Why and how grounding is needed for Inverters

@4krowme 

Thanks for the kind words.

Jim

@jea48 is one of the very few here that I trust with information about AC electrical. I have seen responses from others in other threads that seem to have authority until pressed for actual facts. I am glad that we have few people here who understand these electrical circuits well enough to point us in a safe direction.

@jea48 Thanks for confirming.

@neo_the_one

The model you have posted is the one that got me confused. It does have a separate grounding post that the inverter + charger does not seem to have.

I could not find anything related to grounding in the invert + charge model’s manual

Look at page 13 in the manual.

The picture shows the safety equipment ground as part of the AC power in wiring. If the unit will be plugged into a wall outlet the safety equipment grounding conductor of the in wall branch circuit wiring is used. The terminal strip on the unit shows where to land, terminate, the ground wire from the power cord.

The video shown on the page is for the 3oooW unit. Apparently the only difference between the 2000W and 3000W is the FLA rating...

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Hi @jea48 ,

The manual you have shared above is for a different inverter ONLY model. The one I posted above is inverter and charger model. Both are 2000W models.

The model you have posted is the one that got me confused. It does have a separate grounding post that the inverter + charger does not seem to have.

I could not find anything related to grounding in the invert + charge model's manual 

@neo_the_one,

I took the time this morning to look up the unit, I believe, you are buying. Its wiring scheme is different than the 3000W unit video above.

Here is the manual for this 2000W unit. (Click on the Link below.)

https://www.renogy.com/content/RNG-INVT-2000-12V-P2/INVT-P2-Manual.pdf

Page 8 shows a ground lug (4)

Page 11.

Grounding
The Renogy Pure Sine Wave inverters come equipped with a grounding lug to appropriately ground to earth or to another designated ground (for example, a metal frame of an RV). The connections to ground must be tight and against bare metal. Whether using the inverter in a
mobile application, such as an RV, or in a building, grounding is highly recommended. The recommended wire size for grounding is 10 AWG insulated copper strand wire. For more
information regarding grounding, users and/or installers must consult with the Local and National Electric Codes (NEC) for more specific grounding regulations and suggestions as they can change per scenario.

This applies for your situation.

Local and National Electric Codes (NEC) for more specific grounding regulations and suggestions as they can change per scenario.

Do not run the #10awg ground wire to a dedicated outdoors ground rod. The ground wire needs to connect the electrical service grounding system of your house.

Where to connect the #10awg ground wire? I would need more information.

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Right now I do not want to spend to hook the inverter to my home power distribution, without verifying in a long run that it solves my problem. Putting the Fan/Inverter/battery in different room would also require either a much longer cable run, which is currently not feasible for my home.

Why does the fan noise have to be in the same room?

What was written above.  Above all, do not try to jimmy yourself a new grounding system.  Follow the manufacturers instructions precisely.

@jea48 Thanks, wanted to confirm that.

Here is a video for a 3000W unit. I assume the 2000W unit hook up is the same.

Only grounding needed is the wall outlet receptacle safety equipment ground. Do not use a separate dedicated ground rod for an additional earth ground.

BB