Xantrex Technology FP 3000-12 User Manual

Xantrex
Fleet PowerTM 3000-12
Inverter/Charger

FP 3000-12

Owner's Manual

Thank you for purchasing a Xantrex Fleet PowerTM 3000-12 Inverter/Charger. Xantrex
Technology Inc. takes pride in manufacturing quality products specifically designed to meet
your power requirements.

The FP3000-12 provides silent, efficient and reliable AC power for a variety of appli­cations. It features “hands-free” operation, automatic three-stage battery charging and au­tomatic AC transfer switching. For your convenience, service is available world-wide from
qualified service centers.

If you have any questions about your Fleet Power 3000-12, please contact Xantrex
toll free at 1-800-670-0707.

For technical support and additional information about Xantrex products, visit our Web
site at www.xantrex.com or email us at [e-mail]

SAFETY SUMMARY

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 conditions or

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

Notice of Copyright

Xantrex Fleet Power 3000-12 Inverter/Charger © January 2003 Xantrex International. All rights reserved.

Fleet Power is a registered trademark of Xantrex International. Xantrex is a registered trademark of Xantrex International.

Disclaimer

UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AGREED TO IN WRITING, XANTREX TECHNOLOGY INC. (“XANTREX”)

(a) MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THE ACCURACY, SUFFICIENCY OR SUITABILITY OF ANY TECHNICAL OR
OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED IN ITS MANUALS OR OTHER DOCUMENTATION.

(b) ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE, WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT,
CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL, WHICH MIGHT ARISE OUT OF THE USE OF SUCH INFORMATION. THE
USE OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE ENTIRELY AT THE USER’S RISK.

Date and Revision January 2003, Revision 2 Part Number 445-0206-01-01

Contact Information Web: www.xantrex.com Email: [e-mail]

Phone: [phone] (toll free in North America) 1-604-422-2777 (direct) Fax: [phone]

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.

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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

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

Circuit Breaker Protection
Thermostat Controlled Cooling
Inverter Idle Circuit
Low and High Battery Shutdown
Power Sharing
Temperature Sensitive Charging

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

Optional Remote Control Panel . . . . . . . . .10

Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Battery Types
Battery Interconnection
Battery Bank Ratings and Sizing

Battery Charging. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Fleet Power Battery Chargers

Battery Charger Voltage Table . . . . . . . . . 20

Installation Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

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

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

LED Fault Status

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Installation Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Not recommended for use in marine environment

3

INTRODUCTION

This owner’s manual describes the
Fleet Power
Xantrex Technology Inc. This unit performs
three distinct functions:

1. DC to AC power inverting.

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

3. Automatic three-stage battery charging
plus manual battery equalizing.

• The inverter provides regulated 120 volt AC
power at a crystal controlled frequency from a
deep-cycle battery bank and is rated at 3000
watts.
The output is a modified sine wave and is
compatible with most appliances, tools and
other 120 VAC equipment. (Note: certain laser
printers, breadmakers, digital clocks and small
battery chargers may not operate on modfied
sine wave.) An idle mode reduces battery
power consumption when loads are removed
from the inverter. There is a low battery cutout
protection circuit and momentary surge power
of more than twice the inverter rating for start­ing electric motors. High efficiency ensures the
longest possible battery life between charges.

TM

3000-12 Inverter/Charger from

• The FP3000-12 battery charger is
electronically controlled and rated at a
maximum output current of 140 amps DC.

It is designed to rapidly and optimally charge
wet, gel, or Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM)** cell

deep-cycle batteries. Battery charging is
automatically accomplished in three stages:
Bulk Charge, Acceptance Charge and Float
Charge.

Using a Remote Control Panel, a manually
engaged Equalizing Charge cycle is possible.
Simple, automatic operation is made possible
by the microprocessor in the FP3000-12. In
most cases, no attention or maintenance is
required.

Electronic Protection

Fast-acting electronic circuits protect the
inverter from overloads and short circuits.
Other protection includes a low and high
battery voltage cutoff and automatic shutdown
if an over-temperature condition occurs. When
the fault condition is corrected, the unit will
automatically reset. Example: remove over­load, charge batteries or allow to cool.

• The internal transfer switch allows the
FP3000-12 to be connected to an external AC
source and transfer the source power through
directly to the loads. When the external AC
power source is disconnected, the transfer
switch allows automatic switching back to the
inverter.

