Tripp Lite PINV2000SWL-120 User manual

1
Owner’s Manual
Tripp Lite Sine Wave
DC-to-AC Inverters
Series Models: PINV2000SWL-120,
PINV3000SWL-120
1111 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609 USA • tripplite.com/support
Copyright © 2022 Tripp Lite. All rights reserved.
WARRANTY REGISTRATION
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Español 30 • Français 59

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Congratulations! You’ve purchased a high-quality inverter designed
to function as a mobile energy source powered by your automotive
battery. Tripp Lite inverters convert 12V DC (battery) power into AC
(household) power, allowing you to use equipment you commonly use
at home—computers, appliances, electronics, power tools and more—
while traveling by automobile or working at remote locations that lack
AC power. Tripp Lite inverters include advanced features that protect
your equipment, lengthen the service life of your battery and ensure
you’ll always have battery power to start your vehicle:
• Pure Sine-Wave Output
• Automatic Overload Protection
• Automatic Low-Battery Protection
• High-Performance DC-to-AC Inversion
• Simple, Maintenance-Free Operation
• GFCI-Protected AC Outlets
• USB-A 5V 2.1A Charging Port
• USB-C 5V 3A / 9V 2A / 12V 1.5A (18W Max) Charging Port
• Wired Remote Control (included)
Important Safety Instructions 3
Feature Identification 6
Battery Selection 9
Mounting 10
Battery Connection 15
AC Hardwire Output Connection 18
Operation 20
Troubleshooting/Maintenance 23
Service 28
Warranty & Product Registration 29
Reliable AC Power Wherever You Need It

3
Important Safety Instructions
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
This manual contains important instructions and warnings
that should be followed during the installation, operation
and storage of all Tripp Lite Inverters. Failure to heed these
warnings may affect warranty.
CAUTION: A battery can present a risk of electric shock
and burn from high short-circuit current. Observe proper
precautions. There are no user serviceable parts inside
the inverter. Do not open. Do not short or bridge the
battery terminals with any object.
Location Warnings
• Install your Inverter (whether for a mobile or stationary application)
in a location or compartment that minimizes exposure to heat, dust,
direct sunlight and moisture.
• Although your Inverter is moisture resistant, it is NOT waterproof.
Flooding the unit with water will cause it to short circuit and could
cause personal injury due to electric shock. Never immerse the
unit, and avoid any area where standing water might accumulate.
Mounting should be in the driest location available.
• Leave a minimum of 20 inches (51 cm) clearance at front and
back of the Inverter for proper ventilation. The heavier the load
of connected equipment, the more heat will be generated by the
unit. Any compartment that contains the Inverter must be properly
ventilated with adequate outside airflow to avoid overheating the
Inverter.
• Ambient temperature should be kept between -5°F and 77°F
(-20°C and 25°C).
• Do not install the Inverter directly near magnetic storage media, as
this may result in data corruption.

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Important Safety Instructions
• Do not install near flammable materials, fuel or chemicals.
• Do not mount unit with its front or rear panel facing down (at any
angle). Mounting in this manner will seriously inhibit the unit’s
internal cooling, eventually causing product damage not covered
under warranty.
Battery Connection Warnings
• Multiple battery systems must be comprised of batteries of identical
voltage, age, amp-hour capacity and type.
• Because explosive hydrogen gas can accumulate near batteries
if they are not kept well ventilated, your batteries should not be
installed (whether for a mobile or stationary application) in a “dead
air” compartment. Ideally, any compartment would have some
ventilation to outside air.
• Sparks may result during final battery connection. Always observe
proper polarity as batteries are connected.
• Do not allow objects to contact the two DC input terminals. Do not
short or bridge these terminals together. Serious personal injury or
property damage could result.
• Connect the Inverter to the battery with recommended DC fusing
(see Battery Connection) along with properly sized battery cabling
Ground Connection Warnings
• Safe operation requires connecting the Inverter’s main grounding
screw directly to the frame of the vehicle or earth ground.

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Important Safety Instructions
Equipment Connection Warnings
Use of this equipment in life support applications where failure of this
equipment can reasonably be expected to cause the failure of the life
support equipment or to significantly affect its safety or effectiveness is
not recommended.
Tripp Lite recommends wiring hardwired AC output to a GFCI (Ground
Fault Circuit Interrupter) protection outlet(s) or circuit breaker.
Operation Warnings
• Your inverter does not require routine maintenance. Do not open the
device for any reason. There are no user-serviceable parts inside.
• Potentially lethal voltages exist within the inverter as long as the
battery is connected. During any service work, the battery should
therefore be disconnected.
• Do not connect or disconnect batteries while the inverter is
operating. Dangerous arcing may result.

