Freedom 10, 15, 20, 25 Owner's Manual

OWNER’S MANUAL

FREEDOM COMBI

INVERTER/CHARGERS

TM

UL

Part No. 90-0113-00
Fdmman2.p65 2/98

FREEDOM MODELS 10, 15, 20, 25

®

A V alley Forge Company

Thank you for purchasing a Heart Interface Freedom Combi

Inverter/Charger.

TM

Heart Interface takes pride in manufacturing quality products specifically designed to
meet your power requirements.

Freedom Combi Inverter/Chargers provide silent, efficient and reliable AC power
for a variety of applications. They feature “hands-free” operation, automatic 3-stage
battery charging and automatic AC transfer switching. For your convenience, service is
available world-wide by qualified service centers.

If you have any questions about your Freedom Combi, please contact Heart
Interface toll free: [phone].

For technical support and additional information about Heart Interface products,
visit our web site at http://www.heartinterface.com or send us e-mail:

[e-mail]

[e-mail]

For your convenience, we’ve included a record log on page 39. Regular system
maintenance is important for optimum performance of your Freedom Inverter/Charger.
Use this record to keep track of any changes to your electrical system.

SAFETY SUMMARY

General safety information for installation
and operation is contained throughout this
manual where it applies and is not included
in this summary .

Definitions Warning statements identify con-

ditions or practices which could result in per­sonal injury, loss of life, damage to equipment
or other property.

Fuse Replacement For continued protection
against the possibility of fire, replace the fuse

only with a fuse of the specified voltage,
current and type ratings.

Power Source To avoid damage, operate the
equipment only within the specified AC (line)
and DC (battery) voltages.

Servicing To reduce the risk of electric shock
do not open this unit. There are no user ser­viceable parts inside. Refer all service to
qualified personnel.

The statements, specifications and instructions in this publication are believed to be correct. No warranty is made, expressed or implied by
the seller or manufacturer with respect to any results or lack thereof fr om the use of information in this publication and no liability is
assumed for any direct or consequential damages, personal loss or injury. All statements made herein ar e strictly to be used or relied on at
the user’s risk. © 1997, 1998 Heart Interface Corporation. All rights reserved.

2

Part No. 90-0113-00

Fdmman2.p65 2/98

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Things You Should Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Circuit Breaker Protection
Electronic Protection
Thermostat Controlled Cooling
Inverter Idle Circuit
Low and High Battery Protection
Power Sharing

Remote Control Panels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Freedom Remote Control Panel
Link Instrumentation

Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Battery Types
Battery Interconnection
Battery Bank Ratings and Sizing

Battery Charging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Conventional Battery Chargers
Freedom Battery Chargers
Charging Over-Discharged Batteries

Battery Charger Voltage Table . . . . . . . . .17

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Freedom Remote Control Panel Addendum . 28

Remote Power Switch
System Status LEDs
DC Volts Bargraph
DC Amps Bargraph
Dip Switches
Dip Switch Status
Remote Control Wiring
Status LEDs
Dip Switch Programming
Troubleshooting

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

System Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Installation Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Key Installation Points
Grounding
Neutral Bonding
AC Wiring
AC Output
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
Remote Control Wiring
DC Wiring
Battery Cable Fusing
Power ON Checks

Part No. 90-0113-00
Fdmman2.p65 2/98

3

INTRODUCTION

This owner’s manual describes the

Freedom Combi

Inverter/Chargers from

TM

Heart Interface. These units perform three
distinct functions:

1. DC to AC power inverting.

2. Automatic transfer switching between
inverter power and incoming AC power.

3. Automatic 3-Stage Battery charging plus
manual battery equalizing.

• The inverters provide regulated 120 Volt AC
power and crystal controlled frequency from a
deep cycle battery bank in specified watts:

Freedom 10 . . . . . . . . . 1000 watts

Freedom 15 . . . . . . . . . 1500 watts

Freedom 20 . . . . . . . . . 2000 watts

Freedom 25 . . . . . . . . . 2500 watts

The output is a modified sine wave and
is compatible with most appliances, tools and
other 120 VAC equipment. An idle circuit
reduces battery power consumption when the
loads are removed from the inverter. There is
a low battery cutout circuit and momentary
surge power of more than twice the inverter
rating is available for starting electric motors.
High efficiency insures the longest possible
battery life between recharges.

