No 220v via SW5548 Inverters

pvoffgrid
pvoffgrid Solar Expert Posts: 48 ✭✭
I came home tonight and flipped the outside and game room lights on so I could see while I fed my daughter;s pets.  Wait, no game room lights.  Did I miss the switch?  Go back inside and consciously make sure I turn the game room lights on.  Nope, I did turn the switch on and nope, no lights. I checked both SW5548 inverters and the Kohler 14RESA generator for errors and none of the three times had an error code.  Odd.  I checked the circuit  breakers in both electrical panels and none were tripped.  Hmmm..now what? I grabbed my multi-meter and took off one of the panel covers and checked voltage on a circuit that was not working.  Nope. No power.  Bad breaker?  I turn power off to that electrical panel, switch the wires with a breaker directly above  it, and viola. What was not working before is ow working and vice versa....what was working before is now not working. I deduce it is a bad breaker and then realize there are multiple breakers that are bad.  WOW!  Multiple?  I make a run to Home Depot and buy new breakers.  On the way home, I call a buddy who states it is not the breakers but an inverter as he believes every other circuit breaker will not work.  Sure enough..I get home and test every single breaker with my trusty multimeter and every other breaker has power or  no power.  It is not the breakers.  I reset the inverters again and still no luck.  I try to start the generator, clear the resulting LR error code, and then start the generator using the manual Run button.   Viola!  All circuit breakers now work.  My buddy is correct.  Using just the inverters I only have 120v ..no 220v.    It appears I have a nad inverter.  

Could a bad AGM battery cause the inverter to fail? Could switching from "normal inverter operation" to "invert bypass/generator only operation" cause an inverter to fail?  Could wiring a ceiling fan light fixture incorrectly cause an inverter to fail?  Could going from a 24 AGM 2v cells, 48v battery bank to a 23 AGM cell, 46v battery bank cause the inverter to fail, even though my local solar company did the battery diagnosis and decrease, resetting the inverter settings to reflect the chang from 48v to 46v.   New Trojan SPRE 02 1255 1,120 aH 2v cells will be installed as soon as they arrive.

Here is what has been done to my house electrical-wise in the last week:  1) one 2v cell removed dropping system to 46v system with just 23 2v AGM cells; 2) Last night I could not get generator to charge batteries and decided to heck with it;  3)  this morning I switched from normal (inverter) operation to inverter bypass operation multiple times to get house to power up as it would not do so even with generator running; 3) Discovered this a.m. that Kohler generator breaker on control panel tripped last night for some reason, which is why batteries would not charge and why generator would shut off almost immediately - would not go into bulk mode;  3)  Changed ceiling fan neon light kit to a 4" LED light kit: black to black, white to white, LED ground wire to ground wire attached to ground wire on ceiling fan metal decorative cover "bowl", but no ground wire attached to metal decorative cover "bowl"; 4) Received small shock when on ladder and plugging light fixture back into plug on ceiling fan, and reattaching the decorative metal cover to ceiling fan. 5) Removed light kit from ceiling fan - perhaps grond wire on LED board should not be attached to ground wire attached to metal decorative cover bowl.

Thanks for any thoughts as to how to confirm an inverter is bad, and which one, and t as to possible reasons as to why I only get 220v and all circuit breakers work when the generator is running (in "normal inverter operation - have not tried the inverter bypass setting to see if all circuit breakers work - I am guessing they will)  Always something - :(


48v Off-Grid

Modules: 5.395 kW:

(16) Kyocera KC130TM

(12) Kyocera KD-210GX-LPU

(3) Kyocera KU265-6MCA 

Batteries:

(24) Trojan Solar SPRE 02 1255 

Racks:

(2) Zomework trackers (KC130TM modules, 8 per tracker, landscape position) - facing due south

(1) Unirac ground mounted fixed rack (all KD210 modules, landscape position) - facing slightly southwest

(1) Unirac roof mounted fixed rack (all KU265 modules, landscape postion) - facing due south

Inverters:

(2) Trace SW5548

Charge Controllers:

(1) Outback MX60 - for (16) KC130 modules 

(1) Flexmax60 - for (12) KD210 modules

(1) Flexmax60 - for (3) KU265 modules

Generator:

(1) Kohler 14RESA propane

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    When you start getting shocked while messing with wires,  STOP while you are still alive, and call a professional. 
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Just to clarify... you did have the breaker for the fan circuit off while working on its wiring, right?
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭

    Have only quickly scanned pvoffgrid's post,

    BUT,   for the inverter that is not running,   have you checked the battery Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD,   or similar)?

    Each inverter has this setting,   and perhaps that one inverter has a higher LVD than the other.

    When one looses one battery in a string,   it is often an indication that the battery bank might be near end-of-life.

    Just a drive-by post,   good luck,   Vic

    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • pvoffgrid
    pvoffgrid Solar Expert Posts: 48 ✭✭
    To address the issue that was 100% NOT the question/concern (which was no 220v)
    Yes, breaker was off when working on fan circuit. In fact, the breaker has been off for over 2 years while I did other projects in the house.
    Stop while you are alive.  Ha ha..funny.... wish I had thought of that.....
    The issue with the fan giving a small "static electricity" like shock was due to hidden water damage.  It is hard to mis-wire a fan when all wires are color-coded.  We replaced the fan and all is good. 
    Thanks for your concerns.

    Update on the 220v issue:  Both inverter settings have been checked...Yes, the battery bank is near it's end of life, and has been for almost 2 years.  Batteries charge completely every single day with the only problem being that when my family wakes up in the morning the batteries do not have the capacity to handle the morning loads.  

    Issue for 220v was operator error due to mislabeling of a generator bypass switch by the installer 17 years ago, and never having to use the generator bypass switches: the two generator bypass switches were not set correctly: one was set to bypass the inverter, one was set to run off the inverter.  This meant one inverter was not truly being used.  Once this was identified, all was good.


    48v Off-Grid

    Modules: 5.395 kW:

    (16) Kyocera KC130TM

    (12) Kyocera KD-210GX-LPU

    (3) Kyocera KU265-6MCA 

    Batteries:

    (24) Trojan Solar SPRE 02 1255 

    Racks:

    (2) Zomework trackers (KC130TM modules, 8 per tracker, landscape position) - facing due south

    (1) Unirac ground mounted fixed rack (all KD210 modules, landscape position) - facing slightly southwest

    (1) Unirac roof mounted fixed rack (all KU265 modules, landscape postion) - facing due south

    Inverters:

    (2) Trace SW5548

    Charge Controllers:

    (1) Outback MX60 - for (16) KC130 modules 

    (1) Flexmax60 - for (12) KD210 modules

    (1) Flexmax60 - for (3) KU265 modules

    Generator:

    (1) Kohler 14RESA propane