Chicago Electric Power Systems 95596 Installation manual

2000 WATT / 4000 WATT
INVERTER
95596
SET UP AND OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Distributed exclusively by Harbor Freight Tools®.
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo, CA 93011
Visit our website at: http://www.harborfreight.com
Read this material before using this product.
Failure to do so can result in serious injury.
SAVE THIS MANUAL.
Copyright©2006 by Harbor Freight Tools®. All rights reserved. No portion of this manual or any artwork
contained herein may be reproduced in any shape or form without the express written consent of
Harbor Freight Tools. Diagrams within this manual may not be drawn proportionally. Due to continuing
improvements, actual product may differ slightly from the product described herein. Tools required for
assembly and service may not be included.
For technical questions or replacement parts, please call 1-800-444-3353.
Cover Revised 09d

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 PAGE 2
SAVE THIS MANUAL
You will need this manual for the
safety warnings and precautions, assem-
bly, operating, inspection, maintenance
and cleaning procedures, parts list and
assembly diagram. Keep your invoice with
this manual. Write the invoice number on
the inside of the front cover. Keep this
manual and invoice in a safe and dry place
for future reference.
GENERAL SAFETY RULES
WARNING!
READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL
INSTRUCTIONS
Failure to follow all instructions
listed below may result in electric
shock, re, and/or serious injury.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
WORK AREA
1. Keep your work area clean and
well lit. Cluttered benches and
dark areas invite accidents.
2. Do not operate power equipment
in explosive atmospheres, such
as in the presence of ammable
liquids, gases, or dust. Power
equipment create sparks which may
ignite the dust or fumes.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Never remove the grounding1. prong of a power tool or appli-
ance or modify the plug in any
way. Do not use any adapter
plugs with this product. If the tool
or appliance should electrically mal-
function or break down, grounding
provides a low resistance path to
carry electricity away from the user.
Double insulated tools and appli-2. ances are equipped with a polar-
ized plug (one blade is wider than
the other). This plug will t in
a polarized outlet only one way.
If the plug does not t fully in
the outlet, reverse the plug. Do
not change the plug in any way.
Double insulation eliminates the
need for the three wire grounded
power cord and grounded power
supply system.
Avoid body contact with ground-3. ed surfaces such as pipes, radia-
tors, ranges, and refrigerators.
There is an increased risk of electric
shock if your body is grounded.
SPECIFICATIONS
Continuous Power 2000 Watt
Surge Power 4000 Watt
Input Voltage 11 - 15 VDC
Output Voltage 120 V~ / 60 Hz
AC Receptacles Two 3-Prong, Grounding Outlets
Fuse Type Eight x 40 A, Blade Type
Operating Temperature 50° F to 113° F
Thermal Shutdown 149° F
Features 


Connection Cables
(Not included) #1 AWG or Thicker Battery Cables Recommended #12 AWG or Thicker Grounding Strap to Chassis Recommended
Dimensions 

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 PAGE 3
Do not expose power tools and4. appliances to rain or wet condi-
tions. Water entering a power tool
or appliance will increase the risk of
electric shock.
Stay alert. Watch what you are5. doing, and use common sense
when operating this product. Do
not use this product while tired
or under the inuence of drugs,
alcohol, or medication. A moment
of inattention while operating this
product may result in serious per-
sonal injury.
PERSONAL SAFETY
Use safety equipment. Always
wear ANSI-approved safety impact
goggles when setting up and using
this product.
TOOL USE AND CARE
Do not force this product. Use1. the correct product for your ap-
plication. Do not overload this
inverter.
Do not use the Inverter if the2. Power Switch does not turn it on
or off. Any product that cannot be
controlled with the Power Switch is
dangerous and must be replaced.
Disconnect the Power Cord3. (not
included) from the Inverter before
making any adjustments, chang-
ing accessories, or storing a tool
or appliance. Such preventive
safety measures reduce the risk of
starting the tool or appliance acci-
dentally.
Store the Inverter out of reach of4. children and other untrained per-
sons. This product may be danger-
ous in the hands of untrained users.
Maintain this product with care.5. Keep the Inverter clean and dry.
Properly maintained power sup-
plies are less likely to fail. Do not
use this product if damaged. Tag
a damaged Inverter “Do not use”
until repaired.
Check for misalignment or bind-6. ing of moving parts, breakage of
parts, and any other condition
that may affect this product’s
operation. If damaged, have the
Inverter serviced before using.
Many accidents are caused by
poorly maintained power equip-
ment.
Use only accessories that are recommended by the manufac-
turer for your model. Accessories
that may be suitable for one Inverter
may become hazardous when used
on another Inverter.
SERVICE
Product service must be per-1.
formed only by qualied repair
personnel. Service or mainte-