The Freedom Inverter/Charger operates
as a self-contained backup power system, just
add batteries.

• Freedom battery chargers are electronically
controlled and rated:

Model

Freedom 10
Freedom 15
Freedom 20*
Freedom 25

*Also available in 32 Volt model rated
at 35 Amps DC

12 Volts

50 Amps DC

75 Amps DC
100 Amps DC
130 Amps DC

24 Volts

25 Amps DC

N/A

50 Amps DC
65 Amps DC

They are designed to rapidly and opti­mally recharge either wet** or gel** cell
deep-cycle batteries. Battery charging is
accomplished in 3 automatic stages: Bulk
Charge, Acceptance Charge and Float
Charge. Using a Freedom Remote Control
Panel or Link Instrumentation, a manually­engaged Equalizing Charge cycle is possible.

Simple, automatic operation is made
possible by the microprocessor in the
Freedom Inverter/Charger. In most cases, the
unit is left ON and no attention or maint­enance is required.

• The internal transfer switch allows the
Freedom Inverter/Charger to be connected to
an external AC source and transfer the
source power through to the loads. When
disconnected, the transfer switch allows
automatic switching back to the inverter.

4

Electronic Protection

Fast-acting electronic circuits protect the
inverter from extreme overloads and short
circuits. Other protection includes a low and
high battery cutoff and automatic shutdown if
over temperature occurs. The fault condition
must be eliminated before reset will occur.
Example: remove overload, recharge
batteries or allow to cool. Reset by cycling the
power switch on the Freedom Remote Control
Panel, Link Instrument or the Freedom unit
one time--OFF/ ON.

**Adustable with optional remote (Freedom
Remote Panel or Link Instrumentation)

Part No. 90-0113-00

Fdmman2.p65 2/98

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Circuit Breaker Protection

The Freedom Inverter/Charger is circuit
breaker protected. The INV/CHG breaker on
the front of the unit protects against sustained
inverter/charger over current conditions.

Model

Freedom 10
Freedom 15
Freedom 20
Freedom 25

Circuit Breaker

12 Amp
20 Amp
25 Amp
30 Amp

The 30 Amp INPUT circuit breaker on the
Freedom unit protects the incoming AC circuit.
The incoming AC circuit provides power to the
battery charger and transfers power to the
loads connected to the inverter AC output.
The breakers are reset by pushing the button
back in.

NOTE: Freedom 25 only. There are 3
circuit breakers on the Freedom 25. The
OUTPUT 30 Amp circuit breaker on the front
of the unit protects against sustained inverter
overloads. The TRANSFER 30 Amp circuit
breaker on the unit protects the incoming AC
leg which is transferred through to the loads.
The CHARGER 30 Amp circuit breaker
protects the incoming AC leg which feeds the
battery charger.

Thermostat Controlled Cooling

Freedom Inverter/Chargers are equipped
with a thermostat controlled fan that cools the
unit so it can operate continually at its rating.

Inverter Idle Circuit

This automatic energy saving feature
reduces battery power consumption when no
load is present. Response from idle is instant.
In most cases, the operation of the idle circuit
is not noticeable. Use of the Freedom Remote
Control Panel or Link Instrumentation allows

the idle circuit sensitivity to be adjusted. The
unit will not put out 120 Volts when in idle. To
bring the unit out of the idle condition, apply
a load.

Low and High Battery Protection

When the battery voltage drops to 10
Volts, the Freedom Inverter/Charger will auto­matically shut off. Recharge the batteries to

13.5 Volts (12 V model). For 24 Volt models,
recharge batteries to 31.0 Volts. For 32 Volt
models, recharge batteries to 41.38 Volts.
Freedom units will automatically reset when
shore power is disconnected or reset
manually by cycling the power switch OFF/ON

Shut down also occurs for a high battery
condition at 15.5 Volts. To restore inverter
operation, battery voltage must be below 15.5
Volts. Check all DC sources on the system for
excessive voltage.

Power Sharing

When connected to shore power or when
using a generator, the battery charger and
transfer functions are engaged. A unique
Power Sharing feature automatically reduces
the AC consumption of the battery charger
allowing necessary AC power to the load.
This prevents the source AC INPUT circuit
breaker from tripping.

The Power Sharing set point of each unit
has a factory default setting. This can be
adjusted using the Freedom Remote Control
Panel or a Link Instrument.

