Sunshine PSW inverters from Tayna - cleanness of the waveform?

[MtB]

I need to rig up a temporary 230Vac power supply to test a boiler which is faulting due to a suspected dirty household mains supply.

 

Do the "Sunshine" brand of PSW inverters from Tayna work ok running electronics? I've seen mentions on here that that are a good price point being cheaper than Sterling PSW inverters nd work well, but less likely to burst into flames than cheap Amazon stuff by manus no-one has ever heard of..

 

Thanks.

[mrsmelly]

4 minutes ago, MtB said:

I need to rig up a temporary 230Vac power supply to test a boiler which is faulting due to a suspected dirty household mains supply.

 

Do the "Sunshine" brand of PSW inverters from Tayna work ok running electronics? I've seen mentions on here that that are a good price point being cheaper than Sterling PSW inverters nd work well, but less likely to burst into flames than cheap Amazon stuff by manus no-one has ever heard of..

 

Thanks.

I stuck one in my old motorhome and it worked well for what I used it for. However I didnt ever use it for such as a washing machine or anything with a timer in. I think @TheBiscuits has one???? if not there certainly is at least one poster on here who does as thats why I bought mine. I initialy bought it as a cheap spare for the boat, in case the posh one went down as a stop gap.

[rusty69]

From the sunshine solar website (not tayna).

 

Hope that helps:

 

Pure Sine Wave (also known as True Sine Wave) inverters generate an output voltage wave form that has a very low harmonic distortion like utility-supplied electricity. This means they are more suited for sensitive electronic equipment, allowing motors to run faster, quieter and cooler, preventing computer crashes, noises & glitches in monitors, TV, Game consoles etc in short a Pure Sine Wave Inverter will provide a reliable power source for all electronic appliances & devices.

[PaulJ]

Ive fitted a few and reccomended many. 

Never heard of any problems running anything off them anywhere-one of them is fitted in a friends boat  so would have soon heard if it was dodgy!

I wouldnt hesitate to plug my toothbrush charger into one..

[Onewheeler]

Our Sunshine Solar inverter runs a modern fridge and assorted electronic bits and pieces happily. I've never put a 'scope on the output though.

[TheBiscuits]

10 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

I stuck one in my old motorhome and it worked well for what I used it for. However I didnt ever use it for such as a washing machine or anything with a timer in. I think @TheBiscuits has one???? if not there certainly is at least one poster on here who does as thats why I bought mine. I initialy bought it as a cheap spare for the boat, in case the posh one went down as a stop gap.

 

Yeah, it's been in continuous service for 5 years now. And yes it was me that put you onto them.

 

Runs the washing machine fine, no issues with any delicate electronic stuff.

 

 

[MtB]

22 hours ago, rusty69 said:

From the sunshine solar website (not tayna).

 

Hope that helps:

 

Pure Sine Wave (also known as True Sine Wave) inverters generate an output voltage wave form that has a very low harmonic distortion like utility-supplied electricity. This means they are more suited for sensitive electronic equipment, allowing motors to run faster, quieter and cooler, preventing computer crashes, noises & glitches in monitors, TV, Game consoles etc in short a Pure Sine Wave Inverter will provide a reliable power source for all electronic appliances & devices.

 

Thanks Rusty. 

 

The thing is, all PSW inverters claim this, this being the whole point of a PSW inverter innit! But is is well known amongst boaters that el-cheapo PSW inverters can spook certain electronic appliances, in particular certain washing machines and certain electric toothbrushes. Also I suspect the waveform of a cheap so-called PSW inverter might still be quite steppy and not very siney.

 

Given I intend using it to diagnose a boiler which appears to be getting spooked by the household mains supply (I won't go into the details of how I have arrived at this conclusion but you'd prolly find them pretty convincing), I'm keen to try out a PSW inverter noted for not spooking washing machines etc hence my OP as I thought I'd read here in the past that the Sunshine brand was known to be good in this respect and also quite cheap-ish.

 

Anyway our ever helpful Biscuit man has since confirmed Sunshine are good, for which I am grateful and have dispensed greenies all around. 

 

[rusty69]

5 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Thanks Rusty. 

 

The thing is, all PSW inverters claim this, this being the whole point of a PSW inverter innit! But is is well known amongst boaters that el-cheapo PSW inverters can spook certain electronic appliances, in particular certain washing machines and certain electric toothbrushes. Also I suspect the waveform of a cheap so-called PSW inverter might still be quite steppy and not very siney.

