© 2016 Sensata Technologies
10
Installation
2.3 Wiring
Guidelines
•
Before connecting any wires, determine all wire routes to and from the
inverter throughout the RV or vehicle/boat.
•
Conductors passing through walls, bulkheads, or other structural members
must be protected to minimize insulation damage such as cha
fi
ng, which
can be caused by vibration or constant rubbing.
•
Always check for existing electrical, plumbing, or other areas of potential
damage prior to making cuts in structural surfaces, bulkheads, or walls.
•
Make sure all wires have a smooth bend radius and do not become kinked.
•
AC & DC overcurrent protection must be provided as part of installation.
•
Do not attempt to use a vehicle metal frame in place of the DC negative
connection or DC ground. The inverter requires a reliable negative and
ground return path directly to the battery.
•
DC wires and cables should be tied together with wire ties or electrical
tape approximately every 6 inches (40.1 cm). This helps improve the
surge capability and reduces the effects of inductance, which improves the
inverter waveform and reduces the wear of the inverter’s
fi
lter capacitors.
•
Use only copper wires with a minimum temp rating of 75°C (167°F).
•
To ensure the maximum performance from the inverter, all connections
from the battery bank to the inverter should be minimized; the exceptions
are the DC overcurrent disconnect in the positive line and a shunt in the
negative line. Any other additional connection will contribute to additional
voltage drops, and these extra connections points may loosen during use.
•
All wiring to the battery terminals should be checked periodically (once a
month) for proper tightness. The torque requirement for the DC terminals
is between 10 to 12 foot-pounds (13.6 to 16.3 N-m). If you don’t have
a torque wrench, ensure all DC terminals are tight and cannot move.
CAUTION:
Be aware that overtightening and misthreading the
nuts on the DC terminals can cause the bolts to strip and snap/
break off.
2.4 DC
Wiring
This section describes the inverter’s required DC wire sizes and the
recommended disconnect/overcurrent protection, and how to make the DC
connections to the inverter and the battery bank.
2.4.1 DC Wire Sizing and Overcurrent Protection
It is important to use the correct DC wire to achieve maximum ef
fi
ciency from
the system and reduce
fi
re hazards associated with overheating. See Table
1 to select the minimum DC wire size needed based on your inverter model.
If the distance from the inverter to the battery bank is greater than 3 feet
(91.4 cm), use the bottom part of Table 1 to help determine the minimum
recommended cable sizes for longer distances. Always keep your wire runs
as short as practical to prevent low voltage shutdowns, and to keep the DC
breaker from nuisance tripping (or open fuses) because of increased current
draw. Undersized cables can also lower the inverter’s peak output voltage as
well as reduce its ability to surge heavy loads.
Info:
The DC wires must be color coded with colored tape or heat
shrink tubing; RED for positive (+), BLACK for negative (–), and
GREEN for DC ground.
