My inverter makes a whining sound when I turn it off

[BigT]

Is this normal, or should I be worried?  

The noise, like a whine that trails off (less than 2 seconds) only happens when I power off the inverter.  "WHEEEEeeeeeee".   :s

Other than the noise, it seems to be working just fine.

 

[Motrukdriver]

How old is it? Check the cooling fan to see if anything has gotten in there and touching the blades.

 

[Trebor English]

Leave a load connected and turned on then turn off the inverter.  The sound will fade away more quickly.  

Inverters contain input capacitors that store a substantial amount of energy to supply the pulses inverters generate.  When you turn it off the stored charge in the input capacitors fades and the low voltage alarm beep fades as the power for the alarm itself fades away.  

Does the inverter have an on/off switch?  Do you normally remove input 12 volts from the inverter or turn of the inverter's on/off switch.

 

[BigT]

Thanks, a capacitor was more along the lines of what I was thinking.  The fan only comes on if the unit get hot.  
This noise happens every time I turn it off, even if I've only flipped the switch on for a second.  

No, I haven't tried it with a load, but I'll do that, thanks.  

 

[tx2sturgis]

Normal.


They all do that....well some of them do, anyway.

 

[BigT]

Thanks, I'm getting the same kind of replies over on Amazon from people who ordered them that way.  

One guy suggested that it was due to the inverter signaling insufficient power (disappearing / diminishing power), and the alarm was sounding, but only momentarily, as it powered down, cutting off the low voltage alarm.  

 I know know if that's accurate, but that's a theory I can wrap my head around. 

 

[breeze]

Leave your door ajar and get ready to JUMP!