A mystery to me..... [RE-wrenches]

[Matt Tritt]

Hi Daryl,

Ooooh. 16.7 volts when a heavy load is applied HAS to mean a problem with
the battery/cables.

How often do they equalize with the generator? Perhaps they only run on
solar and never bother with frequent heavy charging? This also sounds like
things may appear normal under light loads (surface charge readings) but go
in the toilet when substantial demands are put on the bank.

Matt T
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <penobscotsolar at midmaine.com>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2003 1:34 PM
Subject: Re: A mystery to me..... [RE-wrenches]


> Hi Matt,
>   Thanks, I checked the batteries somewhat but I'll do better when I next
go
> up there. One thing I left out is that when the leg with the well pump
went
> on and dragged the inverter down the battery bank went down to 16.7 volts
> from 54.4 v Do you still think it might be the batteries? I hear you when
> you say more than one crimp could be bad..... Remember, this is a single
> series string of 2 volt cells.
> Daryl
> Penobscot Solar Design
>
>
>
> Matt Tritt writes:
>
> > Daryl,
> >
> > I'd bet that the problem is with the batteries, not the inverter.
> >
> > I would check for a bad inter-battery connection or a series-string
> > connection, possibly a bad crimp(s). Dropping to 27.2 volts would
> > indicate that the problem is at the end of a 4 battery string.
> >
> > Matt T
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: penobscotsolar at midmaine.com [mailto:penobscotsolar at midmaine.com]
> > Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 2:19 PM
> > To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> > Subject: A mystery to me..... [RE-wrenches]
> >
> >
> > Hello all,
> >    I'm having no success in troubleshooting a system we installed almost
> > two
> > years ago that is three hours travel time each way. It has operated
> > flawlessly since installation. We have had no lightning in the area for
> > months.
> >    The system is an SW4048-PP with 24 Surrette KS-25 batteries. It was
> > originally set up for generator only use (against my recommendations)
> > but
> > they quickly added a 1.2 KW array within the year. We aded an Outback
> > MX-60
> > to the system this last July.
> >    I arrived at the site with replacement inverter in hand. We started
> > up
> > the original inverter with manual bypass breakers both off. It ran fine,
> >
> > starting up and going into search after 20 seconds or so. Setting it to
> > ON,
> > again, it ran fine. We turned off the main in the house and threw the
> > inverter breaker in the bypass and it continued to run fine. We turned
> > off
> > all the breakers in the main panel and turned the main on and it ran
> > fine.
> > We threw the first breaker and it continued to run fine. We turned off
> > the
> > first breaker and continued in this manner until we threw a breaker (
> > labeled track lighting) and I saw the battery voltage suddenly drop from
> >
> > 54.4 volts to 27.2. The inverter shut down with no error reading and
> > without
> > any breaker tripping anywhere. We shut off this breaker and turned the
> > inverter back on. It ran fine.
> >     We continued on and found 2 breakers which powered sub-panels both
> > had
> > the same effect. One sub powered a Grundfos 1/3 hp SQ-O series 110 VAC
> > submersible, among other things (mostly lights in the room where the sub
> >
> > panel is). It seemed as though certain loads were dragging the inverter
> > down.
> >     To shorten this story, we replaced the inverter and voila! the same
> > problem!!!!!
> >     When they power the house with the generator through the manual
> > bypass
> > switch everything runs fine. The system has separate structure ground
> > (for
> > the array) and system ground (the electrical systems ground)
> >      WHAT AM I MISSING???
> > Daryl
> > Penobscot Solar Design
> >
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