How to fix inverter overload fault.

Inverter overload fault always occurs when the inverter trips due to overload. Modern inverters have overload relays built in them that protect the inverter from breaking down during overload. But when the inverter doesn’t have overload protection, or the protection fails to protect the inverter causing damage to the inverter. These are the few things to try before consulting the care service.

Shut down the inverter and remove the connected loads, ON again and connect the loads back. But if the overload fault still shows up, try resetting the inverter by long pressing the reset button till the inverter is OFF and ON again. If the inverter doesn’t have a reset button, OFF the inverter for some minutes and ON again.

How does the inverter behave when overloaded?

The behavior of the inverter when it is overloaded, can be different from certain inverters, depending on how they are programmed to react to overload faults.

Older inverters will first start by increasing their operating noise and the fan running at a high speed. Followed by the inverter shutting down. Depending on the nature of the applied load, most times it damages the inverter. This is because the old inverter doesn’t have overload relay protection built-in on then. The overload relays protect the inverter from damage during overload.

In the case of modern inverters, any time the inverter is overloaded, it will automatically shut down the inverter preventing the system from being affected. Modern inverters like Renoey inverters are designed to trip and save guide the inverter and the appliances when it is overloaded.

What causes inverter overload.

The major cause of inverter overload is connecting a load higher than the inverter ratings to the inverter. Due there are still other things that can cause overload faults in inverters. Things like faulty appliances, faulty cable connections, bad inverters, and so on.

Here in this post, we shall learn how we can diagnose and know which of the following fault is causing the overload fault in your inverter. And how to possibly fix the issues.

• Faulty inverter: when the inverter is faulty, it can cause the inverter to be displaying overload LED light or when trip OFF when loads are connected to it.
• faulty appliances: when a faulty/bad appliance is connected to the inverter, it may force the inverter to stop, indicating an overload fault or short circuit fault. Not all faulty devices cause this problem to inverters, it depends on the type of fault the appliances have.
• Inverter connecting cables issues: the cable might be loose, damaged, or burnt making the inverter not to work properly and indicating an overload fault light.
• Excessive loading of the inverter: Any time the inverter is loaded above its recommended loads, it will force the inverter to trip and indicate an overload light.

Testing for the cause of your inverter overload fault.

In other to troubleshoot and know the cause of your inverter overload problem, these are the series of things to check on the inverter systems.

Test for the following on the system to know the real cause of the fault.

Checking the inverter.

The first thing to do is to take out time and inspect and check if the inverter connections.

Turn off the inverter and check out the wiring connections of the inverter. Inspect the inverter to battery connections and make sure is properly connected. Check the battery connectors and make sure the cables are well terminated with cable lugs.

Clean the batteries and test them making sure they are still in good working condition. Inspect to know if there is a whitish rush around the battery connector heads. Clean the rust and connect back the cables making it tight. Use a battery terminal cleaning brush to remove the rust before connecting back the battery terminals.

If the overload fault still displays, after cleaning and connecting the batteries back. Then, shut down the circuit breaker and disconnect the whole load on the inverter.

Now, starts to check the total Wattage of power that is connected to the inverter. Make sure it doesn’t exceed the inverter capacity.

If the inverter is overloaded, remove some of the loads and ON again. At this time the inverter supposes to work well but if it doesn’t, try resetting the inverter.

Long press the reset button of the inverter until is reset. If the inverter doesn’t have a reset button, OFF it for some minutes and ON again.

If after trying those things and resetting the inverter and it still not working, then the fault is from the internal component of the inverter. In this case, you need to call the manufacturers or the installers to repair it or replace it with a new one.

Checking out the appliance on the inverter.

The cause of the inverter overload error code might be a faulty appliance that is in use with the inverter. Some of the appliances when got damaged can cause short-circuit which are capable of tripping the inverter when is turned ON.

Or still, check for the wattage of the loads you are connecting to the inverter. Each time an inverter is loaded above its capacity, it will trip OFF and indicate an overload fault.

So here are how you can check for the wattage and faulty appliances you are using.

Remove all the load on the inverter and turn ON the inverter.

Start to add the load one after the other from the smallest Watts. By so doing, you will be able to detect the bad appliance that is causing the fault if there is any. Because when the inverter will automatically trip OFF when you connect the fault load. Telling you that the load is faulty and the inverter cannot handle it.

The surge wattage of the appliance should not be greater than the inverter wattage. If not, the inverter will be forced to trip OFF and show an overload error when powered ON with the inverter.

Check for the wattage of the appliances before running them on your inverter to avoid this overload load problem.

Frequently asked questions about inverter overload.

Will overloading damage the inverter?

It won’t damage the inverter immediately but continuously running the inverter with overload will. That is while is advisable to reduce the load immediately the inverter indicates an overload fault light.

Modern inverters won’t run if is overloaded. But as soon as the load is reduced it will start to run.

Inverter making noise, is it a sign of overload?

The increase in the noise of an inverter sometimes doesn’t indicate overload. When the inverter Is heated up may be because of the temperature of where it is installed or the increase in the connected load. The fan starts to speed up to cool the inverter, by so doing increasing the noise of the inverter.

Another cause of this rise in inverter noise might be the cable used for the connection. When the cable is not properly sized, it will reduce the voltage and cause the inverter to start making an alarm noise.

Why does my inverter trip when in use?

This is a clear sign of overload. And you need to reduce the load on the inverter to avoid it damaging your inverter or appliances.

If after reducing the load, the faults continue, then it might be a component failure that needs to be repaired or replaced with a new one.

My inverter has no reset button, how do I reset it?

When the inverter has no reset button, you can reset the inverter by turning it OFF and allowing it to stay 20-30 seconds before turning it ON again. The system will reset when turned ON.

My inverter keeps showing an overload fault light without connecting any load. Why?

The cause of this might be a component failure or the inverter needs a be refreshed. When the inverter is trip OFF because of overload, it needs to be reset in other to refresh its memory.

Before consulting a technician for repair, try resetting the inverter. After resetting and the fault is still there, is time to consult your technicians for repair.

Conclusion

When using a modern inverter, your system is protected with many protection or come with. Which is capable of clearing the overload fault that might be caused to your inverter or appliances.

If your inverter is of an older version, extra care should be taken when operating them. You can easily fix overload faults on them if it happens following the discussed examples in this post.