personnel could result in a risk of
injury.
Aside from the fuses this Inverter2. does not contain any replaceable
parts. It the unit needs service,

service technician.
Maintain labels and nameplates3. on the Inverter. These carry im-
portant information. If unreadable

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 PAGE 4
or missing, contact Harbor Freight
Tools for a replacement.
SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES
Do not plug in a battery charger1. if the charger has a warning that
dangerous voltages are present
at the battery terminals.
Keep the Inverter away from any2. direct heat source or combus-
tible material.
Avoid potential electrical shock.3. Do not attempt to open the metal
housing of the Inverter.
Always disconnect power from4. the Inverter when not in use.
Avoid unintentional starting.5. Make sure the Power Switch of the
Inverter is in the “OFF” position
when not in use and before plug-
ging in any tool or appliance.
Keep the Inverter well ventilated.6. Do not place any objects on top
of or next to the Inverter or allow
anything to cover the cooling Fans.
Doing so can cause the Inverter to

hazard and/or damage to the In-
verter.
Make sure to read and under- stand all warnings and safety
precautions as outlined in the
manufacturer’s manual for the
device that this Inverter is used
to power.
Performance of this unit may8. vary depending on the battery
power or tool/appliance wattage.
The Inverter housing will become9. hot when in use. Avoid touching
materials (clothes, sleeping bags,
carpet, etc.) to the Inverter that can
not withstand such high tempera-
tures. Avoid touching a hot Inverter

This Inverter must only be con-10. nected to batteries with a nomi-
nal output voltage of 12 VDC.

Inverter properly, and more voltage
could damage the unit.
Do not use this Inverter with pos-11. itive ground electrical systems.
Some rechargeable tools and ap-12. pliances may damage the Invert-
er or the tool/appliance. When


ten minutes. If it becomes abnor-
mally hot, do not use the device
with the Inverter.
It is recommended that the ve-13. hicle be started every hour to
recharge its battery system. Do-
ing so will help prevent any unex-
pected shutdown of the equipment.
This will also ensure there will be
enough battery power to start the
vehicle.
Risk of re! 14. The positive (+) bat-
tery terminal on the Inverter must
be the LAST connection to be
made and must be done with the
Inverter’s Power Switch off.
Do not attempt to power a device15. (or devices when combined) over
2,000 watts. Doing so will damage
the Inverter.

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 PAGE 5
NOTE:16. When using cables to power
the inverter, keep the cable length
to a minimum. The shorter the cable

voltage to the inverter will sound an
alarm and shut off the inverter.
People with pacemakers should consult their physician(s) before
using this product. Electromagnetic

