[RE-wrenches] Outback VFX input voltage cycling

Mon Dec 29 03:29:12 PST 2008

I would first isolate your system. turn off all loads on the inverter, &
REPOLE. check the AC input AT the inverter, checking ALL AC input
connections, pull on the wires , make sure they are tight. Ck the AC voltage
at the generator then at the inverter. 

Is it possible to run a separate wire from the gen to the inverter? sometime
the conduit fills w/ water or  mice have chewed wires ect, Ck the temp
sensor & remove it during testing.

With the E panel their is an outlet plug in your heat gun , loading the
generator, still have fluctuating voltages?If the batteries are low I would,
while watching the AC input voltage & Hzs, lower the charge rate to the
batteries & watch these readings. Stabilize at a lower current?
Do you have a small portable gen that you can being? try that. 
All else fails you have brought the other inverter w/ you I sometimes find
it less time consuming to swap inverters to check, then boards. 
I have replaced quite a few boards & yes there have been times that the AC
board was faulty & the generator never connected. 
OB is quite good sending boards I would REPLACE ALL if they will send them
to you, AC, DC, & Control, If it is remote & you don't want to go back &
forth wait until you get the boards.
As posted below, you have looked at most of these things I have suggested
but the inverters,usually can w/stand a quick short,shutting the inverter
down. 

-----Original Message-----
From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of R Young
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 8:51 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Outback VFX input voltage cycling

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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