The FP3000-12 operates as a self-contained
backup power system—just add batteries.

4

**Battery type selection is set on the front of the unit
or with the Remote Control Panel.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Circuit Breaker Protection

The FP3000-12 is supplemental breaker
protected.

The INVERT/CHARGE breaker on the front of
the unit protects against sustained inverter/
charger over-current conditions. These breakers
are reset by pushing the button back in. The
output circuit breakers protect the output AC
circuits. The FP3000-12 is available with one
or two outputs.

Thermostat Controlled Cooling

The FP3000-12 is equipped with a thermostati­cally controlled fan that cools the unit so it can
operate continually at its rated Units with only
supplemental circuit breakers between the unit
and the load. Appropriate wire gauges must be
used throughtout the installation. Refer to NEC
specifications.

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Inverter Idle Circuit

This automatic energy-saving feature
reduces battery power consumption when no
AC load is present. Response from idle is
instantaneous. In most cases, the operation of
the idle circuit is not noticeable. Use of the
Remote Control Panel allows the idle threshold
to be adjusted. The unit does not put out 120
volts when in idle. To bring the unit out of the
idle condition, apply a load.

Low and High Battery Shutdown

When in inverter mode, if the battery
voltage drops to 10.0 volts, the inverter will
automatically shut off. Charge the batteries to

13.5 volts to automatically resume operation.

Voltage shutdown also occurs for a high battery
condition at 15.5 volts. Operation will resume
automatically when the battery voltage drops
below 15.5 volts. Check all DC sources on
the system for the reason for the excessive
voltage.

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Note: Supplemental circuit breakers are reset by pushing the
button back in. The fault must be removed before resetting the
circuit breaker. Integral branch circuit rated breakers are reset
by setting the appropriate breaker switch to the “on” position.
The fault must be removed before resetting the circuit breaker.

If a 30-ampere service supplies the input to the unit, a model
with integral branch circuit rated breakers allows direct wiring
from the unit to the load.

Power Sharing

When connected to an external AC source
the battery charger and transfer functions are
engaged. A unique Power Sharing feature
automatically reduces the AC power consump­tion of the battery charger allowing necessary
AC power to go to the load. This prevents the
source AC INPUT circuit breaker from tripping
within the specified rating of the AC circuit
breaker.

The Power Sharing set point of each unit has a
factory default setting of 30 amps. This can be
changed using the Remote Control Panel.

5

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Temperature Sensitive Charging (TSC)

When the supplied battery temperature sensor is
connected to the unit and the batteries, the
charge voltage is controlled based on battery
temperature. The charger adjusts the charge
voltage to the best level, minimizing water loss in
wet cell batteries. Charge voltage regulation opti­mizes the battery life cycle.

TSC Sensor

Battery

6

OPERATION

The FP3000-12 provides 120 volt AC power
from auxiliary DC batteries, automatic battery
charging and automatic AC transfer switching
between an external AC source and inverter
mode.

External AC Power

When external AC power is available, the
three-stage battery charger, transfer switching,
and Power Sharing automatically function.

When external AC power is not available and
the INVERT switch is ON (either through the
auxiliary switch or the INVERT button on the
remote), the inverter will automatically turn ON.
If the INVERT switch is OFF (the INVERT LED
will not be illuminated), the inverter will be OFF.

If installed with the Remote Control Panel, the
unit will be set up and controlled from the
remote. Refer to the remote manual for more
information.

Front Panel Controls and Indicators

INVERT MODE

The INVERT push-button switch is located on
the front of the unit and has two functions:

• Turn the inverter ON/OFF and reset after a
fault condition. Pressing the INVERT switch
turns the inverter ON. The green INVERT LED
will be ON when the inverter is inverting.
When the inverter is ON, pressing the INVERT
switch turns the inverter OFF.

INVERT

CHARGE

• Battery type setup. To enter the battery type
select mode, press and hold the INVERT
switch for five seconds. The status LEDs will
change from indicating status information to
indicating battery type. The selection of the
battery type is made with the Charge switch.

Turning the INVERT OFF will reduce battery
power consumption to a very low level. This is
recommended if the unit will not be used for an
extended period of time.

