[RE-wrenches] Wood boiler ignition issue

Mon Mar 26 17:36:41 PDT 2012

Darryl,

I was able to operate the Splendide washer with a 600 watt made-in-China sine wave inverter. So load is not the issue. The same waveform distortion was present for both, and all subsequent, inverters.

Larry 

On Mar 26, 2012, at 5:16 PM, Darryl Thayer wrote:

I am puzzled because I have used and found the Magnum to start loads that other equally sized inverters could not start.  I wonder if the hot surface ignitor is not acting like a resistor but somehow non linear.  For the washer dryer the wave form was being distorted by the load and interfering with the controls?  I have started a two HP pump with a single Magnum, but I never looked at the wave shape.  
Darryl 

From: "Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar Power Systems" <larry at starlightsolar.com>
To: Allan at positiveenergysolar.com; RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> 
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Wood boiler ignition issue

In the case of the Splendide washer/dryer (see link in my previous post), it was definably the Magnum Energy inverter. I could not start that load (no pun). Since then we have tested several inverters with these washers and all work fine except for the Magnum. I must say that, other than this one fault, the Magnum has been an exceptional, US made inverter and I heartily recommend them.

Larry Crutcher
Starlight Solar Power Systems
(928) 342-9103

On Mar 26, 2012, at 1:49 PM, Allan Sindelar wrote:

Kristopher,
I have experienced this as well, but have no solution to advise. My last direct experience with this was about four years ago, when we installed a system using a Magnum 4448 inverter in a home system in which a high-efficiency electronically-controlled hydronic boiler was also installed at the same time. The particular boiler proved unable to start up reliably on the inverter, but would run reliably off of a generator. Initially we assumed that the problem was due to incorrect wiring by the heating contractor (the AC input line and neutral had been reversed). After this was corrected the problem persisted. Before we could dig deeper the contractor changed out the boiler to an equivalent model of a different brand. The problem went away.

You may end up having to either change the inverter or change the boiler. Magnum's tech support showed some interest in pursuing this, even attempting to duplicate the problem, but we never got that far. You might wish to contact them about this - it's a legitimate problem.

On a related note - has anyone had any issues with powerline-carrier lighting controls run off of a Radian? We haven't installed equipment yet, so have no way to test until then. We're supplying uninterruptible power to an upscale residential observatory that will have this type of lighting control. We have cautioned the GC that there's a possibility of incompatibility, and no database of collected data out there, and we don't assume liability for incompatibilities. But it sure would be nice to know if anyone else has seen issues. I don't yet have a lighting brand.

Thank you,
Allan

Allan Sindelar
Allan at positiveenergysolar.com
NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
Positive Energy, Inc.
3201 Calle Marie
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507
505 424-1112
www.positiveenergysolar.com

On 3/26/2012 12:51 PM, Kristopher Schmid wrote:
> 
> Esteemed wrenches,
> I am assisting in troubleshooting a stand alone system with three stacked Magnum 4448 PAE inverters.  The electric ignition of LP for the wood boiler will not fire from inverter power.  As soon as we fire up the generator, the boiler ignites.  Has anyone seen this before?  Is there a solution?  The boiler is a Central Boiler E-Classic 2400.
> Thanks in advance!
> ----------
> Shine On!
> Kris Schmid
> Legacy Solar, LLC
> 864 Clam Falls Trail
> Frederic, WI 54837
> 715-653-4295
> www.legacysolar.com
> NABCEP Certified PV Installer
> BSEE

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