230v 50hz Washer on inverter

[SV Demeter]

Our boat came with a Candy 230v 50hz washer and we really like it however it is very sensitive to power and only runs on our 50hz generator. Ive converted the rest of the boat to 60hz and would like to convert the generator but dont want to replace the washer. I tried an older Freedom 20 inverter charger but the washer didnt like the power. It would start and run but would not complete cycles much like when trying to run on 60hz power. The freedom was rated for 3kw and the washer maxes out at 1.8kw so should not have been a problem. Im thinking it could be because the old Freedom unit is maybe a modified sine wave unit and if I pony up and buy a new Victron or similar pure sine wave inverter I should be able to run the washer. Problem is those inverters arent cheap and getting one thats 230-50hz to the BVI where I live is not easy so Id like some assurance it will work before I commit the $$.

Does anyone have experience running 50hz washers off of inverters?

[Dsanduril]

We have a Eumenia Sparmeister 802 washer that has run happily for the last five years on our 2kW Mastervolt Combi. The washer has a heating element for hot water and clothes drying, the inverter is not big enough to run that (or maybe our batteries aren’t up to the task), but the wash functions all work fine.

[Pete7]

Can't see the point of buying an expensive inverter just for the washing machine given the price of the things. Convert the genny to 60Hz and buy a new washing machine. Bear in mind that they don't last for ever. A new one now should give 10 years useful service.

Pete

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Can't see the point of buying an expensive inverter just for the washing machine given the price of the things. Convert the genny to 60Hz and buy a new washing machine. Bear in mind that they don't last for ever. A new one now should give 10 years useful service.



Pete

The trouble is finding a new washer that will fit in the boat. The Candy GO4 F106-UK is pretty narrow and it works just fine. Shipping a washer to the BVI will be more expensive than an inverter lol

[noelex 77]

We have a Candy 4kg and it runs fine on our Mastervolt 2500 inverter. The maximum current draw is not high, so I suspect it would run on a much smaller inverter.

[SV Demeter]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

We have a Candy 4kg and it runs fine on our Mastervolt 2500 inverter. The maximum current draw is not high, so I suspect it would run on a much smaller inverter.

Thanks that’s really encouraging. I was surprised it had trouble on the old freedom 3kw unit but am just thinking the power wasn’t smooth enough?

[Lepke]

The Candy GO4 F106-UK looks like the same size of many other compact washers of the same design. I think they're all made in the same factory in Italy with different face plates. My Whirlpool measures the same size, looks very similar, and so is the Splendide. If everything else is 60hz, it would be better to buy a new washer and sell the old one.
Your 50hz generator can probably be tuned for 60hz. Hz is a result of rpm.

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

We have a Candy 4kg and it runs fine on our Mastervolt 2500 inverter. The maximum current draw is not high, so I suspect it would run on a much smaller inverter.

I, too, suspect the same thing. While not a Candy, other than the heating element our Eumenia uses a maximum of about 40A@12V, so ~500W (even that load is pretty brief, happens when bringing the spin up to full speed).

You can probably pick up a Victron Phoenix 1200VA for <$350 (before import to BVI), which seems a lot easier than replacing the Candy before it dies a natural death.

I'd suggest measuring the load while running it on the generator and see how much it actually takes so you can size an appropriate inverter.

[sy_gilana]

The older freedom units are very square wave. Many washing machines running on Mastervolt and Victron (my preference) without any problem.

[smac999]

The freedom is probably also 60hz too? They are from the USA. Maybe they made a euro one. Never seen one here though.

[Muaddib1116]

I haven't tried it out yet, but my 230V 50Hz washer/dryer is setup to run off my 2500W Mastervolt inverter. I don't know yet if the dryer works off the inverter, but I suspect it does.

[SV Demeter]

Thanks everyone. Especially good to hear about how square the wave is on the old freedoms. The unit I had was definitely 50hz but it caused a 9 blink fault code which is different than the 3 blink code I get when trying run the candy on 60hz. I’m looking at mastervolt ac master 2500 which should be fine to run the washer and actually has the option for changing the frequency on the output. This means it should run the candy at 50hz fine and down the road if I replace with a new 60hz washer I can just reprogram the inverter.