CHARGE MODE

The CHARGE push-button switch has two
functions:

• Turn the charger ON and OFF
If external AC is present, pressing the CHARGE
switch will turn the charger ON. The green
CHARGE LED will be ON when the charger is
charging. When the charger is ON, pressing
this switch will turn the charger OFF.

• Select the battery type After holding the
INVERT switch for five seconds, press the
CHARGE switch to select the battery type.
One of the four LEDs will rapidly blink,
indicating the present battery type setting.
Press the CHARGE switch again to change
the battery type. Continue to press until the
desired battery type is selected. If the CHARGE
switch is not pressed for five seconds, the unit
will return to normal operation and the battery
type selection will have been made.

When the 12 volt input to the unit is
disconnected, the battery type setting is stored
in non-volatile memory. When the unit is
reconnected, the battery type selection
conveniently returns to the setting.

7

OPERATION

STATUS LEDs

Each Status LED performs two functions,
providing battery type selection and operation
status.

Status LEDs

INVERT

CHARGE

OVERTEMP
OVERLOAD / AGM

LOW BATTERY / GEL 2

CHARGE / GEL1

INVERT / WET

REMOTE

TSC

Battery Type Selection

After holding the INVERT button down for five
seconds, use the CHARGE button to select
battery type :

WET GEL 1 GEL 2 AGM

Operation Status

INVERT - Green LED

The INVERT push-button switch is located on
the front of the unit.

• When the LED is solid green, the unit is
in invert mode. This occurs by pressing the
INVERT switch (for three to five seconds).

• When the LED is blinking slowly (once
per second), the inverter is in standby with AC
power applied and the transfer switch engaged

• Press the INVERT switch again to turn
the inverter OFF.

CHARGE - Green LED

• The CHARGE push-button switch is
located on the front of the unit.

When external AC is applied to the AC input of
the unit, the charger automatically turns ON.
The CHARGE LED will be solid green.

• When the LED is blinking slowly, (once
per second) the charger is ready, but external
AC power is not available.

• Press the CHARGE switch again to turn
the charger OFF. The charger defaults to ON
when operating without a remote or with the
Remote Control Panel.

• When the LED is OFF, the charger has
been manually turned OFF. This can only be
accomplished while AC power is being supplied.

NOTE: When AC power is available, the default
setting for the charger is ON. If the unit was
manually turned OFF and AC power is inter­rupted and becomes available again, the
charger will return to ON.

LOW BATTERY - Red LED

• When the LED is OFF the battery voltage

is normal, between 10.5 and 15.0 volts DC.

• When the LED is solid red, it indicates a
battery warning condition, the battery voltage is
below 10.5 volts DC or above 15.0 volts DC.

• When the LED is blinking slowly (once
per second), a battery shutdown has occurred.
The voltage is either below 10.0 volts DC or
above 15.5 volts DC.

• When the LED is blinking rapidly (five
times per second), a potential problem in the
DC system has been detected. Check your
batteries, battery cables and DC loads.

OVERTEMP/OVERLOAD - Red LED

• When the LED is OFF, operation is

normal.

• When the LED is red, there is an over
temp or overload condition. Check for
excessive loads or short circuit on the output
of the inverter. Correct the condition and restart
by pushing the INVERT switch.

8

• When the LED is blinking slowly (once
per second), an over-current condition or a
short circuit has occured. The system has
shut OFF and will not automatically restart.
Correct the fault condition and manually restart
the system.

LOW BATTERY & OVERTEMP/OVERLOAD

- Red LEDs

• When both LEDs are blinking, an AC
backfeed has been detected. A backfeed occurs
when AC power from an external source is
connected to the output of the inverter. Inspect
wiring for a possible input/output wiring error.
This condition will damage the unit and must
be corrected before further operation.

TSC (Temperature Sensitive Charging)

This provides for the connection of a sensor to
measure battery temperature for compensated
charging. If no sensor is connected the charge
voltage levels are set to defaults based on
battery type.

Low
Battery

Overtemp

Remote

OPERATION

TSC

Auxiliary Port

OPTIONAL REMOTES

If using a remote, refer to the installation
instructions included with the remote.

Note: When a Remote Control Panel is installed,
the jumper included in the parts plastic bag is
not used in the Auxiliary Switch Port (AUX
SWITCH) on the front panel of the inverter/
charger. See page 23 for more details.

