Hmmm... Any of you wise(r) guys got any idea why our inverter is not charging our batteries? We run a generator to charge deep cycle batteries, but the (very good and expensive) inverter is suddenly not charging them...
Its a good Trace inverter, but only having power when the generator runs is not very helpful.
It's got all of us stumped. have had a poke around it but cant see anything wrong with it. The batteries are all fine, and the generator is giving normal output, so must be the inverter...
Cheers
Matt
Inverter not charging...
Sorry mate, that sort of stuff tends to be a black box (stuff goes in - stuff comes out - what happens in the middle is anyones guess) to me. You need to have experience in electonics - perhaps Martin when he is on enxt might be able to help, or Stew.
Nev
Nev
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Muddypause
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I know nuffin' about inverters, really, so I'm not going to be able to help with your problem.
But I'm a bit puzzled by your description - you use an inverter to charge your batteries? I would have thought your generator would do the charging, and the inverter is used to step the low voltage DC batteries up to mains voltage AC. Like I say, I know nothing, but what does the inverter do in the charging cycle?
But I'm a bit puzzled by your description - you use an inverter to charge your batteries? I would have thought your generator would do the charging, and the inverter is used to step the low voltage DC batteries up to mains voltage AC. Like I say, I know nothing, but what does the inverter do in the charging cycle?
Stew
Ignorance is essential
Ignorance is essential
I'd guess the part of this system most likely to break down if the geny is running is the batteries. Are you sure these are taking and holding a charge?
Take care with batteries low voltage but boy can then deliver some current, I once blew a hole in a screw driver which was around 8mm square accidentally* shorting a boat battery. I'd start there and work out from it.
*Ok it wasn't an accident, it was a learning experience, I was a teenager, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
I'm guessing that the inverter is a combined inverter/charge controller?
Take care with batteries low voltage but boy can then deliver some current, I once blew a hole in a screw driver which was around 8mm square accidentally* shorting a boat battery. I'd start there and work out from it.
*Ok it wasn't an accident, it was a learning experience, I was a teenager, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
I'm guessing that the inverter is a combined inverter/charge controller?
Ah. Well we started with the batteries, but they are fine. Generator is running ok, 220v AC is what it gives out, up to 19kva. We then use the inverter to convert to 24vDC to charge the batteries, while the genset is running, and it is powering both the house and the batteries (through the inverter), then when it is off, the inverter gives us back 220V AC...
So the inverter is a charge controller too... But since last post, we have narrowed down to the inverter being able to give back power from the batteries. But when the generator is running, the inverter charging light is on, but it is not charging the batteries... Think their is something blown in the charging circuit...
Sorry, didnt make myself very clear though...was in a hurry to just get a solution, as we only have power when the generator is on... But we have found a guy who deals with inverters in wind turbines, so will be taking it down to town next week... Think that is best solution. Cant always be self-sufficient(without doing irrepairable damage to expensive toys)!
So the inverter is a charge controller too... But since last post, we have narrowed down to the inverter being able to give back power from the batteries. But when the generator is running, the inverter charging light is on, but it is not charging the batteries... Think their is something blown in the charging circuit...
Sorry, didnt make myself very clear though...was in a hurry to just get a solution, as we only have power when the generator is on... But we have found a guy who deals with inverters in wind turbines, so will be taking it down to town next week... Think that is best solution. Cant always be self-sufficient(without doing irrepairable damage to expensive toys)!
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camillitech
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Hi paul... ours is a 1.5kw Trace inverter. model DR1524E... no screen.
Have you had issues with yours not charging before? Trace are usually pretty sound though... I dunno where our own manual is, but usually manuals have a very helpful troubleshooting page, that for problems other than changing a fuse or whatever says "contact dealer."
But i read about your turbine setup on another thread. Sounds like a similar charging and storage setup to ours, just a bit more of a beast! Do you have enough to share with a neighbour too? Or are they 5miles away?!?
Am planning on getting a turbine setup to compliment genset soon - can u tell me a bit more about this turbine with moving blades? Was planning on building the Hugh Piggott turbine, which is think turns out of wind when it gets too much...
matt
Have you had issues with yours not charging before? Trace are usually pretty sound though... I dunno where our own manual is, but usually manuals have a very helpful troubleshooting page, that for problems other than changing a fuse or whatever says "contact dealer."
But i read about your turbine setup on another thread. Sounds like a similar charging and storage setup to ours, just a bit more of a beast! Do you have enough to share with a neighbour too? Or are they 5miles away?!?
Am planning on getting a turbine setup to compliment genset soon - can u tell me a bit more about this turbine with moving blades? Was planning on building the Hugh Piggott turbine, which is think turns out of wind when it gets too much...
matt
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camillitech
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matty wrote:Hi paul... ours is a 1.5kw Trace inverter. model DR1524E... no screen.
Have you had issues with yours not charging before? Trace are usually pretty sound though... I dunno where our own manual is, but usually manuals have a very helpful troubleshooting page, that for problems other than changing a fuse or whatever says "contact dealer."
But i read about your turbine setup on another thread. Sounds like a similar charging and storage setup to ours, just a bit more of a beast! Do you have enough to share with a neighbour too? Or are they 5miles away?!?
Am planning on getting a turbine setup to compliment genset soon - can u tell me a bit more about this turbine with moving blades? Was planning on building the Hugh Piggott turbine, which is think turns out of wind when it gets too much...
matt
hi matty,
ours is a sw4548 which comes with an idiot proof manual and an easy to use menu and screen but basicly if all your connections are good, fuses intact and that reset button pressed then it's "contact dealer"
it is worth checking the sg of your batteries though i do mine regularly and they should all be the same. when one of my cells went duff (only 2 weeks after fitting) my inverter started doing very strange things. had i not known the cell was faulty beforehand i'm quite certain it would have been diagnosed as an inverter fault.
we do supply power to a chalet about 400m away but i restrict it to about 750w at the moment as our system was only designed for our own croft but we do have more power than we envisaged.
nothing at all wrong with hugh piggots turbine, a friend of mine has just built one. i went for the proven 2.5kw turbine cos we were spending about £40 a week on diesel and it would have taken me about 2 years to make it, also hugh is an agent for them and it was he who comisioned it. i think our turbine needs a bit more wind to actually turn into the wind if its pointing the wrong way but it does keep generating the full output even in storm force winds whereas others don't. have a look on provens website for details.
good luck,
paul
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camillitech
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hi matty,matty wrote:got inverter fixed in the end. a few contacts were spoiled, mainly by dust and rain. it was all inside box, but guess needs cleaning anyway! all good though now...for now!
glad you got it sorted, it is really important that they are kept in a dust, salt and more importantly acid free enviorment. that means keeping it out of the way of your gassing batteries but still having the cable runs as short as poss.
i have an old glass fire door as a partition between my batteries and inverter.
cheers, paul