Just before we left for NH I shipped the inverter back to AIMS to see if I had blown it up for good. The thing weighs 55 lbs. so it was almost $60 to ship it to Reno. Still, if they could fix it or replace it, it would still be better than buying a new one at nearly $700.
While we were in NH, I got the following email from AIMS: “After testing the merchandise that you returned for RMA# RMA-20076 , we have found that the product(s) is working correctly. Aims Power is not responsible for the return shipping.” Not only did I not blow it up, it was totally undamaged. Soooooo…here is the kicker. The reason I had not damaged it when I incorrectly wired the AC was because it only works if both AC and DC are connected. I thought I could use it with only the AC hooked up to test out solely the AC pass-through function, but apparently that’s not how it works. I was a complete moron and the reason I thought it was blown up and not working was simply because I had never hooked it up properly in the first place as I had not yet hooked up the batteries. The reason the lights did not turn on even after I corrected the AC wiring was because I still hadn’t hooked it up correctly! I sent a perfectly good unit to Reno just to have them explain to me that I didn’t know how to use it. I guess this lesson is better than having fried it, but the result is still a $100 stupid tax as I also had to pay their shipping cost to send it back to me. In the end this is a good thing, right?
Anyway, it came back today and I decided to hook it up *correctly*. It worked! These connections are still temporary because I have to add some fuses and wire in all the other components, but at least now I know better how it works.
The other project we have worked on since returning to Oregon while we awaited the return of the inverter is the wardrobe. The wardrobe is a floor to ceiling closet between the refrigerator and the electrical cabinet. We had a bunch more cutting and adjusting to get everything fitting, but I think that work is done. We still have to install a back and eventually we have to install a door, but for now we at least have it in the space it belongs.
