Xantrex XPower 400 User manual

Owner’s Guide
XPower Inverter 400
975-0164-01-01 REV A Printed in China
ARTWORK NO. 975-0164-01-01 REV. A 2004-07-05
by
t 1-800-670-0707 (toll free in North America)
1-360-925-5097 (direct)
f 1-800-994-7828 (toll free in North America)
1-360-925-5143 (direct)
e [email protected]
www.xantrex.com

by
XPower Inverter 400
Owner’s Guide

About Xantrex
Xantrex Technology Inc. is a world-leading supplier of advanced power electronics and
controls with products from 50 watt mobile units to one MW utility-scale systems for
wind, solar, batteries, fuel cells, microturbines, and backup power applications in both
grid-connected and stand-alone systems. Xantrex products include inverters, battery
chargers, programmable power supplies, and variable speed drives that convert, supply,
control, clean, and distribute electrical power.
Trademarks
XPower Inverter 400 is a trademark of Xantrex International. Xantrex is a registered
trademark of Xantrex International.
Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and product names are the property of their
respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.
Notice of Copyright
XPower Inverter 400 Owner’s Guide © July 2004 Xantrex International. All rights
reserved.
Disclaimer
UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AGREED TO IN WRITING, XANTREX TECHNOLOGY INC. (“XANTREX”)
(a) MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THE ACCURACY, SUFFICIENCY OR SUITABILITY OF ANY
TECHNICAL OR OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED IN ITS MANUALS OR OTHER DOCUMENTATION.
(b) ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE, WHETHER DIRECT,
INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL, WHICH MIGHT ARISE OUT OF THE USE OF SUCH
INFORMATION. THE USE OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE ENTIRELY AT THE USER’S RISK.
Date and Revision
July 2004 Revision A
Part Number
975-0164-01-01
Contact Information
Telephone: [phone] (toll free North America)
1 360 925 5097 (direct)
Fax: [phone] (toll free North America)
1 360 925 5143 (direct)
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.xantrex.com

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
About the Inverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
About this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Important Safety Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Warnings and Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Additional safety guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3. Inverter Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
AC (front) panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
DC (back) panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Digital display (top) panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Types of connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4. Connecting the Inverter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Choosing a location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting for loads under 150 W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Connecting for loads over 150 W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Contents

5. Operating the Inverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Operating conditions and guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Shutting the inverter off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Operating normal loads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Operating loads with high surge requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6. Maintaining Battery Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
7. Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Common problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Buzz in audio systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Television interference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Troubleshooting reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
8. Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
9. Warranty and Return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

1
1 Introduction
About the Inverter
Connected to the 12 V outlet in your car, truck, boat, RV, or directly
from a dedicated 12 V battery, the XPower Inverter 400 efficiently and
reliably powers a wide variety of household AC products, such as
portable stereos, laptop computers, TVs, VCRs, and other similar
products.
The inverter uses reliable solid state power electronics for years of safe,
trouble-free operation and includes the following automatic features to
ensure safe and trouble-free operation:
• Low battery alarm
• Low voltage shutdown
• High voltage shutdown
• Overload shutdown
• Overheating shutdown
• Short-circuit protection

2
About this Guide
To get the best performance from your inverter, we recommend that you
read this guide before connecting and using the inverter, and then save it
for future reference.
This guide contains:
• Important safety information (page 3)
• Instructions for connecting the inverter (page 11)
• Operating guidelines (page 16)
• Troubleshooting guidelines (page 22)
• Specifications (page 28)

3
2 Important Safety Information
Misusing or incorrectly connecting the XPower Inverter 400 may
damage the equipment or create hazardous conditions for users. Read
the following safety instructions and pay special attention to all Caution
and Warning statements in the guide.
Warnings identify conditions that may result in personal injury or loss
of life.
Cautions identify conditions or practices that may damage the unit or
other equipment.
Warnings and Cautions
WARNING: Shock hazard
Keep children away from the inverter. The inverter generates the same
lethal AC power as a normal household wall outlet. Treat the outlet with
respect!
WARNING: Heated surface
The inverter housing may become uncomfortably warm, reaching 60°C
(140°F) under extended high power operation. Ensure that at least 2" (5
cm) of air surround the inverter. During operation, keep it away from
materials that may be affected by high temperatures.

4
WARNING: Explosion hazard
Do not use the inverter in the presence of flammable fumes or gases,
such as in the bilge of a gasoline-powered boat, or near propane tanks.
Do not use the inverter in an enclosure containing automotive-type,
lead-acid batteries. These batteries, unlike sealed batteries, vent
explosive hydrogen gas, which can be ignited by sparks from electrical
connections.
WARNING: Crash hazard
Vehicle drivers should not configure or troubleshoot the inverter while
they are driving the vehicle.
CAUTION: Output non-sinusoidal
Some chargers for small nickel-cadmium batteries can be damaged if
connected to the inverter. Do not use the inverter with the following
equipment:
• Small battery-operated appliances like rechargeable flashlights,
some rechargeable shavers, and night lights that are plugged directly
into an AC receptacle to recharge.
• Battery chargers used in power tools. These chargers display a
warning label stating that dangerous voltages are present at the
charger battery terminals.

5
Additional safety guidelines
• Do not insert foreign objects in the inverter outlets or ventilation
openings.
• Never connect the inverter to power utility AC distribution wiring.
• Do not use the inverter in temperatures over 104°F (40°C).
• Do not expose the inverter to water, rain, snow, or spray.
Failure to follow these safety guidelines may cause personal injury and/
or damage to the inverter. It may also void your product warranty.
CAUTION
Do not connect live AC power to the inverter’s AC outlets. The inverter
will be damaged even if it is turned off.
Do not connect any AC load that has its neutral conductor connected to
ground to the inverter.