Monday, Dec 04, 2006 at 12:08
Ron, most AGM cells will operate with the bottom of the case ripped open as the battery acid is held by the glass mat, and as such every AGM should be considered to be able to deliver more current than enough to cause a spark/fire, even when subjected to an impact. This is the basis for the caution about the
inverters and electrocution risks too.
If you crack open a wet cell and drain only one of the cells then the battery is effectively inoperable.
It is not a "doomsday merchant" comment, simply a statement of fact.
"...if the system is correctly installed it will be properly fused to eliminate any risk of 240V electrocution... as safe as houses..."
Fuses are NOT there to save lives, but to save the wiring. You will be dead in the time it takes a fuse to blow. Earth on your 240v systems is what is there to save lives, but if there is nowhere for the current to properly earth itself (in a vehicles case due to being on rubber tyres and/or having poor contact with the earth), then you are it, buddy...(effectively standing in a puddle of water holding a wet hairdryer), all the way up to 600 watts before the inverter says "enough" (it only takes less than a watt to kill you....).
One other thing you touched on is the inverter waveform. Square wave and modifies sine wave CAN (note that I did not say WILL) cause problems with switchmode power supplies, often transmitting serious power spikes through to your equipment and damaging it. True sine
inverters are the best to use with SMPS's, but are far more wasteful of power.
Check the warranty on any equipment that you may connect to and inverter, you may fall under the "non-approved charging method" clauses that nullify your warranty.
What I would say is to contact the manufacturer of all your equipment and ask them if the have any 12v options for charging them. Just because it wasn't included in the original box and original price, and wasn't mentioned by the salesman doesn't mean it is not available (eg, all phones have a 12 ciggie lighter adapter available). You would have a better chance of making a warranty claim if it was connected to an "approved" 12v charging solution from the manufacturer than by some dodgy other means.
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