EC328 problem with Ecoflow Max

Hornet49

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My 2018 Autosleeper Nuevo has a Sargent EC328 PSU which works fine when hooked up to a normal mains supply.

When going off grid I have an Ecoflow Max 2kWH power bank which supplies up to 2kW at 240v. This also works fine. Rather than trail an extension cable around the van I have made an adaptor cable which plugs into the Ecoflow then via an inline RCD into the external EHU socket of the van. This means I have mains voltage to the internal sockets. I can then run my air fryer, kettle, toaster etc. (although not all at the same time!) All this works perfectly. However when I try and use the microwave it instantly trips the main circuit breaker on the Sargent unit. The microwave is only drawing around 600W which is easily handled by the Ecoflow and in any case it's the EC328 which trips, not the Ecoflow.

I also have a 3kW inverter connected to the leisure battery and if I use my adaptor cable connected to this in the same way the microwave works fine.

I've noticed that when using either the inverter or the Ecoflow the Reverse Polarity light on the Sargent lights up. I've checked the wiring and it's all OK so I'm guessing it's due to the lack of a proper earth. Despite this everything works except the microwave when using the Ecoflow.

Any ideas what might be the problem with the Ecoflow/Microwave combination?
 
You sound much better at electrics than I am, but, have you tried the microwave plugged into a socket that you have successfully used with the kettle/fryer/toaster ?
 
Hi, unfortunately as the microwave is built in I can't get at the plug easily. However I it works fine when the motorhome is connected via my adaptor lead either to regular mains or the inverter. It's only when connected to the Ecoflow I get the problem.
 
Microwaves use a lot of power during the first few seconds of start up. Your 600w could use over 2kw. Can you check the specification plate?
 
Hornet49 said:
...... The microwave is only drawing around 600W which is easily handled by the Ecoflow and in any case it's the EC328 which trips, not the Ecoflow.
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I would be very surprised if the Microwave is drawing around 600W. The wattage quoted on a Microwave is the "Cooking Power". The actual Power Wattage drawn - the input power - is typically around 1.5x the Cooking Power, so I would think 900W is more likely.
This is just an aside to your issue and just mentioning it to correct the concept of how much power a Microwave pulls (which can affect the inverter somebody may go and buy).

r4dent said:
Microwaves use a lot of power during the first few seconds of start up. Your 600w could use over 2kw. Can you check the specification plate?
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i've seen this stated before by people but it is not something I have ever noticed.
For example, my 1300W Coffee machine hits 2000W for a second or so when using it and I hear my 1350W Inverter protesting (correctly) about an overload (and see the warning flag on my VRM setup). However when I use my 800W Microwave (input power 1250W from memory), I don't have any overload issues and I see the maximum power drawn within the inverter limits.

What IS generally true about Microwaves - and Induction Hobs also usually - is when they are used on lower power settings, the power fluctates between the maximum and off continually, with an Max/Off cycle such as to provide an average of the power selected.
 
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It sounds to me ( a rank amateur ) that the microwave is drawing much more power than it should, with mains or inverter able to cope and keeping voltage and current within spec, but when using the Ecoflow the voltage drops and current goes up tripping the EC328. You need to be able to check it's peak power draw to check this.
Another thing you might check is the Ecoflow capacity, can you try running something at 2000w to see if same thing happens.
 
I fully understand the points you raise and I appreciate you mentioning them. As it happens the Ecoflow has a surge rating of 3kW but I don't think that is the point. What I don't understand is why the EC328 trips when using the Ecoflow and not the inverter or mains. I was wondering if anyone else has a similar setup or seen a similar problem.

At the end of the day it's not a major issue as I can always use the inverter to power the microwave to cook my morning porridge 😉

Edit: I've just read colinm's post again and I can see how that might be the cause. Thanks 👍
 
I had ecoflow delta 2 .1500 w inverta plugged into mains socket micro wave worked fine I asked ecoflow about the polarity warning light they said it was normal due to wiring of the ecoflow , my nuevo 328 system worked fine hooked up to ecoflow. Input of microwave is printed on the back , usually around 1200.W I would contact ecoflow if it doesn't trip on mains hook up sounds like an ecoflow problem if not too late go for a refund under 30 day returns law . Read trustpilot reviews on ecoflow .
 
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Having read this post I just tried my 800w microwave with EHU supplied from my EcoFlow Delta 1300 (2kw) and it works just fine.
 
There is nothing wrong, lots of inverters and power banks output power down both wires. Where there is likely to be no true earth connection this is safer because each wire is only carrying 115V but being out of phase they recombine at the appliance to form 230V. This will show up as a fault on a polarity tester but it is not a fault. The rest of the world pays much less regard to polarity and builds their electrical safety around 2 pole switching.
 
Hornet49 said:
At the end of the day it's not a major issue as I can always use the inverter to power the microwave to cook my morning porridge 😉
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The recommended max power draw on a 120Ah lead/acid battery for that sort of use is 288w, 4 mins on your microwave will give the battery a severe hammering, reducing it's expected life.
 
guerdeval said:
Just out of interest what battery set up does the 328 charge ?
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If you have solar the Sargent sends power to the leisure battery and engine battery ,on mains hook up the Sargent sends power to leisure battery ,by pressing battery on the control you decide witch battery is used and charged if you select engine that battery is used and charged but can drain engine battery, for normal use select leisure battery ,hope that makes sense, check out autosleeper owners forum for advice .
 
Hornet49 said:
when I try and use the microwave it instantly trips the main circuit breaker on the Sargent
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Not familiar with the Sargent box layout, is it an RCD that's tripping or an MCB over current device?
And what is the max current rating of the device that's tripping?
 
colinm said:
The recommended max power draw on a 120Ah lead/acid battery for that sort of use is 288w, 4 mins on your microwave will give the battery a severe hammering, reducing it's expected life.
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That's a definite concern as the power draw I'm seeing is a lot more than that. Maybe I should stick to Ecoflow powered toast from now on 😉
 
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