Tripp Lite PowerVerter PV700HF User manual

1
Owner’s Manual
Reliable AC Power Wherever You Need It
Congratulations! You've purchased a high-quality Inverter designed to function as a mobile energy source powered by your automotive
battery. PowerVerter Inverters convert 12V DC (battery) power into 120V 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. PowerVerter Inverters include advanced features that protect your equipment, lengthen the service life of your
battery and ensure that you'll always have battery power to start your vehicle:
PowerVerter® DC-to-AC Inverter
Model: PV700HF
Input Output
12V DC 120V, 60Hz AC
• Automatic Overload Protection
• Automatic Low Battery Protection
• High-Performance DC-to-AC Inversion
• Frequency-Controlled Output Power
• Simple, Maintenance-Free Operation
• Moisture-Resistant Construction*
• 3 AC Outlets
* The inverter is moisture-resistant, not waterproof.
1111 W. 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609 USA • www.tripplite.com/support
Copyright © 2014 Tripp Lite. PowerVerter® is a registered trademark of Tripp Lite. All rights reserved.
Important Safety Instructions 2
Feature Identification 3
Operation 3
Battery Selection 4
Mounting 4
Battery Connection 5
Service 6
Maintenance/Troubleshooting 6
Specifications 7
Limited Warranty and Warranty Registration 8
Español 9
Français 17

2
Important Safety Instructions
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 2 inches (5 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.
• Do not install the Inverter directly near magnetic storage media, as this may result in data corruption.
• 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).
Ground Connection Warnings
• Safe operation requires connecting the Inverter's main grounding screw directly to the frame of the vehicle or earth ground.
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. Do not use
this equipment in the presence of a flammable anesthetic mixture with air, oxygen or nitrous oxide.
• You may experience uneven performance results if you connect a surge suppressor, line conditioner or UPS system to the output of the
Inverter.
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.
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.

3
Feature Identification
Operation
1AC Outlets: 3 NEMA 5-15R outlets allow you to connect
equipment that you would normally plug into a utility outlet.
2Illuminated ON/OFF Switch: When you set the switch to the
ON position, the Inverter provides AC power by converting DC
power from the connected battery. 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 low battery or overload. See the Operation
section for more information.
3Cooling Fan: This fan regulates the internal temperature of
the Inverter and prolongs service life.
4DC Power Terminals: These positive and negative terminals
connect to the battery via user-supplied cabling. See the
Battery Connection section for instructions.
5Main Ground Screw: Connect to earth ground or to a vehicle
or boat grounding system in order to properly ground the
Inverter. See the Battery Connection section for instructions.
Low Battery Alarm (not shown): An internal circuit
automatically detects low battery voltage and shuts down the
Inverter to preserve your vehicle's battery. Turn the ON/OFF
switch to the OFF position if the alarm sounds. See the
Operation section for more information.
Overload Alarm (not shown): An internal circuit automatically
detects overload conditions and shuts down the Inverter as a
protective measure. Turn the ON/OFF switch to the OFF
position if the alarm sounds. See the Operation section for
more information.
Operating Modes
After mounting and connecting your Inverter according to the
instructions in this manual, use the illuminated ON/OFF switch to
choose the Inverter's operating mode.
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.
OFF: Set the switch to the OFF position to shut down the Inverter
completely, preventing 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 or overload.
Note: After the unit has been turned OFF, wait at least 10
seconds before turning the unit back ON. The unit will not
function without this wait period.
Resetting the Inverter
The inverter may shut down and cease supplying AC power under
certain conditions in order to protect itself, the battery and
connected equipment. Follow these instructions to restore normal
operation:
• Low Battery Alarm Reset: If the Inverter has shut down due to
low battery, (1) set the ON/OFF switch to the OFF position, (2)
allow the Inverter to cool, (3) start the vehicle's engine to
Recharge the battery, (4) allow the battery to recharge
completely and (5) set the ON/OFF switch to the ON position.
• Overload Alarm Reset: If the Inverter has shut down due to
overload, (1) set the ON/OFF switch to the OFF position, (2)
allow the Inverter to cool, (3) remove the equipment that
caused the overload, (4) confirm that any equipment now
connected does not exceed the rated wattage of the
Inverter and (5) set the ON/OFF switch to the ON position.
1
25 5
4
3

