I.R.I.S. QP-1800 - Manual (Page 15)

QuietPower 1800 Inverter Owner’s Manual Rev 15 OCT 01 Page 15
DISADVANTAGES: Less resistant to over-charging because they consume water but
cannot be refilled.
RECOMBINANT FLOODED (SEALED) BATTERIES:
HAWKER ENERGY: GENESIS™
OPTIMA: Yellow Top
GNB INDUSTRIAL: EVOLYTE™
IDENTIFYING FEATURES: Vents are often concealed. Sold using the following phrases:
Recombinant, Valve Regulated, Maintenance Free, Starved
Electrolyte.
ADVANTAGES: Require no maintenance. Non-spillable.
DISADVANTAGES: Can be damaged by equalization. Generally more expensive.
GEL SEALED BATTERIES:
SONNENSCHEIN: PREVAILER™
WEST MARINE: SEAGEL™
IDENTIFYING FEATURES: Sold as either “Gel” or “Gelled Electrolyte” batteries.
ADVANTAGES: Require no maintenance. Often can be used on their side. Non-
spillable. Low self-discharge. Less damage from being left
discharged.
DISADVANTAGES: Damaged by equalization. Generally more expensive.
9.2. Battery Size
Just as important as the type of battery selected for use with your QuietPower Inverter is the subject of
battery size or capacity. Unfortunately, there are a number of different standards for rating battery energy
storage capacity. Automotive starting batteries are normally rated by cranking amps. This is not a
relevant rating for continuous use. Deep cycle batteries are rated either by reserve capacity in minutes or
by amp-hours. Battery reserve capacity is a measure of how long a battery can deliver a certain amount
of current - usually 25 amps. For example, a battery with a reserve capacity of 180 minutes can deliver
25 amps for 180 minutes before it is completely discharged. Amp-hour capacity is a measure of how
many amps a battery can deliver for a specified length of time - usually 20 hours. For example, a typical
marine or RV battery rated for 100 amp-hours can deliver 5 amps for 20 hours. (5 amps * 20 hours = 100
amp-hours).
The batteries are a very important part of your system, so we recommend you purchase as much battery
capacity as possible. A large battery will extend running time and ensure your QuietPower Inverter
delivers full rated surge.
You can expect performance from the inverter to suffer with the use of a small, low amp-hour rated
battery (e.g. 5O Ah). Even if your battery is in excellent shape and fully charged you will likely experience
poor surge power performance and unsatisfactory operating time with anything but a small AC load. Iris
Technology recommends a minimum battery size of 200 Ah for moderate loads (< 1000 W) and greater
than 400 Ah for heavy loads.
To determine how large a battery or battery bank you require for equipment running from the inverter,
simply add together the power requirements for all electrical devices that you will be running multiplied by
their approximate running times in hours between battery recharges. Each device will be rated in either
watts, volts and amps, or VA. For this calculation, all three of these ratings are equivalent (i.e. volts *
amps = watts = VA). The following example, based on battery recharging every three days, illustrates the
calculation: