SQFlex questions [RE-wrenches]

[Jim Easton]

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Just a thought:

Some control units have accumulators that count. It is possible that the 
accumulator keeps counting until an overflow condition exists.  I have not 
seen this specifically on the Grundfos, but owners of 1980s vintage 
Corvettes are very familiar with having to periodically reset the computer.

Jim Easton, PE
 (E 11974)
4364 Bonita Road, No. 166
Bonita, CA 91902-1421
Tel: 858-527-0240
Fax: 619-470-8616
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Matt Tritt" <solarone at charter.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Cc: <brad at aeesolar.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: SQFlex questions [RE-wrenches]


>
> Allan,
>
> I would request that Grundfos replace the 200. They don't like admitting 
> that things go wrong with their equipment, but it most definately does.
>
> Secondly, why are you concerned about being code compliant in this 
> installation? I have done a lot of solar pump installations, and the 
> number of ranchers concerned with code compliance can be counted on one 
> hand. No, less than that.
>
> Since all the brains of these pumps reside completely inside, and a part 
> of, the pump motor itself, doing what Brad B suggests will be the only way 
> you will get this thing to run on AC, especially if a cheapy genset is 
> used.
>
> Matt T
>
> Allan Sindelar wrote:
>
>>Wrenches,
>>A customer has an SQFlex pump that is problematic. He is using the CU200
>>controller, the unit designed for RE input, primarily array-direct, but is
>>running it off of his 49Vnom battery bank, with a float switch to control
>>operation about once/week. His ongoing problem, in his own words, "is that
>>the control unit problem behavior only occurs when the well pump is not
>>running and the control unit has been sitting there for a couple of days
>>idle (the well pump only runs about once a week). All communication with
>>Grundfos have been useless on this subject because they only talk about 
>>when
>>the well pump is running. They give me wattage requirements while the pump
>>is running, etc. And I tell them my
>>problem has nothing to do with the well pump running. The pump has run 
>>once
>>a week for nearly a year and never failed. And the control unit has never
>>failed just before, during or right after a well pump run. The control 
>>unit
>>has no problems idle for a few days (that is, the display will properly 
>>show
>>the three zeroes 0.00 as it should). After a few days it fails and the
>>entire display goes blank and contrary to what Larry Seitter (at Grundfos
>>tech support) says,
>>cycling the ON/OFF switch does not work. You have to cut all power to the
>>unit and then turn it back on again. The unit will then display 0.00 and 
>>the
>>pump will run without problems until the next control unit failure, 
>>usually
>>after a few idle days or sometimes closer to a week but it will fail."
>>
>>My questions, please:
>>1. Has anyone else set up an SQFlex in this manner; that is, DC battery
>>power to the pump, using a CU200 control unit and remote switch? If so, 
>>have
>>you seen this problem?
>>2. I could use an MDI DC contactor with float switch coil control to run 
>>the
>>pump off of DC or inverted AC, but the customer wants to keep the CU200
>>controller in the system for its wattage display and error code functions. 
>>I
>>have been told that the CU200 may be supplied with either (30+ volts) DC 
>>or
>>(90+ volts) AC power. Has anyone run AC power through a CU200?
>>3. Has anyone run an SQFlex on AC power through a GFCI, and if so, did it
>>work? Brad Bassett of AEE has reported that the pump won't work through a
>>GFCI - Brad, can you elaborate? And if I run it through AC from the
>>inverter, is hardwiring the pump a simple, Code-compliant method of 
>>avoiding
>>the GFCI in a damp location (the pump pit)?
>>
>>Thank you,
>>Allan at Positive Energy
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>
>
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