4
Battery Selection
Mounting
54 DC Amps × 5 Hrs. Runtime
= 270 Amp-Hours
Example
Tools
300W + 220W + 20W = 540W
Drill Orbital Sander Cordless Tool Charger
Appliances
300W + 140W + 100W = 540W
Blender Color TV Laptop Computer
7.53 in.
(19.1 cm)
4.31 in.
(10.95 cm)
Tripp Lite recommends that you permanently mount your Inverter in the
configuration illustrated below. The Inverter features integral mounting brackets
on the front and rear of the unit. The user must supply mounting hardware
and is responsible for determining if hardware and mounting surface are
adequate to support the weight of the unit.
Using the measurements as shown in the diagram install two user-supplied
fasteners 1, leaving the heads slightly raised. Slide the unit over the fasteners
to engage the mounting bracket slots 2. Tighten fasteners. Install two
additional fasteners 3over the remaining mounting bracket.
1.2 x 540 watts ÷ 12V = 54 DC Amps
• STEP 1) Determine Total Wattage Required
Add the wattage ratings of all equipment you will connect to your
Inverter. Wattage ratings are usually 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.)
NOTE: Your Inverter will operate at higher efficiencies at about 75% - 80% of nameplate
rating.
• 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 and 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 you will operate your equipment exclusively from
battery power before you have to recharge your batteries. This will give
you a rough estimate of how many amp-hours of battery power
(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.
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.
2
1
3
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.

5
Battery Connection
Connect your Inverter to your batteries using the following procedures:
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.
• Connect DC Wiring: 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 shortest length and largest diameter cabling
(maximum 4 AWG or 5 mm) 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. Tighten your
Inverter and battery terminals to approximately 3.5 Newton-
meters of torque to create an efficient connection and to prevent
excessive heating at this connection. Insufficient tightening of
the terminals could void your warranty. See Specifications for
Recommended Cable Sizing.
• Connect Ground: Using a 12-18 AWG (1-2 mm) wire, directly
connect the Main Ground Screw to the vehicle’s chassis or earth
ground. See the Feature Identification section to locate the Main
Ground Screw. All installations must comply with national and
local codes and ordinances.
• Connect Fuse: Tripp Lite recommends that you connect your
Inverter’s positive DC Terminal directly to a fuse(s) and fuse
block(s) within 45 cm (18 inches) of the battery. The fuse’s
rating must equal or exceed the Minimum DC Fuse Rating listed
in your Inverter’s specifications. See Specifications for fuse
recommendations. See diagrams below for proper fuse
placement.
Vehicular Applications
Your Inverter’s Nominal DC Input Voltage must match the voltage of your battery or batteries—12 Volts 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.
112 Volt Alternator
2Vehicle Battery Ground
312 Volt Main Battery
4 12 Volt Auxiliary (House)
Battery
5UL or CE Approved
Fuses & Fuse Blocks
(mounted within 18
inches [45 cm] of the
battery)
6Battery Isolator
7Large Diameter Cabling,
Maximum 4 AWG or
5 mm to Fit Terminals
812-18 AWG (1-2 mm)
Ground Wire to Vehicle
Frame or Earth Ground
12 Volt Inver ter
12 Volts
12 Volts
12 Volt Main Battery Connection—two DC terminals
12 Volt Inver ter
12 Volts
12 Volts
12 Volts
12 Volt Main and Auxiliary (House) Battery Connection (Isolated Parallel)—two DC terminals
12
2
3
4
5
5
67
7
8
8
3
2
1