9

OPTIONAL REMOTE CONTROL PANEL

Remote Control Panel

An optional remote control panel is available.
The LED bar graphs on the remote control
panel show battery voltage and DC current in
both inverter and charger modes.

Easy-to-see red, yellow and green LEDs show
the battery state-of-charge. Power
Sharing, charger ON/OFF, inverter ON/OFF
controls are provided. Set-up features include
selection of Idle Threshold, Battery Type and
Battery Capacity.

Remote Control Panel

10

BATTERIES

Wet cell 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.
Follow the battery manufacturer’s
recommendations for maintenance.

Never allow the top of the battery plates to be
exposed to air, as contamination of the cell will
result. Keep the top of batteries clean. Always
provide adequate ventilation for the battery
storage compartment.

BATTERY TYPES

Use only deep-cycle batteries with your
FP3000-12. 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 internal plates
that are alloyed with antimony.

Common 12-volt marine/RV deep-cycle
batteries are acceptable. Golf cart
batteries perform well and may have a
longer life. These 6-volt batteries must be
used in series connected in pairs. High
quality deep-cycle batteries offer good
performance and are available in a wide

variety of sizes.

Do not use ordinary car batteries or engine
starting batteries with your inverter
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 type batteries, suitable for
either engine starting or deep-cycle applications,
are a compromise and will have limited life if
deeply discharged.

·charger.

11

BATTERIES

All batteries can be maintenance free, but not
all of them are deep-cycling batteries. Beware

of batteries that are described as
maintenance free only. These batteries have

calcium alloyed with the lead and hold the
liquid electrolyte in a sponge-like material. They
are sealed and water cannot be added. Do not

confuse them with true gel cell or AGM
batteries—they will not hold up well 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-discharge rate

• Low internal resistance

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

BATTERY INTERCONNECTION

In most cases, you will be using a bank of two
or more batteries with your inverter

/charger.

You may connect batteries together in two
configurations, series and parallel, depending
on their voltage.

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. For example, two 6-volt 220
amp-hour batteries in series will produce one
12-volt 220 amp-hour battery bank.

+

+

+

Advanced AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat)
Batteries

This battery is lead acid but maintenance-free.
The performance is similar to gel cell batteries.
The charge parameters 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)
and sized to match your power requirements.

12

Series Increase Voltage

+

6V

_

EACH BATTERY

CAPACITY:

220

AMP HOURS

@ 6 VDC

+

6V

_

Series

+

12V INVERTER

_

TOTAL BATTERY

BANK CAPACITY:

220

AMP HOURS

@ 12 VDC

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. For 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 BATTERY

CAPACITY:

105

AMP HOURS

@ 12 VDC

12V

_

+

+

1

2V INVERTER

_

TOTAL BATTERY

BANK CAPACITY:

210

AMP HOURS

@ 12 VDC

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

Always use properly sized wire and
terminals for your interconnecting battery
cables. For size information refer to NEC
requirements or contact your local
electrician.

BATTERY BANK RATINGS AND SIZING

Deep-cycle batteries are usually rated in amp
hours. The amp-hour rating is based on a 20­hour discharge rate. 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% of capacity before damage occurs.
Shallow cycling will result in much longer
battery life. Calculating a battery bank size
based on 50% discharge cycling is generally
considered to be a good compromise between
long battery life and size.

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.

13

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 two 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 three-stage
regulators.

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14

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 correction factor for

inverter efficiency.

Typical Power Consumptlon

The chart 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
operational rating. Start-up watts
are listed where appropriate.

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Individual styles and brands of
appliances may vary.

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

NOTE Certain laser printers, breadmakers,
digital clocks and appliance/tool chargers

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may not operate on modified sine wave.

BATTERY CHARGING

Battery Charging

Completely charging wet cell deep-cycle 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 °F, the gassing point of a 12-volt battery
is about 14.0 volts.

AGM and 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.

Fleet Power Battery Chargers

Fleet Power battery chargers are designed to
overcome the limitations of conventional
chargers by utilizing three distinct charge
stages, each designed for optimal charging of
wet, gel cell and AGM deep-cycle batteries.
Battery type selection is made on the front
panel of the inverter/charger or through the
Remote Control Panel. For more information
on battery type selection, see page 7 or refer to
the Remote Control Panel manual.

15