 

Given I intend using it to diagnose a boiler which appears to be getting spooked by the household mains supply (I won't go into the details of how I have arrived at this conclusion but you'd prolly find them pretty convincing), I'm keen to try out a PSW inverter noted for not spooking washing machines etc hence my OP as I thought I'd read here in the past that the Sunshine brand was known to be good in this respect and also quite cheap-ish.

 

Anyway our ever helpful Biscuit man has since confirmed Sunshine are good, for which I am grateful and have dispensed greenies all around. 

 

No problem, just trying to help.

 

I would have thought that the supplier /importer of the goods would be the first port of call for information. But if you have already contacted them without a successful answer, I can see why you would ask here. 

I see some people on here have one, but to answer your question definitely , they would need to hook it up to an oscilloscope to see how 'clean'  the waveform is.

 

Hopefully someone can do that for you,and compare it to a 'mains'  waveform. 

 

If you suspect the power company, approaching them directly could be another option.

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

No problem, just trying to help.

 

I would have thought that the supplier /importer of the goods would be the first port of call for information. But if you have already contacted them without a successful answer, I can see why you would ask here. 

I see some people on here have one, but to answer your question definitely , they would need to hook it up to an oscilloscope to see how 'clean'  the waveform is.

 

Hopefully someone can do that for you,and compare it to a 'mains'  waveform. 

 

If you suspect the power company, approaching them directly could be another option.

 

 

Yes I agree with all this, but the problem has been that the Sunshine is closed at the weekend and as often with a busted boiler, there is a degree of urgency in getting it fixed. These people have guests arriving from USA on Tuesday and the sooner I can get their boiler fixed, the better! 

 

Nor do I have an oscilloscope or a Sunshine inverter to hand to test. I was planning to order a Sunshine inverter first thing tomorrow but thought I'd canvass for info here over the weekend, in case the Sunshine one is actually a mistake and I need to get a better brqnd.

 

In the meantime however, a lovely kind poster here has offered to lend me a Sterling PSW inverter so this will let me get on with diagnosis on this stupid boiler at least a whole day quicker! As well as saving the cost of an inverter! 

 

[Tony Brooks]

12 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

If you suspect the power company, approaching them directly could be another option.

 

I reckon that would be about as effective as trying to get BT to fix their noisy phone line without trying to charge the customer. You need some form of proof that is strong enough to take to the regulator before the utilities even think about reacting to a customer.

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

Yes I agree with all this, but the problem has been that the Sunshine is closed at the weekend and as often with a busted boiler, there is a degree of urgency in getting it fixed. These people have guests arriving from USA on Tuesday and the sooner I can get their boiler fixed, the better! 

 

Nor do I have an oscilloscope or a Sunshine inverter to hand to test. I was planning to order a Sunshine inverter first thing tomorrow but thought I'd canvass for info here over the weekend, in case the Sunshine one is actually a mistake and I need to get a better brqnd.

 

In the meantime however, a lovely kind poster here has offered to lend me a Sterling PSW inverter so this will let me get on with diagnosis on this stupid boiler at least a whole day quicker! As well as saving the cost of an inverter! 

 

That's great. I guess you have determined the sterling inverter has a 'clean'  enough waveform for your requirements. 

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I reckon that would be about as effective as trying to get BT to fix their noisy phone line without trying to charge the customer. You need some form of proof that is strong enough to take to the regulator before the utilities even think about reacting to a customer.

 

 

Yes exactly. If the boiler works correctly with an inverter and LA battery, I can jury-rig a mains charger to the battery to keep it working during their guests' visit this week, and it also becomes pretty good evidence with which to approach SSE for help.

 

Another interesting factor is that coincidentally perhaps, this problem began the day next door installed their new electric car charger.

 

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by MtB
Fiddle with it

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I reckon that would be about as effective as trying to get BT to fix their noisy phone line without trying to charge the customer. You need some form of proof that is strong enough to take to the regulator before the utilities even think about reacting to a customer.

That's true. I suppose Mike's customer could employ an electrician with the required equipment and knowledge to test it. 

 

However, Mike, being such a great bloke appears to be prepared to dip into his own pocket to help them out. 

 

Though I suspect he may have found another use for the inverter afterwards had someone not offered to lend him one. 

[MtB]

9 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

That's great. I guess you have determined the sterling inverter has a 'clean'  enough waveform for your requirements. 

