[RE-wrenches] CBI circuit breakers

[R. Walters]

I also had a faulty 15 A breaker on an array with less than 11 amps  
short circuit current. It tripped intermittently maybe 4 or 5 times  
over a year, so we swapped it out. Perhaps they had a bad batch?
I was going to test it at the shop, but didn't have a chance yet.

R. Walters
Solarray.com
NABCEP # 04170442	



On Jul 27, 2009, at 6:04 PM, Kent Osterberg wrote:

> Allan,
>
> I've had trouble with breakers opening when they shouldn't.  On an  
> array of two strings of Mitsubishi 175s (Isc = 7.9A) I had two 15-A  
> breakers open.  Last week, I had a low-power call from a customer  
> with three strings of Evergreen 190s (Isc = 7.1A); one 15-A breaker  
> in the combiner was open.  Most of my installs are around 3000 ft  
> elevation, so the irradiance is possibly a little higher than  
> normal, but not by enough that it should be an issue for 15-amp  
> breakers.  If this is a wide-spread problem, I'd expect others on  
> this list to have noticed.
>
> As others have mentioned, it is important to take precautions to  
> make sure that stranded wires are well tightened in these  
> breakers.  I tighten, wiggle, re-tighten, and then check again  
> later.  On systems where I've had breakers open, loose connections  
> haven't been the issue.
>
> Kent Osterberg
> Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.
> www.bluemoutainsolar.com
>
>
> Allan Sindelar wrote:
>>
>> I have had no problems to date, Kent. Can you be more specific as  
>> to what
>> problems you have had?
>>
>> Allan Sindelar
>> Allan at positiveenergysolar.com
>> NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
>> EE98J Journeyman Electrician
>> Positive Energy, Inc.
>> 3201 Calle Marie
>> Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
>> 505 424-1112
>> www.positiveenergysolar.com
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> Is it just me, or have other wrenches had problems with the CBI  
>> circuit
>> breakers used in the Outback or Midnite combiner boxes?
>>
>> Kent Osterberg
>> Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.
>> http://www.bluemountainsolar.com/
>>
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