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Feature Identification
PINV2000SWL-120
PINV3000SWL-120
AGFCI-Protected AC Outlets: NEMA 5-20R outlets allow you to
connect equipment that normally plugs into an AC utility outlet.
Enhancing safety, the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) switch
trips if there is excessive current on the ground safety wire.
BHardwire AC Output Terminals (PINV3000SWL-120 only):
Securely connect the Inverter to a vehicle or facility electrical
system input with the recommended GFCI receptacle output(s).
See AC Output Connection section for instructions.
A
C
C
G
G
D
D
E
E
F
F
H
H
I
I
J
J
A B

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Feature Identification
CLED Status Indicators: When the switch is set to the ON
position, the power status LED will illuminate green during normal
operation and along side the fault conditions. The Fault LED will
illuminate red when certain fault conditions occur.
Function
LED
Fault (Red)* Power (Green)
Input under-voltage alarm Off On
Input under-voltage shutdown On On
Input over-voltage shutdown On On
Overload shutdown On On
Output short-circuit On On
* The internal audible alarm activates for all alarm and fault conditions.
DON/OFF Switch: When you set the switch to the ON position,
the Inverter provides AC power by converting DC power from the
connected 12V battery system. Set the switch to the OFF position
to shut down the Inverter and conserve the battery’s charge when
you are not using connected equipment. Also, set the switch to
the OFF position to reset the Inverter if it has shut down due to
overload or other critical events. Use the REMOTE port with the
included PINVSWRM wired remote to extend ON/OFF control
to a remote location. The remote provides ON/OFF control and
operation status LEDs to let you know the inverter is ON and
working correctly or not. See the Operation section for more
information.
EUSB Charging Ports: 5V DC 2.1A USB-A and 5V 3A / 9V 2A /
12V 1.5A (18W Max) USB-C charging ports support smartphones,
tablets, telematics and other electronic devices.

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FRemote Control Port: All models feature a 6-conductor
telephone-style jack on the front panel for use with an optional
remote control module (Tripp Lite model PINVSWRM, included
with all models). The remote module allows the Inverter to be
mounted out of sight in a compartment or cabinet, while operated
conveniently from your vehicle’s dashboard. See Mounting and
Operation sections instructions for use of the remote control
module.
GCooling Fans: These fans regulate the internal temperature of
the inverter and prolong service life. They will only activate if the
temperature or load demand goes beyond the set thresholds.
HDC Input Terminals: These positive and negative terminals
connect to the battery via the included or user-supplied cabling.
See Battery Connection for instructions.
IMain Ground Lug: Connects to an earth ground or a vehicle
grounding system in order to properly ground the inverter. See
Battery Connection for instructions.
JLCD Display (Top of Unit): The LCD will display battery capacity
level, input/output voltage, output frequency, output current,
output load capacity (Watts) and fault codes.
Feature Identification

9
Battery Selection
Match Battery Amp-Hour Capacity to Your
Application
Select a battery or system of batteries that will provide your Inverter
with proper DC voltage and an adequate amp-hour capacity to power
your application. Even though Tripp Lite Inverters are highly efficient
at DC-to-AC inversion, their rated output capacities are limited by the
total amp-hour capacity of connected batteries, plus the output of an
alternator (when one is used).
STEP 1) Determine Total Wattage Required
Add the wattage ratings of all equipment you will connect to your
Inverter. Wattage ratings are typically listed in equipment manuals
or on nameplates. If your equipment is rated in amps, multiply that
number times AC utility voltage to estimate watts. (Example: a drill
requires 2.5 amps. 2.5 amps × 120 volts = 300 watts.)
Step 2) Determine DC Battery Amps Required
Divide the total wattage required (from Step 1, above) by the battery
voltage to determine the DC amps required, then multiply by 1.2 to
account for conversion losses.
Step 3) Estimate Battery Amp-Hours Required
Multiply the DC amps required (from Step 2, above) by the number of
hours you estimate the equipment will operate exclusively from battery
power before recharging the batteries. This will provide an estimate of
how many battery power amp-hours (from one or several batteries) you
should connect to your Inverter.
Note: Battery amp-hour ratings are usually given for a 20-hour discharge rate.
Actual amp-hour capacities are less when batteries are discharged at faster
rates. For example, batteries discharged in 55 minutes provide only 50% of their
listed amp-hour ratings, while batteries discharged in 9 minutes provide as little
as 30% of their amp-hour ratings.