NOTE: Freedom 25 only. Since the
Freedom 25 has dual AC inputs, one transfer
and one charge, factory default setting for
Power Sharing is OFF. If only one leg is used
to supply both inputs, set Power Sharing
accordingly.

Part No. 90-0113-00
Fdmman2.p65 2/98

5

REMOTE CONTROL PANELS

Freedom Remote Control Panel

An optional remote control panel is
available. When the remote is used, the
power switch on the unit should be left OFF.
The remote control panel provides LED
bargraphs which show system status, battery
voltage and DC current in both inverter and
charger modes.

These bargraphs can also display dip
switch positions and shutdown conditions. Dip
switches allow the selection of battery type,
battery temperature, idle sensitivity, Power
Sharing, manual equalizing and auto/manual
charge modes. Refer to the Freedom Remote
Control Panel Addendum, pages 28-34, in
this manual for more information.

Link Instrumentation

More advanced optional remote control
panels are also available: the Link 1000, 2000
and 2000R.

Link 1000 controls the Freedom Inverter/
Charger and provides complete battery state­of-charge information including DC voltage,
current, Amp-hours consumed, Time
Remaining and historical data for a single
battery bank.

The Link 2000 provides inverter/charger
control and complete battery state-of-charge
information for up to two battery banks.

The Link 2000R adds the ability to
control an engine-driven alternator. This
precision regulator transforms an alternator
into a 3-stage battery charging system.

If Link Instrumentation is used to control
the inverter/charger, refer to the Link Owner’s
Manual for setup and control information.

Refer to Installation Guide

for installation options.

6

Part No. 90-0113-00

Fdmman2.p65 2/98

OPERATION

The Freedom Inverter/Charger provides
household 120 Volt AC power from auxiliary
DC batteries, automatic battery charging and
automatic AC transfer switching.

Power Switch

The Power Switch is located on the front
panel. This switch controls ON/OFF and
RESET for the inverter.

If the unit is connected to external AC
power, the battery charger and transfer switch
will continue to function, regardless of the
position of the switch.

Freedom 25 shown.

When external AC power is removed
and the power switch is in the ON position,
the inverter will automatically be ON. If the
switch is in the OFF position and external AC
power is removed, the inverter will be OFF.

Inverter overload protection, transfer
switching, default Power Sharing and 3-stage
battery charger regulation will all function
automatically.

If installed with the Freedom Remote
Control Panel or Link Instrument, the power
switch on the unit should be left in the OFF
position. Refer to Freedom Remote Control
Panel Addendum, pages 28-34, or the Link
Owner’s Manual.

Freedom 10 and 20 Circuit Breakers

INPUT

INV/CHG

Part No. 90-0113-00
Fdmman2.p65 2/98

Power Switch

Freedom 25 Circuit Breakers

CHARGER

TRANSFER

OUTPUT

7

BATTERIES

BATTERY TYPES

Use only deep-cycle batteries with your
Freedom Inverter/Charger. These fall into
three broad categories: wet cell, gel cell and
Advanced AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat)
batteries.

Wet Cell Batteries

True deep-cycle wet cell batteries are
characterized by relatively thick plates that are
alloyed with antimony.

It should be noted that high antimony
deep-cycle batteries will give off gas as a
natural result of charging and will experience
some water loss. It is very important that the
electrolyte level be checked frequently and
topped off with distilled water when neces­sary. Never allow the tops of the plates to be
exposed to air, as contamination of the cell
will result. Keeping the tops of batteries clean
will reduce self-discharging. Always provide
ventilation for the battery storage
compartment.

Do not use car batteries or engine
starting batteries of any kind with your
inverter/charger. Beware of any battery that is
rated in Cold Cranking Amps (CCA). This is a
rating which applies only to engine starting
batteries. In general, most wet cell batteries
that are described as hybrid batteries, suitable
for either engine starting or deep-cycle
applications, are a compromise and will have
limited life if deeply discharged.

Common marine/RV deep-cycle
batteries are acceptable. However, golf
cart batteries perform well and may have a
longer life. They are 6 Volt batteries that
must be used in series pairs. High quality
marine deep-cycle batteries offer good
performance and are available in a wide

variety of sizes. Floor sweeper, fork lift or
large 2 Volt cells can also offer excellent
performance, if their large size can be
accommodated.

