Why won't my Lidl corded grinder work off camper van inverter?

[Gritineye]

Grinder starts slowly and just as it's gartering speed it cuts out and the inverter bleeps, anyone know what's the problem?

 

[sako243]

Probably pulling too much current and the inverter can't handle it.

 

[skotl]

Let's start with the basics - what's the power consumption of the grinder and the capacity of the inverter? Bear in mind that anything with a motor is an inductive load and this means you need to "uprate" the generator / inverter to cope with it (laymans terms - you need more power).
You may well also need an inverter / generator with an AVR (automatic voltage regulator) that is able to push the voltage back up when it drops from a sudden inrush of power (like when you start an electric motor).

 

[voipio]

The inverter may be drawing sufficient current to pull its incoming 12V supply below the 10.5-11V threshold, which is often sufficient to trigger the low battery cut off. It could be that the battery is on its way out, or the connections to the battery are poor. Measure the battery voltage, especially under load, and check the cable connections are tight.

 

[Kayos]

Only inverter I've had that could run power tools was a 2kw constant, 3kw peak model.
Connected to a large leisure battery, the front battery and the Td5 running

All other inverters have failed with grinders

 

[julianf]

I would try getting a second battery and connecting it in parallel to the first.

This will show if it's the inverter not being able to sustain the current or the battery.

 

[Agroshield]

Does the inverter have an instruction manual? What does it say concerning the beep alarm?

Try it with a resistive load already being powered by the inverter (e.g toaster, electric fire, kettle). It might work, it might not. It wil not break anything.

 

[Bobtail4x4]

"ye cannie give it more power captn"
try with the engine running at fast idle,

 

[GRW]

Is it a full sine wave inverter? Lots of leccy motored kit really, really doesn't like the crude "modified sine wave" basic inverters.
Also, the inverter (& battery supply) needs to be able to cope with the much higher starting current, not just the running power of the grinder.
If the battery is on a vehicle, then run the engine to get the charge alternator to boost the available power feeding the inverter & alleviate volts drop under start load.

 

[Prajna]

Also check you have decent power cables between battery and inverter. When pulling a big load over thin cables there is a drop in voltage that may put you into low voltage alarm territory even though the battery is ok and the inverter is up to the job.

 

[Justme]

Only inverter I've had that could run power tools was a 2kw constant, 3kw peak model.
Connected to a large leisure battery, the front battery and the Td5 running

All other inverters have failed with grinders

I think my 10kva system would be fine

Runs my welder no issues.

 

[Gritineye]

Sorry for the delay in answering folks, but I just got out to the camper to have a proper look at this again.

The problem became clear straight away, my dyscalculia strikes again! I completely miss read the numbers on the inverter and on the grinder there was no way it was ever going to work

I won't bother you with the details, but thanks for all your replies, which are very much appreciated.

The daft thing is the chap helping me in the woods used to be a sparky (he wired my garage when I built it years ago) and he didn't notice my mistake either, he just muttered summat about sine waves, and that his generator had no petrol in it..

 

[voipio]

Please bother us with the details :-) So we can avoid doing the same.

 

[Barking Mat]

Your inverter isn't adequate, goes into security on start up amps drawn by grinder, batteries added won't solve the problem.

 

[Gritineye]

Please bother us with the details :-) So we can avoid doing the same.

You'd have to have a brain like mine to understand, so I reckon you lot aren't likely to do the same, ever..

 

[Gritineye]

@Misterg Sorry you read that in a way that made you use the angry smilie, I can see why but it wasn't meant that way.

It was meant to be tongue in cheek humour, so let me rephrase it so it reads like I meant it to:

You'd have to have a completely addled fogged up brain like mine to understand how my problems with numbers affect every my every day life, so I reckon you clear headed and razor sharp lot aren't likely to do the same, ever, unless of course you have the same problems .

 

[GRW]

Sorry for the delay in answering folks, but I just got out to the camper to have a proper look at this again.

The problem became clear straight away, my dyscalculia strikes again! I completely miss read the numbers on the inverter and on the grinder there was no way it was ever going to work

I won't bother you with the details, but thanks for all your replies, which are very much appreciated.

The daft thing is the chap helping me in the woods used to be a sparky (he wired my garage when I built it years ago) and he didn't notice my mistake either, he just muttered summat about sine waves, and that his generator had no petrol in it..

Loads of people (inc Sparky's not familiar with them) get confused by DC-AC Inverters, what they can & can't do, and just how much current is needed (& the associated supply & cable size, demand on vehicle battery etc etc.
It's not helped by the sellers, or the amount of people who talk utter nonsense (but with authority) about them (if you've ever been on a self-build campervan group you'll know what I mean - where the amount of misinformation delivered as facts can be mind-blowing).

 

[Misterg]

@Misterg Sorry you read that in a way that made you use the angry smilie, I can see why but it wasn't meant that way.

Sorry - just an attempt at humour.