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Mounting
WARNING!
Mount your Inverter BEFORE DC battery connection. Failure
to follow these instructions may lead to personal injury and/
or damage to the Inverter and connected systems. Ensure the
inverter never is mounted in a vertical position (fan or outlet side
facing up or down). Mounting an inverter in a vertical position
allows debris to enter the unit and inhibit proper operation of its
cooling system, which can void the inverter’s warranty.
Tripp Lite recommends permanently mounting the Inverter in the
configurations illustrated below. The Inverter features integral mounting
brackets on the left and right sides of the unit. The user can use the
included or user-supplied mounting hardware and is responsible for
determining whether hardware and mounting surfaces adequately
support the weight of the unit.
Use the measurements as shown in the following diagram to install two
user-supplied fasteners to the right or bottom (wall-mount) mounting
slots of the unit, leaving the heads slightly raised. Slide the unit over
the fasteners to engage the mounting slots. Tighten fasteners. Install
and tighten two additional fasteners to the remaining mounting slots
for proper securement.
Flat Surface
Mount
Wall Mount

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PINV2000SWL-120 Mounting Dimensions*
POW ER
FAULT
REMO T E
2.1A 18W
AC 110V OUTPUT GFCI
Mounting
9.84 in. (250 mm) 9.45 in. (240 mm)
4.02 in.
(102 mm)
8.88 in. (225.5 mm)
3.15 in.
(80 mm)
1.38 in.
(35 mm)
13.9 in. (353 mm)
10.75 in. (273 mm)
15.4 in. (391.1 mm)
*All mounting dimensions are accurate to +/- 0.1 inch (2.5 mm).

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Mounting
PINV3000SWL-120 Mounting Dimensions*
POW ER
FAULT
REMOT E
2.1A 18W
AC 110V OUTPUT GFCI
9.84 in. (250 mm) 9.45 in. (240 mm)
4.02 in.
(102 mm)
8.88 in. (225.5 mm)
3.15 in.
(80 mm)
1.38 in.
(35 mm)
16.25 in. (413 mm)
13.11 in. (333 mm)
18.4 in. (467.6 mm)
*All mounting dimensions are accurate to +/- 0.1 inch (2.5 mm).

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Mounting
*All mounting dimensions are accurate to +/- 0.1 inch (2.5 mm).
Remote Control Mounting Instructions
1To mount the remote to a permanent location, ensure the 20 ft.
(6 m) remote cable can reach the inverter’s RJ12 remote port.
2The following mounting dimensions* should be used when
installing the remote to a permanent mounting location:
1.96 in. (50 mm)
2.36 in. (60 mm)
2.56 in. (65 mm)
0.07 - Ø 0.11 in.
(2 - Ø3 mm)
3.19 in. (81 mm) 2.87 in. (73 mm)
0.98 in.
(25 mm)
0.86 in.
(22 mm)

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Mounting
3Using the center-to-center spacing of the mounting holes, mark
the locations for installation.
4The inverter’s main power switch needs to remain in the OFF
position for the remote control to work.
5Run the remote’s cable to the desired location and connect to
the RJ12 port on the rear of the remote control.
6Test the connection and operation by pressing ON/OFF button.
The green POWER status LED should show the remote module.
7Securely mount the remote using user-supplied hardware. Tighten
by hand to reduce the possibility of cracking the remote control
module mounting points.
8Connect the remote’s wired connector to the inverter’s RJ12 port
labeled “REMOTE”.

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Battery Connection
WARNING!
Make sure the inverter power switch is in the OFF position,
connect with included DC Wiring to the positive and negative
terminals. Though your Inverter is a high-efficiency converter
of electricity, its rated output capacity is limited by the length
and gauge of the cabling running from the battery to the unit.
Use the included cabling or the shortest length and largest
diameter cabling (see the Recommended Cabling and Fusing
Chart below) with ring terminals to fit your Inverter’s DC Input
terminals. Shorter and heavier gauge cabling reduces DC voltage
drop and allows for maximum transfer of current. Your Inverter
is capable of delivering peak wattage at up to 200% of its rated
continuous wattage output for brief periods of time. Heavier
gauge cabling should be used when continuously operating
heavy-draw equipment under these conditions. To protect
the battery system, it is also recommended to install a user-
supplied UL-rated ANL fuse and fuse block 7-18 inches from the
battery bank’s positive terminal connection. The inverter has its
own internal DC fusing to protect against short circuits at the
inverter’s output.
Recommended Cabling and Fusing
Model
Included Wire
Gauge and
Quantity (2x Red
/ 2x Black)
Included
Cabling
Length
DC Fuse Size
(User-Supplied)
Ground
Wire
Size and
Length
(Included)
PINV2000SWL-
120
6 AWG (13 mm2) 18.9 in.
(480 mm)
300A 18 AWG
(0.75 mm2)
39.4 in.
(1000 mm)
PINV3000SWL-
120
5 AWG (17 mm2) 18.9 in.
(480 mm)
450A 18 AWG
(0.75 mm2)
39.4 in.
(1000 mm)

