I am half sick and can't figure it out..

Okay I have an 800w off grid system have had it for a year and last week it went crazy..

Basically the led read out on the charge control (wired separately) is reading wrong but it bounces all over says it's basically drained to the charge control flashing from being charged to much. This happens very quickly basically it's all over the place.

But when I click on my inverter it just goes even more nuts and begins to beep as if the batteries were drained.

By I know they are fully charged.

I cleaned off a bit off corrosion from my batteries and it seemed to fix the problem for a few days and now it's back at it..

So as soon as I'm not absolutely dying from the flu I will make the 1 hour drive off of the mountain for a new charge controler that my dad has lying around but I'm curious as to what this community thinks is going on..

I hope it is just the charge control but I'm fearful it's the dang inverter.

Thanks in advanced.

Comments

  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2015 #2
    Welcome to the forum,
    You say that you know your batteries are fully charged... how do you know that?

    Also, I wonder about the quality of your connections... sounds like there may be a problem with the battery cables.

    Tell us more about the system, batteries, barnd and model of controller and inverter, etc

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    If you can manage it a few pics will help too, especially that corrosion... AND check for loose connections, everywhere....a slow learner here... :'(
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
  • Mountain Don
    Mountain Don Solar Expert Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    When you cleaned the corrosion, did you disassemble the connection and clean to shiny metal or just a surface clean?

    Do you have a IR thermometer? That can sometimes help find a loose and therefore warm / hot connection. 

    Battery type?  FLA? (flooded lead acid) with removable caps....  electrolyte level checked and properly full?  Checked with hydrometer or voltmeter only? Or?


    Northern NM, 624 watts PV, The Kid CC, GC-2 batteries @ 24 VDC, Outback VFX3524M
  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    When you cleaned the corrosion, did you disassemble the connection and clean to shiny metal or just a surface clean?

    Do you have a IR thermometer? That can sometimes help find a loose and therefore warm / hot connection. 

    Battery type?  FLA? (flooded lead acid) with removable caps....  electrolyte level checked and properly full?  Checked with hydrometer or voltmeter only? Or?


    24V 900Ah C&D AGM suggests AGM to me. So the OP cannot make use of a hydrometer to determine for sure his battery health.

    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.
  • Mountain Don
    Mountain Don Solar Expert Posts: 494 ✭✭✭
    edited October 2015 #6
    inetdog said:
    24V 900Ah C&D AGM suggests AGM to me. So the OP cannot make use of a hydrometer to determine for sure his battery health. 

     I have no idea where that came from?  I see it nowhere?  If that is the equipment you must be a mystic, a mind reader or something.  ;)

    EDIT:  ..... I see it now.... westbranches signature line   :D
    Northern NM, 624 watts PV, The Kid CC, GC-2 batteries @ 24 VDC, Outback VFX3524M
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    A clairvoyant?
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    that is from another topic, I would bet that that was stored in Inetdogs cpu memory and he thought he was pasting something else or my board autosave migrated to his...????
     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
  • inetdog
    inetdog Solar Expert Posts: 3,123 ✭✭✭✭
    that is from another topic, I would bet that that was stored in Inetdogs cpu memory and he thought he was pasting something else or my board autosave migrated to his...????
    Just a brain fart.
    SMA SB 3000, old BP panels.