The vita-mix blender doesn't work?!  That was our discovery not long after we moved in.  It only runs when it is on high speed, not on any of the variable speed options.  Why?  Well, it turns out to be the modified sine wave inverter in our renewable energy system.

Pure Sine Wave vs Modified Sine Wave Inverters

For years I have recommended that pure sine wave inverters are the way to go, with modified sine wave being a lower cost alternative for someone with a tight budget.  One of the drawbacks with a modified sine wave inverter is that certain appliances with sensitive electronics do not function well or at all.  Items such as front loading washing machines, laser jet printers, photocopy machines, and cordless drill battery chargers are some of the items commonly reported as not functioning properly.

I have friends who run a front loading washer on modified sine wave and I have used a new cordless drill battery charger with my inverter, but I know its not best and could possibly damage some items.  I also have concerns about how healthy the "dirty" electricity is for something as simple as an electric motor.  But I already had a Xantrex TR2512 (modified sine wave) and so we decided to put that in and make do with it while we save for a good sine wave unit.

Then the Vita-mix Blender didn't work...

Then the blender!  That was the last straw, as I had been concerned about all my computer equipment and hard drives and didn't even want to turn on my studio monitors.  So we decided to take the plunge and step up to a sine wave inverter.  You can read my review of our Review of our Magnum MS Series inverter.