 

 

Nope, but I suspect Sterling being a trustworthy brand are less likely to be problematic than the cheapo brands such as "BELTTT" and "GIANDEL" being offered to me on Amazon, or even Sunshine as flogged by Tayna. 

 

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by MtB

[rusty69]

Just now, MtB said:

 

 

Nope, but I suspect Sterling being a trustworthy brand are less likely to be problematic than the cheapo brands such as "BELTTT" and "GIANDEL" being offered to me, or even Sunshine as flogged by Tayna. 

 

 

Fair enough 

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

However, Mike, being such a great bloke

 

 

You are an impressively shrewd judge of character, I have often noticed....

 

 

[rusty69]

19 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

Yes exactly. If the boiler works correctly with an inverter and LA battery, I can jury-rig a mains charger to the battery to keep it working during their guests' visit this week, and it also becomes pretty good evidence with which to approach SSE for help.

 

Another interesting factor is that coincidentally perhaps, this problem began the day next door installed their new electric car charger.

 

 

Which only leaves one question from me. Who gets billed if it turns out to be next doors new electric car charger? 😀

[Mike Tee]

^^^^I was going to suggest running a long extension from next door if they were close enough, but that's a non-starter now!

[MtB]

24 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

^^^^I was going to suggest running a long extension from next door if they were close enough, but that's a non-starter now!

 

Thanks, a good idea I had not thought of.

 

My gut feeling is there would be no difference. This place is actually a grand and wonderful old Victorian hotel converted into 12 grand and wonderful apartments, with probably a really old electrical supply in a trench dug up the 1/4 mile long drive through the grounds. So not the average 3 bed semi of my typical customer! 

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

Just now, MtB said:

 

Thanks, a good idea I had not thought of.

 

My gut feeling is there would be no difference. This place is actually a grand and wonderful old Victorian hotel converted into 12 grand and wonderful apartments, with probably a really old electrical supply in a trench dug up the 1/4 mile long drive through the grounds. So not the average 3 bed semi of my typical customer!

 

It gets worse, there is probably a freeholder to take into account as well as the electricity company. Good luck.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

It gets worse, there is probably a freeholder to take into account as well as the electricity company. Good luck.

 

 

Yep, there will be! 

 

My job is to fix the boiler or at least prove the boiler and heating/hot water system works when provided with a suitable electricity supply. If I can demonstrate it works correctly with my own independent electricity supply then I think I can expect to get paid. Then I can refer them to SSE and/or an electrician to sort out their dodgy leccy. 

 

I'm now wondering if I should get one of them ghastly Jackery things for next time there is doubt about an electricity supply. It will look more professional than clonking car batteries, inverters and big fat wires about in the customer's kitchen! And be quicker. 

[rusty69]

Ah, but what's the output waveform of the jackanory? 

 

Oh, never mind..... 

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Ah, but what's the output waveform of the jackanory? 

 

Oh, never mind..... 

 

 

Ah but I can test it with various boilers at my leisure to see if it runs them ok. Slightly different from the time sensitive fix I'm engaged in now. 

 

Also, it might not be the accuracy of the waveform that spooks electronic stuff that refuses to run on inverters. Could be something else like an unfortunate confluence of inductance/capacitance in the particular appliance and inverter put together. Just an example. I don't really understand that much about electronicals.

[Quattrodave]

In my limited experience I'd be looking for another device in the house that is electrically noisy, but then you're not an electrician so not really your job... Good idea about using an inverter, I take it you are planning on running the boiler from the inverter for a while, few days perhaps? You'll either need a big battery bank or a way of charging the batteries.  IIRC using a mains charger to charge the battery powing the inverter should decouple the supply enough... Anyway back to the inverter, reciently I've only used a victron inverter, expensive but great, everything I've run from it works perfectly....

Edited August 21, 2022 by Quattrodave

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

 

Ah but I can test it with various boilers at my leisure to see if it runs them ok. Slightly different from the time sensitive fix I'm engaged in now. 

 

Also, it might not be the accuracy of the waveform that spooks electronic stuff that refuses to run on inverters. Could be something else like an unfortunate confluence of inductance/capacitance in the particular appliance and inverter put together. Just an example. I don't really understand that much about electronicals.

Hmm. That to me seems an odd way of doing things. I reckon you're just after an excuse to buy a new gadget. 

 

It's a bloke thing innit.