[RE-wrenches] Battery EQ question, Xantrex XW system (Dan Fink)

[Dan Fink]

Thanks for the advice Hilton, and everyone else.

On the bright side, recently got a phone call from a client from way
back in the day, barely remembered his name, we did an install there
14 years ago and never heard from him since, says his batteries are
shot. I figured he had sold the place and moved away or something.

Nope -- it's just that nothing has gone wrong needing a phone call in
14 years. All he's done is add battery water and watch the voltage,
with an occasional EQ. We shall gladly set him up with some new
batteries! (note - the batteries were forklift, semi-used (1 year use,
1 year storage)

Best regards and thanks, everyone.

Dan Fink,
Executive Director;
Otherpower
Buckville Energy Consulting
Buckville Publications LLC
NABCEP / IREC accredited Continuing Education Providers
970.672.4342




On Mon, Mar 4, 2013 at 12:17 PM, Hilton Dier III <hiltondier at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dan,
>
> What Alan said.
>
> The most important client is the one you turn away. The fact that the
> previous installer "fled" and that the client refuses to use a generator
> makes an alarm go "ah-OOO-gah! ah-OOO-gah!" in the back of my head.
>
> I just walked away from a client after five years of repairing their
> boneheaded mistakes.* I should have seen them coming on the way in. Having
> repeatedly beaten their system into a quivering heap for years they are now
> "disappointed" with its performance and refused to pay my last invoice. I
> was there for them on short notice, on weekends, gave them sympathy
> discounts, the works. They think I'm a bad guy. Conclusion: There are some
> people who are too mechanically incompetent for off grid living. You cannot
> make them happy.
>
> Say, "I'm sorry, but if you won't use a generator or pay for a maintenance
> contract, I can't help you." Really, walk away. "Gorgeous" and "so close"
> are the cheese in the trap.
>
> And yes, a psychology degree would serve any of us better than an EE degree
> 99% of the time.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Hilton
>
> * Client: "The system wasn't holding a charge when we had three toasters and
> two coffee makers going, so I added four batteries on the end of the pack."
> Me: "Um, your system is 48 volts - eight six-volt batteries. Adding four
> batteries makes it a 72 volt battery pack. Your system can't charge that
> high, so that's why it died." Client: "But there are four more batteries.
> That's another 50%." Me: "Remember how I've asked you to call me before you
> do stuff? Let's go through this again..."
>
> --
> Hilton Dier III
> Renewable Energy Design
> Partner, Solar Gain LLC
> 453 East Hill Rd.
> Middlesex, VT 05602