MM5 troubleshooting [RE-wrenches]

Nick Nicholas, APS APS at SBCGLOBAL.NET
Wed Apr 9 10:10:25 PDT 2003


Hello wrenches and Mark Robinson:
    I have a customer who has two Advanced Energy Inc's MM5 inverters.  I
have one question.  If the inverter was in back-up power mode due to a
utility power outage, and the inverter shut off because of low battery
voltage, would the inverter re-start after a utility power is restored.  My
bet is No.
    The reason I ask, is because the customer called us (during Outback
Power factory training) upset that her power went out and both inverters
shut off.  Luckily, she has finally learned how to re-start the inverters.
The inverters did re-start, but she is questioning the systems integrity.
She said that the inverters both turned off twice in a two day period, but I
am not sure she was there, or aware of what was happening.
    She claims that there were no power outages, but how could she be so
sure since she wasn't home, and the inverters back up the loads anyway.  If
there was an outage, I would not be surprised if she did loose power,
considering that the medium sized battery bank quickly discharges under her
large loads.
    Please don't question my integrity as a system designer when I say what
I am about to say, because I tried to change my customers mind, and offered
other solutions.  I have to admit, I think it is humorous that she chose to
install a six thousand dollar inverter dedicated to run a hot water heater,
just so that she doesn't have to change over to propane.  When the hot water
heater gets older, we intend to change it over to propane.  In the mean
time, she discharges her two 48v/200 Ah sealed VR solar, C&D Technologies
batteries in less than three hours.
    My guess is that either; lightning or voltage spikes caused the
inverters to shut down or utility power outages caused low battery cut-out.
    Of course, if AEI evercame out with the monitor, we would not be
guessing what the problem was.
Nick
Alternative Power Systems
www.alternativepowersystems.com
aps at sbcglobal.net
135 Colfax Ave.
Grass Valley, CA 95945
(530) 274-0588 phone
(530) 274-0589 fax
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Palumbo, Independent Power & Light" <ipl at sover.net>
To: "Wrenches" <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 5:55 AM
Subject: AGM batteries - Concorde vs. Lifeline [RE-wrenches]


> I have a prospective customer for an RV system questioning my choice of
> Concorde AGM batteries. She has seen and heard that most RVer's use
Lifeline
> AGM batteries. She asks "which is the better battery?" Not having any
> experience with Lifeline batteries I throw this question out to the group.
>
> Dave
>
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