Heart Interface Inverter Freedom (Replacement and Repair)
When you own an RV you will soon learn that you have two different electrical systems. One is 12 volts and the other is 120. Even the type of current is different as the 12-volt system is DC and the 120 is AC. You will need an inverter to keep everything running.
If you are going to replace the Heart Interface Inverter then the best model to use would be the magnum ms2812. This unit is compatible with all the wires used for the heart Inverter so all you have to do is unplug the one and plug n the replacement.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can find a good replacement model. Take a few minutes to see how this important information helps you.
Heart Interface Inverter 101
Heart Interface Freedom 10 Inverter
When you buy this model, you will see that it has 1000 watts of ability. Plus, it has a 3-stage battery charging system that seems to work flawlessly for a long time.
This inverter/charger is designed to work with most appliances and will charge gel or other battery types with ease. At 12 volts you get 50 amps of power and at 24 volts, the amperage goes down to 25 and all power is DC.
On top of all that, this is a simple device to operate. You just turn it on and forget about it. Everything inside is done automatically so you do not have to worry about making transfers, flipping switches, and so on.
There is an overload protection system included in its construction so you and your inverter should be protected when there is too much power flowing through the system.
To run this inverter model, you will need a 12-amp circuit breaker. Inside there is a thermostat-controlled cooling fan. The fan keeps the inverter at the right temperatures all the time so it lasts longer.
There is the option of connecting this device to a remote control panel. However, if you take this option, the unit’s power button should be turned off. Then you can see the status of the inverter through the bar graphs on the remote control panel.
Heart Interface Freedom 20
Most of what was said in the last section will apply here. The only difference between this model and the Freedom 10 version is that this model handles up to 2000 watts.
Other differences include producing 100 amps at 12 volts and 50 amps at 24. You also have to go to a stronger breaker to make sure this unit does not trip on you. The manual says you need a 25 amp breaker to keep it running all the time.
The types of batteries the manual says that should be used with this and the Freedom 10 model are- wet cell, gel cell, and Advanced AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries.
The manual also recommends that you use marine type batteries and not those rated with cold cranking amps as those are car batteries. Golf cart batteries are acceptable as well.
Any car or engine starting battery is unacceptable with this device. So do not go into automatic mode when shopping for new house batteries for your RV. The manual is also saying you should avoid most maintenance-free battery models.
You cannot add water to them and the manual states they cannot handle the constant cycling procedure. Pages 8 and 9 of the manual, which we will link to later, will provide more battery information.
That was one problem an owner had when he was discussing the failure of the unit to work right. Watch which batteries you use in your RV when you have this inverter installed.
Download The Heart Interface Inverter Manual
Xantrex is the company that makes this device and one of the places you should go to get a manual is their website. They have a support button at the top of their landing page that needs to be clicked on and then click on documents and you will be taken to their library web page.
On that page, you will find a list of products and just click on the inverter or inverter charger to get to the manuals you need. This is one link you can use. Our go-to manual website seems to be doing something weird on its troubleshooting page.
The content just comes out as gibberish but the other content seems to be fine. You can get to the table of contents for the Freedom 10 model at this link. A better manual website is at this link.
It has all the information you want for the Freedom 10, 15, 20, and 25 series inverters/chargers. Much of the information for this series of inverters overlaps so it makes sense to condense the information down and place it in one manual.
If you do your own manual search you should be able to find other websites with the same information and it may not cost you anything to use their information or download the manual. Our go-to website usually charges a fee to download the copies they have on their website.
Heart Interface Inverter Repair And Troubleshooting
If you have connected this inverter to the remote control panel, then you need to go to the remote control panel section to get any tips or guidance on how to troubleshoot this device.
That section should start on page 6 of the manual for the Freedom 10 model. Other websites may have it on a different page. If you have to turn the inverter off, start with the power switch turned on and then cycle the power switch 3 times within 3 seconds.
On the remote control panel, you will see a series of LED lights. There should be about 7 of them and each one indicates a separate problem if illuminated. LED 1 indicates a shut down for any reason.
LED 2 indicates an over-temperature problem; LED 3 shows a problem with the incoming AC. The polarity is reversed. Then LED 4 shows an inverter overload, while LED 5 indicates a battery overload.
