Outback VFXR3524A, incorrect (missing) wiring?

caleb

I got my Flexpower One wired up last weekend just before I left my cabin for the week.  I thought it was working, but it was night and I couldn't confirm without sunlight.  Anyways, I got up there today to find that it hasn't been charging.  Racked my brain all-day about what the issue could be.  I rechecked my settings probably 20 times.  I actually reset everything a couple times even, to no avail.  I double checked continuity between my array and the FP1 and that was good.  So I started taking covers off to see if there's a loose wire or something and to double check my connections.  I hadn't taken the cover off the Flexmax 80 prior to today because I didn't think there was anything in there to check since it should have been pre-wired/tested, etc.  I found that there was no wire going to the PV - terminal.  I ASSUME there should be, but I'm not sure, again, this should have been pre-wired.

A little background that might help.  Previously, I found that my FP1 didn't have any manuals and was missing the negative bus bar in the DC load center.  I bought a new bar and confirmed with support that it was the correct bar.  Got it mounted and hooked the negative coming from the combiner box to it.  There's nothing else to connect to it, which I found odd.

Should there be a wire that connects from that negative bus bar to the PV - on the Flexmax 80?  Since I had no manuals, I've tried to download pdfs and refer to them but they don't seem to have a manual (especially one including wiring diagrams) for the whole FP1, just the individual components which hasn't helped in this case.

I've included a couple pictures to show what my rambling is about.  Anyone that's familiar with the FlexPowers that could tell me if I'm crazy or if it really is missing a wire?

Inside the Flexmax


The negative bug bar I had to install

Photowhit

I believe the Bat- and the PV- are common (same attachment) so long at the PV is going to the same bus bar internal that the Bat- is going you should be fine.

Photowhit

Here is the info from the user manual. You can see that the wiring is redundant via their infor and that the PV- goes to the same bus bar, it is generally not a good idea to have 2 wires serving the same connection. harder to determine if something is disconnected or live.

Photowhit

You say you had to install a bug (bus?) bar? perhaps things didn't get wiring up correctly after? 

Ocean

Have you traced the PV+ and PV- from where they enter the system?  Where does the PV- come into the box - where does that wire terminate?  To a Neg bus bar?  Does that bus bar share a neg connection to the battery?  And also to the Flexmax Bat- terminal?  Tracing wires may be your best troubleshooting.   All breakers are on?  PV+ should have a breaker... is there voltage between PV+ Breaker and the Neg Terminal of the Flexmax?  OR between the PV+ Breaker and the Neg Ground Bar?  Just some thoughts...

caleb

Thanks. Couple comments. I didn't trace where the bat - is going from the fm80 so I'm not sure where it connects. That bus bar in the second picture is what was missing and I had to install. The ONLY thing that is currently connected to it is the pv - from the array. If there should be a jumper to where the bat - is connecting, there isn't.

Last comment, where did you find that diagram? I looked through all the manual I could find and couldn't find anything like that.

Thanks

Ocean

It sounds like there should definitely be a jumper from that PV- Bus Bar over to the Bat- Bus Bar (this way the PV- signal gets into the Flexmax through the Bat- connection, which is fine because they are bonded inside the Flexmax)  Either that or run  a jumper directly from the PV- Bus Bar into the Flexmax into the PV- Terminal.  Otherwise there's no way for the PV- to get into the Flexmax...   Just turn off the PV+ Breaker before you do this, or you could give some jolting signal to the flexmax, or even splash some sparks around if you accidentally touch the PV- Jumper to the PV+ input.

Photowhit

They are the wording from page 17 and the top part of the illustration on page 18.

https://www.altestore.com/static/datafiles/Others/FLEXmax_Controller_Manual_2012.pdf

In a pre wired system they should be a negative bus bar, It would be where your heavy wire from your battery bank comes in, on one side of a shunt with a bus bar on the other. If this is wired as your primary fuse box, it should also have a single wire to your ground. Here's mine before the ground was connected, It has 2 array's hence the 4 wires, 2 array coming in, 2 going to the charge controllers, Just 2 gauge to my 1800watt inverter a foot away (connected at the top of the shunt);

caleb

Perfect.  Thanks guys!  This is at least one of my issues.  I'll get this hooked up correctly and see if I start charging . I'll also see if Outback support ever gets back to me.

caleb

Good news!  Ran back up to my cabin today and hooked up that wire and right away upon turning everything on, the charge controller woke right up.  I'm now actually producing power.  Thanks again guys!

Ocean

Nice!