www.wagan.com
5
Elite
™
400W Pure Sine Inverter by Wagan Tech
®
©2012 Wagan Corporation
All Rights Reserved
Wagan and wagan.com are trademarks used by Wagan Corporation
6
User’s Manual—Read before using this equipment
Load Considerations
The startup load of an appliance is a major factor of whether this inverter can
power it.
Startup load is momentary. With many appliances, it is approximately twice the
continuous load, but some appliance startup loads can be as high as eight times the
continuous load.
To determine if an appliance or tool will operate with this inverter, run a test. This
inverter will automatically shut down in the event of an output overload, so there is
no danger of damaging either the inverter or the equipment. When lit, a red LED
indicator signals a fault.
Maximum Power from Vehicular Accessory Sockets
Most vehicular accessory sockets that are controlled through a vehicle’s ignition
switch are fused at 15 amps. This limits inverter output to approximately 140 watts.
A user has some options to power appliances to 400 watts.
1. For temporary use, connect the battery clip adapter cord to the inverter and
follow the procedure located under the “Connecting the Inverter” section.
2. Install a separate fused DC accessory socket wired to the vehicle’s battery.
Fuse this circuit at 50 amps.
There is no danger in leaving the inverter directly wired to the battery if the inverter
is turned OFF after use. Further, all inverters will shut off when the battery discharges
to 9.5 volts. This lower battery voltage still allows the vehicle to start.
Determining Maximum Appliance Wattage
Do not exceed the 400 watt maximum AC load or the inverter will shut down.
Most other electrical tools, appliances, and audio/video equipment have labels
that list the unit’s power requirements in watts. If the tool or device is rated in amps,
multiply the amps by 120 (120V AC) to determine the watts. For example, an
appliance rated at 0.5 amps will draw 60 watts.
WATTS = VOLTS × AMPS
Remember to consider the startup surge that motorized appliances will cause. Do
not exceed the 800 watt momentary surge rating of this inverter. This can cause
immediate overload shut down and or blow a fuse. A fuse protects the Accessory or
Lighter Socket.
Connecting the Inverter
DC Plug Adapter Cord – Up to 140 Watts Output
1. Connect the red and black spade terminals of the supplied DC Plug Adapter
Cord to the red (+) and black (−) stud terminals on the rear of the inverter.
Be sure to connect them into the correct polarity terminals on the rear of the
inverter. Reverse polarity connection will blow the fuse in the inverter and can
permanently damage to the inverter. Damage caused by reverse polarity will
void the warranty.
2. Connect the Plug end of the DC Adapter Cable into your vehicle’s 12V DC
accessory outlet. You may need to place the ignition switch to Accessory
Position if the vehicle engine is not operating.
3. Plug the AC appliance cord into the inverter’s AC receptacle, and/or your
USB appliance into the USB Power Port.
4. Place the ON/OFF power switch in the ON position. The green LED should
turn on, indicating the inverter is powered and operating normally.
5. While the Inverter is not in use, place the inverter’s ON/OFF Power Switch
to the OFF position and, optionally, unplug the DC Adapter cable from the
vehicle’s DC outlet.