Finally, LED 6 shows an incoming AC backfeed issue, and LED 7 is not used at this time. The regular troubleshooting instructions start on page 19 of the manual we were looking at.
If there is no inverter output then you have several locations to look at. Check the battery voltage, the circuit breaker, the thermal conditions, and any overloading that may have taken place.
If you have no output or little output from the battery charger start by checking the wire connections. Then measure the voltage that is coming from the inverter before checking the polarity of the incoming AC power.
One of the things that were mentioned in this section of the manual was that you need to use a meter that says True RMS meter on it. If your meter does not have that label then do not expect to receive accurate readings.
The troubleshooting section is not very long and individual problems and their possible solutions can be found at the different RV discussion forums as well as marine discussion forums.
Or you can contact Xantrex and use their support system to get any help you may need. We are not sure how good their customer service is.
Heart Interface Inverter Wiring Diagram
This image may help you. It is labeled to be the wiring diagram or schematic for all Freedom series inverters including #30.
We looked in the manual for these inverters and there were no diagrams on those pages. There were none listed in the image section of the search page results.
You can contact Xantrex and see what they say about this topic. They may not want DIY handymen playing with the electronics inside their devices so they may not offer any wiring diagrams.
We checked their library and only found manuals, data sheets installation guides, and so on. The company may not make wiring diagrams available for general use.
The good news about their library is that they offer information in both English and French. Whether you need the French versions or not is debatable but it is there for their customers’ convenience.
Finding a Heart Interface Freedom 20 Replacement
There are several brands of inverters that can be used as a replacement. There is the Magnum MS2012 PSW inverter and their MS2812 but one of those models would need different cables for it to work in place of the Heart Interface Inverter 20.
There is a web page that has an excellent illustration of comparing these two models and how to replace the Freedom with the MS model. You can view that diagram at this link.
That web page also shows all the Magnum models and which ones are compatible with the different Freedom series inverters. While we said there are other inverter brands you can use, and there are, most people who own a Freedom model only talk about using Magnum as their replacement.
They do not recommend any other brand. You can talk to your RV dealer to see what other brands would be compatible with your RV system. Don’t be surprised if they do not recommend anything but Magnum products.
You may have to buy a new remote control panel at the same time but that will depend on the model you buy. Talk to different electronic experts to get their advice on this topic as they may know something no one else knows about.
Xantex Inverter Products
It is important to talk about this topic as we checked the company’s website. It seems that Xantrex may have discontinued the Freedom 10 to 30 inverter/charger series. That series may be outdated by now.
There are different inverter models on sale on their website and they are called Freedom X1000 and X 2000. There are far more inverters/chargers for sale on that website than plain inverters.
That web page has the Freedom EX 4000, the XC & XC pro, XC pro marine & XC 2300 230 volts, the SW RVC, The SW 230 Vac 24 volts, the 458, & the HC.
To look at these products in person, you will need to use the find a dealer feature on the Xantrex website.
Freedom Series Inverter Reviews
During our research, we did not come across anyone who disliked the Freedom 10, 20, etc., inverter series. They did not list any real complaints, call them junk and to stay away from them.
In fact, the opposite was true. Many owners were happy with the service they received from their Freedom models. Some owners stated they had this model for almost 20 years before it finally failed on them
They also do not report doing a lot of maintenance to those models to achieve that longevity. From what we can tell Xantrex made a good inverter that has pleased its customers with top service.
One owner did mention that he changed from the Freedom 20 to a Renogy model and wondered if the 1000-watt device would do the same job the Freedom model did.
Most owners seem completely satisfied with their older Freedom 10 or 20 model series. On the other hand, they were also completely satisfied with their Magnum models as well. Inverters may not be something you have to worry about once you buy a good one.
Some Additional Words
While you may not be able to get a Heart Interface Inverter Freedom 10 or 20 model series anymore unless you buy a used one. You can find some top replacements for your model through Xantrex or other brands. Inverters seem to last a long time when they are built well and not misused.
The Xantrex brand seems to be a top-quality product line up and that is good news for most RV owners who buy an RV with these inverter models already installed.
