[RE-wrenches] Outback VFX input voltage cycling

R Young solareagle at solareagle.com
Sun Dec 28 17:51:16 PST 2008


This thread seems to have died ... somehow it got mixed in with the  
"strings of different orientation" thread. If anyone has further  
input I would very much appreciate it as I have to schedule a long  
trip to remedy this and want to have as much ammunition as possible.  
Again, to restate the problem:

> an Outback VFX3524 inverter installed on an E-panel in a remote off- 
> grid location. Voltage at the inverter input terminals is  
> fluctuating between 110 & 140+ volts continuously. AC in will not  
> connect so batteries can't charge. Output voltage measured at the  
> inverter output terminals is steady at 122v.  When all household  
> loads are turned off the input terminal voltage stabilizes but AC  
> In still does not connect.
>
> Generator does not seem to be at fault as output measured at the  
> gen. is stable even under load. System was working for about 1 1/2  
> years but under new ownership has been badly monitored and  
> batteries have become totally discharged.
>
> I'm trying to determine if this is a circuit board problem so I can  
> perform a rescue mission by pulling some boards from an in-stock  
> inverter, Outback tech support are on holidays. Anyone had a  
> similar problem?



Mick,

referring to

> there's not an auto-idle switch on that genset which may have  
> accidentally been set for auto, is there?
>

His generator was actually running in idle mode, operating the  
household loads when I got there and the first thing I discovered was  
that the voltage was ~90 volts coming in to the inverter. I manually  
switched the generator to full speed and then checked the voltage  
again, that is where I found the rapid fluctuations occurring at the  
inverter.

Ron

On 27-Dec-08, at 1:23 PM, mick abraham wrote:


> Ron wrote: "The owner told me...that someone had wired a switch  
> incorrectly
> and when he turned it on the system "shut down". He then re-wired  
> it and
> everything appeared ok but I'm wondering if this fried a board."
>
> Mick replies: I've seen several times with Outback and other brands  
> (going as
> far back as the Trace SW) where the inverter responds to an  
> accidental short
> circuit in the household wiring by shutting itself off quicker than  
> a circuit
> breaker can open. I'll bet that is what your customer  
> experienced...possibly
> due to a nicked hot wire in that new switch box shorting out to  
> ground.
>
> I suspect that (part of your customer's report) is completely  
> unrelated to
> your present problem scenario. If it was my headache I would beg,  
> borrow,
> or...rent a second generator to insert temporarily instead of the  
> Honda 3800.
> That's the most conclusive way to determine fault or no-fault on  
> the generator.
>
> Sometimes a genset will operate non-inverter loads OK and will  
> exhibit normal
> looking voltage etc. but there still could be transients or spikes  
> which
> render this input AC power unacceptable to the inverter/charger.
>
> Thinking...there's not an auto-idle switch on that genset which may  
> have
> accidentally been set for auto, is there?
>
> Mick Abraham, Proprietor
> www.abrahamsolar.com
> Voice: 970-731-4675

>> Hi Mick & Jay,
>> I disconnected the gen. line to the inverter and tested the output  
>> and got steady voltage. I then re-connected the inverter and  
>> tested the gen. output from a different outlet and got steady  
>> voltage, both around 122v. So I've ruled out the generator. It was  
>> my first suspicion.
>>
>> I have also noticed that when the household loads are off the  
>> inverter output appears stable, doesn't fluctuate except about  
>> every 20 seconds inverter audibly, the voltage drops from around  
>> 120 to 110 then resumes - as if the input was momentarily dropped.
>>
>> Darryl,
>> I did play with the AC charge current lowering it to around 5 aac  
>> but it didn't seem to make a difference. The owner told me, as an  
>> afterthought that someone had wired a switch incorrectly and when  
>> he turned it on the system "shut down". He then re-wired it and  
>> everything appeared ok but I'm wondering if this fried a board. I  
>> know there is an ac control board in there ... could this be it?
>>
>> BTW, it's a very small generator, Honda 3800.


Ron

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