Voltage leak help

Hi,
I am new to solar and this form.
I am not an expert in electricity.
I have installed a solar panel system that provides energy to a small cabin.
I have a “Iliminator” (Canadian Tire) inverter that converts the solar energy to AC power that feed the cabin.

Two questions / issues
#1
I recently installed LED lights and noticed that when the light switch was turned off there was still a small amount of light coming from them.
I metered my switches and am getting a reading of approximately 7 volts when the switch is turned off?
Called an electrician and he could not figure it out BUT said it was probably a solar panel issue because the neutral was charged.
I metered the neutral coming out of the inverter and it is charged at 120 volts
Is that normal
What am I getting a small voltage reading when the switch is turned off.

Any assistance or guidance would be appricated.

Thank you.
P

Comments

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Re: Voltage leak help

    I assume you are using the 120 VAC inverter to drive the LED lamps? Is this a True Sine Wave inverter (TSW) or a MSW (modified square wave) inverter?

    And how are you turning off the power? An AC Light switch, turning off power to the LEDs (leaving the inverter running), turning off a switch on the inverter, or turning of the DC power to the inverter?

    My guess is you are leaking a little bit of current through from the battery bank to the 120 VAC LEDs... I have seen AC light switches (with a neon light) supply enough power to cause a couple of CFL's to blink every few seconds.

    There are other possibilities (like using an Inhibit Switch on the inverter) that is leaving a little current from the battery (or internal capacitors) to supply just a tiny bit of current to the LEDs (LED's need only a few volts and a tiny bit of current to glow).

    Try disconnecting a wire (power lead) at different locations and see if anything changes (disconnect an AC wire before the lamps, disconnect a DC lead from the battery, etc.).

    The "neutral" with an Inverter system is not always "clear" what that means and how it was wired... Different types of inverters (TSW vs MSW) support AC neutral to earth bonding or not (TSW one AC lead usually can be bonded to earth, MSW typically cannot support AC bond to earth and battery negative to earth--it will short the inverter).

    -Bill

    PS: Wire a filament 120 VAC lamp in parallel with the LEDs (or some other load like a small motor) and see if the voltage goes away or stays there).
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Voltage leak help

    I have seen this same wee bit of light effect from LED "bulbs" when powered by inverters, but turned off at the AC switch. Investigation reveled the "problem" was the transfer of wee amounts of HF energy through capacitance in the wiring etc, as a result of noisy, spiky voltage from the inverter. In fact, my cousin at his camp has the same "problem" with LED lights when he's running his 1000 watt Honda inverter generator. Seems there's a bit of RF in the output. Not to worry, all is good. Just that some LED lights require so very little energy to start producing light, that what never was a problem, is now something that people are noticing.
  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Voltage leak help

    Gentlemen,
    Thank you very much for your comments. I am impressed with the form and how dedicated and helpful you all are.
    If I put a filament lamp the issue stops.
    Anyway I feel better as I was struggling to find the source of the small voltage.
    Have a great week-end.
    Peter
  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
     
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Voltage leak help
    westbranch wrote: »
    Petert, which inverter are you using?
    BB, from what I have seen in the local CT store, most of the Eliminator brand Inverters look like re branded Xantrex (#2's ??) or knock-off products and unless it is one of their ''identified TSW inverters" it will be MSW...

    Point of interest, CTC had one of those "true sine wave" inverters on sale a while back, 1500 watt, good price, so I grabbed one. Turned out to be a useless piece of dog poop. Wouldn't even start a unloaded little 1/4 hp capacitor start motor - - yet a cheap, no name, 1000 watt MSW had no problem at all, even when the motor was loaded down running my water pump. They took it back and that was the end of that.