BMS hooked up to my delta max 2000 it was set to only 500w input on the delta max doing fine for about 15 min then triped the gf on the Renogy 1000 ...whats the down side of doing this clipping the jumper an pull 2 wire plug?
This is giving me motivation to hack my 1000W inverter, but the circuitry is different. The ground and neutral lines are not so close together on the PCB and I don't think there is a jumper wire hidden under the small amount of caulk/RTV. I'll have to take the entire PCB out of the box and look at the bottom side. But maybe I'll ask Renogy directly... Or just disconnect the red sensor wires...
I have the 2000 watt version and the gfci light keeps coming on. I use this inverter on my semi. I have plugged to it a small dorm refrigerator, a 750 watt microwave, and a 32 inch smart tv.
I’ve had this inverter for about 6 months and everything was good until about 2 months ago when the gfci started to pop up. I have the red and black cables connected to my batteries. If I unplug the gfci sensor, do I need to use a copper wire to ground to my truck chasis? I am not good with electricity and don’t want to burn my truck down. 😅 thanks for the help
Yes for your safety grounding the inverter is a good idea so if the 120v ever reaches the truck body the circuit breaker will trip. As far removing GFCI yes sometimes you can get nuisance tripping from the fridge compressor.
So would you say these renogly inverters are suitable to chaege an ev (tesla)
Im looking into doing a offgrid solar charger and have read about some inveters not being neutrally grounded, resulting in the tesla mobile connector having an error light with grounding issies
Basically my question is does this brand of inverter come neutrally bonded allowing for me to charge my tesla without issue?
I'm just looking into that myself, think I'll post question on Facebook
My RV storage lot reported to me that after I installed a Renogy 2k inverter their pedestals went dead. Sure enough , adding the inverter triggers a ground fault. I have switch over relay for my black output wire so it goes no where with the inverter off and I’ve removed the external ground from the inverter (which is powered off) and I still trip the RV storage lot GFI. Should I go inside the inverter to snip the bonding in this case?
I suspect you're right and the bonding in the inverter is tripping something on their end, even when the inverter isn't in use. Is there a way to isolate the inverter completely from the system while using the pedestal? (Or snipping that bond if necessary)
@@LibertyDIY I can remove the hot and neutral romex wires from the inverter output that leads to the distribution center and then the pedestal is fine but that’s like not having installed it. I’m just reluctant to go under the cover of the inverter and make a permanent change I might want in a different situation.
Assuming one were to do this and then use the inverter to back-feed power to the house main panel (only while the grid power was turned off), then would this, in theory, work as a back-up power supply? To be clear the main power is locked off during this type of use and the inverter would be disconnected prior to turning the main power back on. The only bonded neutral would be in the main house panel. The chassis of the inverter would be connected to an earth ground. Thank you.
That is correct but it would only feed one 120V leg of the home unless you jumper the legs together
And of course turning off all the 240 breakers if you do jumper the legs
@@LibertyDIY Jumper the legs and turn off the 240 breakers. Thanks.
Why don't I see the transformer?
Hello, may i ask you one question, if you dont mind, just to check my understanding?
If I plug in the invertor input wire in the network, while its blackout, would it be grounded still?
In other words, is it a neutral earth bonded inverter? Important for phase-dependent devices.
Thanks)
Yes it is bonded internally.
Mine is a 2000 watt
Should be a similar layout inside
Poking around capacitors with metal scissors. Just saying. 😅
Would have made the video much more exciting with some sparks!
😂
At least he didn’t run with the scissors
These are the worst inverters on the market now