Reliable Inverter

[brokengun]

I'm looking for a relatively small wattage inverter (around 800 watts) that can operate in sub zero temperatures. It will be installed outside in an electrical storage box so it will be shielded from the elements but it does get cold out there. Are there inverters that are made to handle these sort of temperatures or am I out of luck?

The location is Northern Maine and during the winter months temperatures will drop and it isn't uncommon to see temperatures well below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Also my charge controller says it isn't rated to work below 32 degrees either... Maybe some insulation is in order. I do have the dump load in there with the electronics so perhaps I could use that to my advantage.

[electrak]

I'm in midcoast Maine ( not quite -55 as you got this last winter, we had it easy -30), I haven't had any trouble with a cheap ( from VIP ) 700 watt inverter in the shed, had it running off NiFe cells for a few years, just be conceired about condensation in your box,

[brokengun]

Funny you mention that. I was just using the same inverter (assuming VIP sells the same 700 watt model in it's stores) and have been having trouble with it. I had a bad battery though and this might have damaged it somehow ( I don't really know how but still..).

I'm also just going off the numbers I see on the manual for the rated operating temperatures. This is probably the range that the company is willing to be liable for. I bet it will work at a lot lower temps.

[electrak]

I wouldn't classify them as the most reliable, haven't had any troulbe with mine yet other then the condensation, but low temps haven't been a problem yet. when it's working it should warm it's self up some,

Is this for a mission critical thing, or something that would be just very usefull?

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

If the inverter is going to be running 24/7 all you need to do is insulate the box to keep it warm from the heat of its own losses.  (And maybe a tiny fan with a thermal switch to vent this hot air when the temperature goes up.)

[brokengun]

It's not really mission critical but if I don't have it them light installed on the tower won't work...

Basically I don't want it to crap out the in middle of winter. It doesn't really matter if it does I just don't want to go out in 4 feet of snow with the wind blowing and try to remove/fix the thing.

I think I will be all set as there is a heating element in there as a dump load. I might put it  a bit closer to the inverter and maybe insulate some stuff.

I need to find out why the first inverter died though.