The Don Rowe Blog

Inverter Cooling Fans

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A question that we get quite often is what inverters have a thermal fan and which do not. The purpose of this article is to address the different fan types. There are three different fan types that are offered on inverters. They are Continuous, Load Controlled, and Thermal.

First, lets discuss the most common fan type; continuous. Continuous fans run all of the time regardless of temperature and load. This is the most cost effective option for manufacturers as this does not require the addition of thermal sensors and controllers. Here is a list of inverters i am aware of that include continuous fans:

Wagan

Wagan 1000
Wagan 1250
Wagan 1500
Wagan 2000
Wagan 3000
Wagan 5000
Wagan 8000
Xantrex
Duracell 1000
Duracell 1500
Samlex
VR400
VR800
VR1000
VR1500
VR2000
VR3000
Next we will discuss the load controller fans, these fans operate much like the continuous fans with one key difference; they only operate while a load is applied to the inverter. They will not run while sitting idle. The advantage to this type of fan option is that the no load draw is generally much lower when the inverter does not have a load applied. This is nice for applications where you are running a momentary load such as a sump pump.
Here is a list of inverters that i am aware of that have the load controlled fan:
Cobra
Cobra 400
Cobra 800
Cobra 1000
Cobra 1500
Cobra 2500
Voltec
VTC200
VTC400
VTC750
VTC1000
VTC1500
VTC2000
VTC3000
We will now discuss thermal fans. This is the best option in my opinion. The thermal fans will engage and disengage as needed. This will maximize fan life as well as provide a lower no load draw on the system. This fan option is usually found on all of the higher end inverters and inverter/chargers. You will find this type of fan on the following product lines:
Xantrex
PROsine Series
PROwatt Series
PROwatt SW Series
Freedom 458 Series
Freedom HF Series
XS Series
IP Series
Trace Series
XPower Plus Series
XPower Micro Series
Duracell 3000
Magnum
MM Series
MMS Series
ME Series
MS Series
MS-AE Series
RD Series
Samlex
PSE Series
PST Series
InverCharge
Cotek S Series
Cotek SK Series
Cotek ST Series
Meanwell TN Series
One last fan option i would like to discuss is the fan system found on the Xantrex RS & MS inverter/chargers. This product line has a unique fan set-up. It has a fan system similar to that of a desktop computer. There is an internal fan that will run continually to keep the processor cool, and a thermal exhaust fan that will engage only once the unit has been operating and heats up.
If you have any questions about thermal fans feel free to contact us.
Thanks for reading!

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