pacemaker could cause interfer-
ence to or failure of the pacemaker.
The warnings and cautions dis-18. cussed in this manual cannot cover
all possible conditions and situa-
tions that may occur. It must be
understood by the operator that
common sense and caution are fac-
tors which cannot be built into this
product, but must be supplied by
the operator.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
GROUNDING
WARNING!
Improperly connecting the grounding
wire can result in the risk of electric
shock. Check with a qualied electri-
cian if you are in doubt as to whether
the outlet is properly grounded. Do not
modify the power cord plug provided with
the tool. Never remove the grounding
prong from the plug. Do not use the tool
if the power cord or plug is damaged. If
damaged, have it repaired by a service
facility before use. If the plug will not t
the outlet, have a proper outlet installed
by a qualied electrician.
GROUNDED TOOLS: TOOLS
WITH THREE PRONG PLUGS
Tools and appliances marked with1. “Grounding Required” have a three
wire cord and three prong ground-
ing plug. The plug must be con-
nected properly to the grounded
outlet of the Inverter. If the tool or
appliance should electrically mal-
function or break down, grounding
provides a low resistance path to
carry electricity away from the user,
reducing the risk of electric shock.
The grounding prong in the plug2. is connected through the green
wire inside the cord to the ground-
ing system in the tool or appliance.
The green wire in the cord must be
the only wire connected to the tool
or appliance grounding system and
must never be attached to an elec-
trically “live” terminal.
DOUBLE INSULATED TOOLS:
TOOLS WITH TWO PRONG
PLUGS
Tools marked “Double Insulated” do
not require grounding. They have
a special double insulation system

and complies with the applicable
-
tories, Inc., the Canadian Standard
Association, and the National Elec-
trical Code.
REV 08g, 09d

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 PAGE 6
REV 08g, 09d
UNPACKING
When unpacking, check to make
sure that the item is intact and undam-
aged. If any parts are missing or broken,
please call Harbor Freight Tools at
1-800-444-3353 as soon as possible.
INSTALLATION
1. CAUTION! This Inverter must
only be connected to a battery with
a nominal output voltage of 12 volts
DC. The battery should be checked
before each use and changed when

operate the Inverter properly, and
more voltage could damage the In-
verter or the device being powered.
Do not use this Inverter with posi-
tive ground electrical systems.
Note:2. When using cables to power
the inverter, keep the cable length
to a minimum. The shorter the cable

voltage to the inverter will sound an
alarm and shut off the inverter.
3. level surface capable of supporting
the weight of the unit. Make sure
the Inverter has adequate ventila-
tion and is not in direct sunlight.
Connect one end of a ground wire4. (not included, #12 AWG or thicker
cable recommended) to the wing
nut located on the back of the In-
verter. Then connect the other end
of the ground wire to a paint/rust
free grounded metal surface, such
as a water pipe. (See Figure C.)
Battery Type Selection:5.
Use only deep cycle lead-acid bat- teries with this inverter, such as 12
volt marine/RV deep-cycle batter-
ies. Do not use automotive, engine

wet cell batteries with this inverter;
they are designed for repeated,
shallow discharge and will wear out
quickly.
Gel and AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries can be used with this
inverter, but they require special
charging procedures. Refer to bat-
tery supplier’s instructions.
Battery capacity selection:6.
Inverter
Output
about 1 hour
discharge time
(Minimum battery
capacity)
about 4 hour
discharge time
(Optimal battery
capacity)
500W 80 Ah 200 Ah
1000W 150 Ah 400 Ah
1500W 240 Ah 
2000W 300 Ah 1000 Ah
Consult the chart above for approxi-
mate run time at different battery
capacities. If the battery does not
BACK
CONNECT
GROUND WIRE
TO
WING NUT
FIGURE C
BLACK
(–) RED
(+)
WARNING!
RISK OF FIRE!
THE POSITIVE
BATTERY TERMINAL
CONNECTIONS
MUST BE THE LAST
CONNECTIONS AND
MUST BE DONE WITH
THE INVERTER’S
POWER SWITCH OFF.

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 
have a capacity this large indi-
vidually, use a bank of batteries as
explained below.
Battery Bank assembly instructions:
Read the following safetya. rules before assembling the
battery bank:
Connect batteries in parallel• (negative terminals together to
one cable; positive terminals
together to the other cable) as
shown in Battery Bank Example
illustration ONLY.
Do not connect 12V batteries• in series (from negative of one
battery to the positive of the
next). This connection can result
in voltage high enough to cause
ELECTROCUTION.
Wear splash-resistant ANSI-• approved safety goggles and
electrically insulated gloves
while assembling battery bank.
Only connect similar batteries together in a battery bank. Do
not connect old and new batteries
together, wet and gel cells together,
or batteries of different capacities
together.
Connect all batteries in the battery bank together using #00 AWG or
thicker cables. Since amp draw on
this low-voltage circuit will be very
high, thinner cables would present

