Are you looking to install solar power units in your home? If so, you may want to first look at inverters before making such purchases for your abode.
And if you’re using power-hungry appliances, I recommend that you get a 2000-watt inverter to regulate the power flow to and from the breakers and devices themselves.
For this, you need to know what size circuit breaker for 2000 watt inverter is best. To briefly explain, it requires a 20-ampere device to safely manage the electricity flowing in the battery and inverter system.
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Size Circuit Breaker for 2000 Watt Inverter
As I have stated above, the proper size fuse for 2000 watt inverter is rated at 20 A. However, some electricians recommend scaling up just a bit in order to have some breathing room for the breaker when it comes to regulating electricity flow.
As a 2000-watt inverter is capable of distributing 2000 W of pure power to appliances, we can use that figure in the equation that calculates breaker sizes for inverters.
The mathematical formula used to compute the proper breaker size is:
\begin{equation}
\frac{\text{Inverter current output}}{120~\text{V}} = \text{appropriate circuit breaker capacity}
\end{equation}
In our case: we must divide 2000 by 120. If you’re confused, I used 120 because it’s the main voltage provided by the electric grid of the United States of America.
So do note that this figure could change if you’re residing in other countries. The voltage running through your circuitry could be different, so I advise that you either consult your electrician or the Internet regarding this issue.
But I digress. Following where we left off, 2000 divided by 120 is 16.6. To get the final answer, multiply 16.6 by 1.25 (this constant was determined by expert electrical engineers). The final answer should yield 20.75.
Given this, our calculation provided that 20.75 amperes should be the proper circuit breaker size for our 2000-watt inverter. Now, some electricians recommend scaling the circuit breaker size to 25 amp in order to have some leeway.
However, whether you would install 20 or 25 ampere-CBs for your inverter is up to you. But generally, 20 amperes should suffice to protect your circuitry.
Wire Size for 2000 Watt Inverter
Now that you know the proper 2000 watt inverter fuse size, perhaps you may also want to learn the proper wire size for connecting the inverter to the breaker itself.
However, before we get into that, I would first want to inform you how important a proper size wire is in regards to connecting circuitry.
The gauge of the wire determines the capacity of electricity it can carry throughout a circuit safely and effectively. The size of the wire also dictates the rate of energy loss that happens when electricity is transferred.
That being said, the proper wire size for a 2000 W inverter is 1/0 American Wire Gauge (AWG). Aside from that, I recommend that you keep your cable’s length at the minimum in order to prevent significant power loss due to transition.
For this, electricians advise that you place your inverter near the appliances that would draw the most power. This is to ensure that the friction between electrons during electric conversion in the cable wire is minimized.
How to Properly Install a Breaker to your 2000 Watt Inverter
Now that we have that all lined up, we can discuss how to install a circuit breaker to your own inverter appliance properly.
If you’re not knowledgeable about things relating to electricity, then you may have difficulties understanding the following. In this case, I recommend that you acquire the professional services of an electrician.
However, if you have somewhat of some experience in setting up inverters, and are looking forward to installing the breaker itself, then heed my careful instructions below.
- Step 1: Turn off the flow of electricity by shutting down the main circuit breaker. Also, remember to put on gloves beforehand to prevent any sudden power discharge from shocking you. Remove also any appliance connected to the inverter.
- Step 2: Carefully undo the screws and bolts securing the plate of the circuit breaker. After that, hold the breaker that would be plugged into the open socket of the breaker panel.
- Step 3: Refer to the inverter’s manual to determine the wires that would need to be connected to the panel box. After that, arrange them carefully for your own ease later on.
- Step 4: Use a multimeter to check the bus bar for any sign of electrical activity. Evidently, there shouldn’t be any voltage registration from the multimeter. If there is, check once again whether the breaker’s been turned off correctly.
- Step 5: Get the cable that should connect the breaker to the inverter. Remove half an inch of insulation covering the said wire in order to expose the copper conductor. Then, set the exposed cable to the neutral bar of the breaker panel.
- Step 6: Access the back portion of your breaker panel. Locate the circuit breaker that you had freshly installed and connect the wires to the inverter correctly as per the manual.
- Step 7: If you have done all the steps correctly, the inverter should activate properly and without any complications. Run diagnostics tests to determine whether the inverter is working.
However, if the inverter isn’t running as intended, then I suggest that you troubleshoot your prior steps in order to see if something had run amiss while installing the connections.
Conclusion
An inverter is among the niftiest electrical appliances you can have in your home. Its ability to change the nature of electricity running through your circuit is an indispensable ability that could aid your home’s electric usage.
If you are, however, not that knowledgeable in electric affairs, then you may have some difficulties in installing a breaker for your inverter. “What size circuit breaker for 2000 watt inverter?” is a question I often hear.
I hope the info above has provided you with a good answer to this query. Thanks for reading!
Read next other guides on how to choose the best circuit breaker size for your home appliances, such as:
I am Andrew Wright. With 8 years of experience designing, installing, and maintaining electrical power systems. I love my job, and I have always wanted to offer others the necessary help so they can take care of their houses.