8

Part No. 90-0113-00

Fdmman2.p65 2/98

Part No. 90-0113-00
Fdmman2.p65 2/98

Beware of so-called maintenance-free

batteries. These batteries have calcium

alloyed with the lead and hold the liquid
electrolyte in a sponge-like material. They are
sealed and water can not be added. Do not
confuse them with true gel cell or Advanced
AGM batteries, they will not hold up to deep
discharging and repeated cycling.

Gel Cell Batteries

Gel cell batteries are lead-acid batteries
similar in many ways to the common wet cell
battery, but differences in the chemistry and
construction provide some unique features.

• No Maintenance

• Low Self-Discharging

• Low Internal Resistance

Even though gel cells are sealed
batteries, the battery compartment should be
ventilated.

Advanced AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat)
Batteries

This battery is lead acid but
maintenance-free. The performance is similar
to gel cell batteries. The charge perameters
are similar to wet cell batteries.

Battery Selection The most important feature
to consider in making your battery selection is
to select true deep cycle batteries rated in
Amp-hours (AH).

BA TTERY INTERCONNECTION

In most cases, you will be using a bank
of two or more batteries with your inverter/
charger. You may connect batteries together

BATTERIES

in two configurations, series and parallel.

Series

Connecting two batteries in series will
double the voltage of the battery bank. For
instance, two 6 Volt batteries connected in
series will produce 12 Volts. The Amp-hour
capacity of the battery bank will be the same
as each individual battery. Example, two 6
Volt 220 Amp-hour batteries in series will
produce one 12 Volt 220 Amp-hour battery
bank.

Series

+

+

+

Series Increase Voltage

EACH BATTER Y

CAPACITY :

220

AMP-HOURS

@ 6 VDC

TOTAL BATTERY
BANK CAPACITY :

220

AMP-HOURS

@ 12 VDC

6V

6V

+

+

_

_

+

1

2V INVERTER

_

9

BATTERIES

Parallel

Connecting two batteries in parallel will
double the Amp-hour rating of the battery
bank, while the voltage will be the same as
each individual battery. Example, two 12 Volt
105 Amp-hour batteries in parallel will
produce one 12 Volt 210 Amp-hour battery
bank.

+

+

Parallel

Parallel Increase Amp-hour Capacity

+

12V

_

EACH BATTER Y

CAP ACITY:

105

AMP-HOURS

@ 12 VDC

12V

_

+

+

1

2V INVERTER

_

TOTAL BATTERY
BANK CAPACITY :

AMP-HOURS

@ 12 VDC

210

Note: It is not advisable to connect
batteries of different case sizes or Amp-hour
ratings in the same battery bank.

Always use wire and terminals for
your interconnecting battery cables which
are appropriate to handle the current. They
must be the same size or larger AWG as
the cables supplied with the inverter/
charger.

BA TTERY BANK RATINGS AND SIZING

Deep-cycle batteries are usually rated in
Amp-hours. The Amp-hour rating is based on
a 20 hour discharge cycle, therefore, a 100
Amp-hour battery can deliver 5 Amps for 20
hours. If the discharge rate is greater than 5
Amps, the available Amp-hours are de­creased. For example, if the load is increased
to 100 Amps, only about 45 Amp-hours will
be available at this rate of discharge.

Deep-cycle batteries can be discharged
about 80% before permanent damage
occurs, though shallower cycling will result in
much longer battery life. 50% cycling is gen­erally considered to be a good compromise
between long battery life and a reasonably
sized battery bank.

Only similar batteries should be

connected together in one bank. Do not

connect old and new batteries together or wet
and gel cell batteries together. In the above
drawing, the load is connected to the positive
terminal of the first battery and the negative
terminal of the last battery. This practice helps
to balance the battery bank and is called

cross-connecting

the battery bank.

10

Part No. 90-0113-00

Fdmman2.p65 2/98

BATTERIES

To achieve 50% cycling you should cal­culate your Amp-hour consumption between
charging cycles and use a battery bank with
twice that capacity**. Each AC appliance or
tool has a rating plate on it and will be rated in
either AC Amps or Watts or AC VA
(Volt-Amps) apparent power. To calculate
Amp-hour consumption, use one of the
formulas to the right to calculate the DC
Amp-hour draw for a 12 Volt system.

Calculate the Amp-hours for every AC
appliance or tool that will be operated on the
inverter. This will provide the total number of
Amp-hours used between recharges. Size the
battery bank using this number as a guideline.
A good rule to follow is to size the battery
bank a minimum of 2 times larger than the
total Amp-hour load requirement. Plan on
recharging when 50% discharged.