 ventilated area, away from ignition

Batteries release explosive hydro-
gen gas while charging.
Charge, store, and maintain batter- ies according to supplier’s instruc-
tions.
–+
–+
–+
OUTPUT
(To Positive
Inverter Terminal)
To Increase
Capacity, Connect
Additional
12 V / 200* Ah
Lead-Acid
Batteries Here
(To Negative
Inverter Terminal)
OUTPUT
12 V /
200* Ah
Lead- Acid
Battery
12 V /
200* Ah
Lead- Acid
Battery
12 V / 400^ Ah Battery Bank Example
* 200 Ah batteries shown for illustration.
^ Bank Capacity = (single battery capacity) x (# of batteries)
400 Ah capacity is for two, 200 Ah batteries.
b. Connect the batteries in parallel
as shown above. Connect all
of the positive terminals to one
another.
Then connect all the negativec. terminals to one another.
Connect the negative and posi-d. tive output cables to opposite
ends of the bank. Do not allow
the output cables to touch
one another.
Test the voltages at the outpute. cables to help ensure that the
battery bank is properly wired.
If the voltage is higher than 13
volts, then part of the battery
REV 09d

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 PAGE 8
bank is likely connected in se-
ries (a negative terminal of one
battery attached to a positive
terminal of another) instead of in
parallel. Carefully examine the
diagram and correct the wiring
before attaching to the inverter.
Turn the Power Switch on the front8. of the inverter off.
Connect the output cables from the9. battery bank to the inverter.
OPERATION
FRONT
POWER SWITCH
ON
OFF
OVER
LOAD
TEMP
OVER
VOLTAGE AMPS OUT 1 OUT 2 FIGURE D
1. Plug the 120 V~ device(s) you wish to power into the 3-prong AC Receptacles.
The tools/appliances must not use more than 2,000 (total) Watts during continu-
ous operation, otherwise it may overload the Inverter. (See Figure D.)
Turn the Power Switch to the2. “ON” position. (See Figure D.)
Turn on the tool/appliance. If an alarm sound is heard, turn off the tool/appliance.3. Unplug the tool/appliance from the Inverter and discontinue using the tool/appli-
ance with the Inverter.
NOTE:4. Some rechargeable tools/appliances may damage the Inverter or the


device with the Inverter.
REV 07c, 08c , 09d

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 PAGE 9
INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE,
AND CLEANING
1. WARNING! Always make sure
the Power Switch of the Inverter
is in the “OFF” position and the
unit is disconnected from its
power source before perform-
ing inspection, maintenance, or
cleaning procedures.
Before each use,2. inspect the
general condition of the Inverter.
Check for misalignment or binding
of moving parts, cracked or broken
parts, damaged electrical wiring,
and any other condition that may
affect its safe operation. If abnor-
mal heat, noise, or vibration occurs,
have the problem corrected before
further use.
Do not use damaged equipment.
To clean the exterior parts of the3. Inverter, use only a clean, dry
cloth. Do not clean the unit with
water or harsh cleaners.
This Inverter does not contain4. any replaceable parts. It the unit
needs service, make sure to take it

Make sure to store the Inverter in a5. clean, dry, safe location out of reach
of children and other unauthorized
people.
6. CAUTION! All maintenance,
service, or repairs not mentioned
in this manual must only be
performed by a qualied service
technician.
TROUBLESHOOTING
If the low battery alarm sounds,1. this means the input voltage is
below the necessary 10.6 volts
DC. The battery needs recharging.
You should stop using the tool/ap-
pliance and then recharge the bat-
tery. If this is not done, the Inverter
will shut off automatically at around
10.0 volts DC.
If you are unsure if the Inverter2. will have the proper amount of
current to run a tool/appliance,
use this rough guideline: Take
the power consumption of the load
in amps and multiply it by 120
(output voltage). The result will be
the approximate number of watts
needed to power the tool/appliance.
Example: 
amps. 26 amps x 120 volts = 3120
watts needed. You can not use this
device with the Inverter.
If your television will not turn on,3. it is important to keep in mind
some appliances (including many
televisions) may require two to
six times their wattage to turn on.
This Inverter will not work with such
devices.
If your audio system buzzes4. while using this Inverter, it is be-
cause some sound systems can-
not lter out the modied sine
wave produced by the Inverter. A
possible solution is to use a sound
system that incorporates a higher
quality power supply.
This Inverter is designed to mini-5. mize the interference with televi-
sion signals. However, especially
with weak television signals, some

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 PAGE 10
interference may still be visible. To
correct this, place the Inverter as far
away as possible from the televi-
sion antenna and its cables. Next,
adjust the orientation of the Inverter
to the antenna cables and television
power cord to minimize the interfer-
ence. Also, use a shielded antenna
cable.
If the low battery alarm is on all6. the time, try these corrective
measures: Recharge the battery,
or use a different fully charged bat-
tery.
If you are getting a low output voltage, try reducing the load to
minimize watts. You may have
overloaded the Inverter. Reduce
your load to under 2,000 watts.
Also, keep input voltage above 10.6

of power.
If you are not getting any power8. output, turn the Power Switch off
and on again until the GREEN
LED light illuminates. Some
automotive systems require that the
ignition be turned on. Turn the igni-
tion to the accessory position. Your
devices may draw too much power
to operate them. The Inverter may

unit cool down, and make sure
there is adequate ventilation around
the unit.
If none of the preceding steps work,
fuse(s) may be blown. Only if you
are comfortable and experienced
doing such maintenance yourself,
follow the instructions that follow.
Otherwise, have the unit repaired

Disconnect and insulate botha. positive and negative cables
from the back of the inverter.
Connect a lamp to one of theb. outlets on the front, turn the
inverter on and switch the lamp
on. Wait until the lamp fades
completely. This step is im-
portant for safety, because it
helps to drain power that may
still be present in the inverter
out. Switch off lamp and invert-
er and unplug lamp.
c. over. Remove four screws from
bottom cover.
Carefully open the bottom coverd. and detach the connector that
powers the fans. Take note of
the bottom cover’s orientation.
Remove all fuses one-by-onee.

If any fuses are broken, replace
with identical type 40 A rated
fuses.
Reconnect fans and reinstallf. cover. Reinstall and reconnect
inverter and check inverter and
cooling fans for proper opera-
tion.

SKU 95596 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353 PAGE 11
LIMITED 90 DAY WARRANTY
Harbor Freight Tools Co. makes ev-
ery effort to assure that its products meet
high quality and durability standards, and
warrants to the original purchaser that this
product is free from defects in materials
and workmanship for the period of 90 days
from the date of purchase. This warranty
does not apply to damage due directly or
indirectly, to misuse, abuse, negligence or
accidents, repairs or alterations outside
our facilities, criminal activity, improper in-
stallation, normal wear and tear, or to lack
of maintenance. We shall in no event be
liable for death, injuries to persons or prop-
erty, or for incidental, contingent, special
or consequential damages arising from the
use of our product. Some states do not al-
low the exclusion or limitation of incidental
or consequential damages, so the above
limitation of exclusion may not apply to
you.
-


AND FITNESS.
To take advantage of this warranty,
the product or part must be returned to us
with transportation charges prepaid. Proof
of purchase date and an explanation of the
complaint must accompany the merchan-

we will either repair or replace the product
at our election or we may elect to refund
the purchase price if we cannot readily
and quickly provide you with a replace-
ment. We will return repaired products at
our expense, but if we determine there is
no defect, or that the defect resulted from
causes not within the scope of our warran-
ty, then you must bear the cost of returning
the product.

legal rights and you may also have other
rights which vary from state to state.
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd. • PO Box
6009 • Camarillo, CA 93011 • (800)
444-3353
REV 08g