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Battery Connection
To Connect the Inverter to Batteries:
1. Locate the positive (+) red and negative (-) black terminals on the
rear side of the inverter.
2. From the positive and the negative terminal covers, remove the hex
nut, split lock and flat washer.
3. Place the positive ring connector onto the positive inverter
terminal. Place the negative ring connector onto the negative DC
input terminal.
4. Place a flat washer and split lock on top of each ring connector.
Put the positive and negative hex nuts over these and tighten to
create a secure connection and prevent excessive heating at this
connection. Insufficient tightening of the terminals could void your
warranty. See Specifications for recommended cable sizing.
5. Connect the red positive (+) wire to the positive (+) connector on
your battery system and connect the black negative (-) wire to the
negative (-) connector on your battery system. It is recommended
that the positive connection should have a UL-rated ANL fuse and
fuse block (see Recommend Cabling and Fusing table) installed
a minimum of 7 inches or maximum of 18 inches from the battery
system’s positive connector for battery system protection.
6. Connect Ground: Using the ground wire, directly connect the Main
Ground Lug to the vehicle’s chassis or earth ground. See Feature
Identification to locate the Main Ground Screw. All installations
must comply with national and local codes and ordinances.
FUSE

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Battery Connection
WARNING!
• Failure to properly ground your Inverter to a vehicle’s chassis
or earth ground may result in a lethal electrical shock hazard.
• Never attempt to operate your Inverter by connecting it
directly to output from an alternator rather than a battery or
battery bank.
• Observe proper polarity with all DC connections.
Vehicular Applications
Your Inverter’s nominal DC input voltage must match the voltage
of your battery or batteries. 12V DC is used in most vehicular
applications. It is possible to connect your Inverter to the main battery
within your vehicle’s electrical system. In many vehicular contexts, the
Inverter will be connected to one or more dedicated auxiliary (house)
batteries, which are isolated from the drive system to prevent possible
draining of the main battery.
PINV2000SWL-120 12V Battery Connection
12V
FUSE

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WARNING!
Risk of electrical shock. Consult a qualified electrical and follow
all applicable electrical codes and requirements for hardwire
connections. Disconnect from DC source before attempting
to hardwire. Use wire type THHN or equivalent with minimum
temperature rating of 190°F (88°C).
Battery Connection
PINV3000SWL-120 12V Battery Connection
12V
FUSE
AC Hardwire Output Connection

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AC Hardwire Output Connection
Connection for Models with Hardwire Terminals
Output Connection Requirement: UL458 requires that the output
terminals of all hardwire Inverter models must be connected to UL-
listed GFCI receptacles (Recommended receptacle manufacturer/model
series: Hubbell GF8300, Leviton 6598 or Eaton TWRSGF20). Others
may fail to operate properly when connected to this unit. When wiring
GFCI receptacles to output terminals, follow the instructions provided
with the GFCI receptacles.
1
3
2
4
1Locate the 110V AC output terminal
(see Product Features) on the
front panel of your inverter.
2Use a Phillips-head screwdriver to
remove the cover and access the
terminals.
3Expose no more than 0.5 in.
(12 mm) of conductor from
each wire.
4Thread the wires through the
strain relief. Loosen the screw
on each terminal. Place the exposed
wire end around the screw threads
(behind the screw head), then
re-tighten the screw to secure the
connection.
L=Line/Hot
N=Neutral
GN=Ground

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Operation
Operating Modes
After mounting and connecting your Inverter according to the
instructions in this manual, use the ON/OFF switch on the unit or the
PINVSWRM remote control power on the inverter.
ON: When you set the switch to the ON position, the Inverter provides
AC power to connected equipment by converting DC power from your
vehicle’s battery. The green LED will illuminate to indicate it is working.
OFF: Set the switch to the OFF position to shut down the Inverter
completely. Doing this will prevent it from drawing power from your
vehicle’s battery. Also set the switch to the OFF position to reset the
Inverter if it has shut down due to low battery, overload or other critical
condition.
Remote Control (Optional): Ensure the inverter power switch is
in the OFF position prior to connecting the remote cable. Press the
I/O button to turn ON the inverter. The green power status LED will
illuminate to indicate it is working. You can then power the inverter
ON/OFF from a remote location with the included PINVSWRM remote.
This remote switch can be mounted in the vehicle or a permanent
mount application (see Mounting section for more information). The
green LED on the remote will illuminate to indicate the inverter is in
the ON operating mode. The Fault LED will illuminate an issue with its
operation. See Troubleshooting/Maintenance section to identify the
fault and ways to correct it.
1. Connect the Inverter (see Battery Connection section).
STATUS
ON/OFF
PINVRM