**Batteries are typically charged to 85% of full
charge when charging with alternators without 3-stage
regulators.

noitpmusnoCrewoPlacipyT

ecnailppA

RCV0533.1248212369

pmaL00166.248614246291

rednelB0032621

muucaV00113.7224488671462

Part No. 90-0113-00
Fdmman2.p65 2/98

VTroloC"310533.1248212369
VTroloC"9100166.248614246291

retupmoCpotpaL0533.1248

norIgnilruC0533.12

llirDrewoP8/30053.30102

*rekamecI0026.22.54.016.516.142.38

rekaMeeffoC00016.6020408061

*rotaregirfeR'uc3051248212369

*rotaregirfeR'uc02057122448621633276

evaworciMtcapmoC0575510306021081

evaworciMeziSlluF0051010306021042063

lacipyT
egattaW

.niM5.niM51.niM03.rH1.rH2.rH3.rH8.rH42

AMP-HOUR CONSUMPTION FORMULAS

(AC Amps x 10) x 1.1 x hours of
operation = DC Amp-hours

(Watts/ DC Voltage) x 1.1 x hours of
operation = DC Amp-hours

(AC VA/ DC Voltage) x 1.1 x hours of
operation = DC Amp-hours

DC Voltage is 12, 24 or 32 depending on

your system.

In all formulas, 1.1 is the factor for

inverter efficiency.

Typical Power Consumptlon

The chart below identifies typical power
consumption for common AC loads. Use it as
a guide when identifying your power
requirements.

Many electric motors have momentary
starting requirements well above their opera-

tional rating. Start up watts are
listed where appropriate.
Individual styles and brands of

sruoHpmA/semiTnuRecnailppA

appliances may vary.

If using the same battery
bank for the inverter and the DC
loads, be sure to consider the
power consumption of the DC
loads when sizing the battery
bank.

.elycytud-3/1agnisudetaluclacyllacipytsinoitaregirferetoN*

.semitnursuounitnocsuoiravnodesab)CDtlov21@(desusruohpmAlatotehtstneserperxobhcaenirebmuN

11

BA TTERY CHARGING

Battery Charging

Completely recharging wet cell deep­cycle batteries requires the battery voltage to
be raised beyond what is known as the
gassing point. This is the voltage at which the
battery begins to bubble and gas is given off.
If charging stops short of this point, sulfate is
left on the plates and deterioration of the bat­tery begins. The gassing point will vary with
battery temperature.

At 77 degrees F, the gassing point of a
12 Volt battery is about 14.0 Volts. Battery
charging without excessive gassing of the
batteries is accomplished with three-stage
chargers. The Freedom Inverter/Charger
utilizes this technique.

Gel cell batteries must not be charged to
their gassing point. In fact, high voltage
charging which gasses these batteries is
harmful to them. They typically require a lower
bulk charge voltage and a higher float voltage
than wet cell batteries. Consult the battery
manufacturer for specifications.

Conventional Battery Chargers

Most conventional battery chargers are
single-stage constant voltage chargers. They
must stop short of the gassing point or they
will overcharge the battery bank. Most 12 Volt
battery chargers bring the battery voltage up
to about 13.8 Volts.

This presents two problems. First, since
the battery voltage does not reach the
gassing point, sulfate is left on the plates.
Second, 13.8 Volts is close enough to the
gassing point that some gas will escape, and
the wet cell battery will need to be frequently
topped off with distilled water.

Conventional battery chargers also suffer
from another inherent characteristic of design,
which is a tapering effect. While they will
deliver their rated current into a deeply dis­charged battery, as the battery voltage rises,
the output current of the charger tapers down.
This taper continues as the battery is
charged, taking a very long time to reach an
acceptable recharge level.

Freedom Battery Chargers

Freedom battery chargers are designed
to overcome the limitations of conventional
chargers by utilizing 3 distinct stages, each
designed for optimal recharging of both wet
cell and gel cell deep-cycle batteries. Battery
type selection is only available through the
Freedom Remote Control Panel or a Link
Instrument. Refer to the Freedom Remote
Control Panel Addendum, pages 28-34, or a
Link Owner’s Manual.

12

Part No. 90-0113-00

Fdmman2.p65 2/98