EPS worked! Manual switch over tv back on all good -except….. forgot to turn recorder back on so missed the end of things! Try to remember next time. On a more serious note this is the second time this has happened since April and both times when the grid reappears it trips out things in the EPS consumer box. Not a disaster but why?
Is the house fully isolated from the grid and have the appropriate earthing?
Also what is tripping an MCB or RCD?
I had a power cut the other day, the RCD on the socket connected to my EPS circuit needed resetting after the grid came back.
Tried the EPS (in UPS mode) a couple of times since it was enabled earlier this year, by throwing the main breaker, neither time did it trip.
Guess will have to wait for the next power cut to see what happens! Hopefully won’t have one, but if I do, will report back the results.
kram It was a Fusebox B10 & B25 marked EPS and Solar that tripped. Power went off throw big switch to off then to EPS and everything comes back on. When the grid returned it tripped. Reset and it carried on.
SimonClarke
What exactly did you reset. Please post a pic.
Take a read of this much debate about earth leakage and RCD use.
https://community.givenergy.cloud/d/2605-what-size-rcd-should-be-fitted-for-inverter
SteveCook I meant put the trips back up and put the big switch back to off then grid. Out at the moment so I’ll try to post a pic later
Thanks. Trying to figure out if it was MCB (overcurrent) or RCD/RCCB (earth leakage)
MCB = something wrong
RCD = something not right, could be earth leakage.
SteveCook sorry best pic I could get holding the lid up in the cupboard
Eps and solar had tripped
The fact that there are yellow test buttons suggest they could be AFDD, RCBO or RCD, but without a clearer picture it is difficult to tell, though I can't see a single module RCD on their website.
If they are AFDD and/or RCBO then it looks like it is nuisance tripping.
I am no expert but maybe things happen in the inverter with earths when it does things with shuffling power around.
SteveCook I’ve asked the installer for more info. Tried for a better picture
I think you are getting earth leakage nuisance trips - plenty of other posts about this.
Good luck
https://community.givenergy.cloud/d/2605-what-size-rcd-should-be-fitted-for-inverter/17
see post 20 for similar issue to yours
As a thought, when the grid comes back on, it may not be in phase with the EPS (Chances are it won't be!) and hence will be a big imbalance hence a trip - but it depends on how the EPS is wired up to switch over etc.
SteveCook We had a lot of problems when we first bought this house with random tripping and ended up replacing mcbs with rcbos in the main consumer box. Problem went away but at the same time our oil boiler ( also suffering intermittent faults) packed up and was replaced. I came to the conclusion that it was the boiler all along. Could the installer change something? I’m not touching it! I think they have to come back anyway to move the inverter but not confirmed yet.
Oil boiler - it's the burner motor that can cause nuisance tripping. Often caused by damp/water ingress. Just change the motor - about £60.
I would be looking at earth and understand what type you have plus is there a separate earth rod or similar for the EPS board?
Do you have a manual isolator for the grid incoming connection that might need looking at by a qualified person too?
Slartibartfast changed the whole contents about £600!
kram they put in a new earth stake and there is a big switch to manually switch over when there is a cut
I still think it’ll be earth leakage somewhere, possibly the changeover as I think the libbi has a relay in the mix .
I’m not a sparks though, hence the comment about getting it checked by a qualified person.
Still waiting on installer……
Another power cut! Same result. Manually switched over all working fine, but same two trips gone again when switched back to the grid. Will be talking to the installer tomorrow
Did you ever get to the bottom of your tripping?
SimonClarke
From your photo I cant understand how your system is wired.
It looks like you have a breaker to feed the inverter (Solar) and a breaker on the inverter EPS output (EPS)?
Is there a breaker feeding the EM115?
Is there another consumer unit in the house?
Really need a line diagram of what consumer units you have, where the inverter is connected, where the EPS goes etc. Like the ones in the GE EPS installation guide
Since my last post 9th July the installer has moved the inverter at the request of GE (no warranty otherwise!) which made no difference to either this issue or the reason it was moved - too hot. A fan and extractor has helped that but I don’t think it should be necessary as it is fitted correctly which requires no extra ventilation
On the EPS tripping they have also been back again as requested by GE but found nothing wrong so I’m now waiting for GE to appear to have a look themselves. We also haven’t had another power cut. No other issues.
SimonClarke
Thanks but if you don't tell us how it is wired, we can't help.
Something like this out of the GE book
Sorry it’s slightly beyond my understanding…. All I know is that the installer has given GE the plan/layout whatever twice and they have agreed it’s correct , hence why they are coming to look. I will try to get the diagram done. It was also checked to be sure it was safe!
Yes method 3 - I think!
The GE guy has just been. Took about 10 minutes to decide that I have a B25 mcb and it should be a C25/32 so therefore trips when the juice is switched back on. I will now wait for another installer visit. Glad I’m not paying
SimonClarke Glad you may have found the solution, hopefully that gets sorted pronto for ya
There are implications to changing an MCB tgat trips at 3-5 rated to one that trips at 5-10 times.
I’m not saying they are not right, but does it really say that in the installation guide.
kram he showed me the installation instructions that said use a C25 or 32 with a 5 kw inverter so I have to hope it is an easy fix just don’t know why it wasn’t noticed before.
SimonClarke
Having worked in Electrical Engineering I
kram
I worked with electrical plant and equipment and Type C was standard in circuits with high inductive load, Motors etc. They could also " age " and become more sensitive over time, but again that was in an industrial setting.
Tenkaykev brand new in April so I would hope nothing has aged yet!
SimonClarke so these mcbs were changed out for the correct items- made no difference. Since then we have had a much longer very puzzled GE visit, replacement manual EPS switch, and a complete new inverter! None of which made any difference! So it’s all still working except for the mystery tripping when switching back to the grid from a power cut. Any suggestions gratefully received and I will pass on to the installer and GE.
is it the MCB that feeds the inverter from grid that trips or the breaker on the EPs output side of the inverter.
in heavy rain the RCD on the grid feed to my inverter would regularly trip. RCD Consumer unit with one output to Inverter. When the shared RCD tripped whole house would go "off"
I installed a dedicated consumer unit to feed the inverter (MCB only), but with RCD on inverter EPS output as GE guide.
All been fine with recent snow and strorms
Weather has no effect. Only trips when switching back to the grid and you can reset immediately with no problem. The EPS and Solar are the culprits. Both have been replaced.
They both look like RCBOs.
Are you sure you dont have anything funny going on here. See redline on sketch from GE EPS guide
I can’t see anything like the red wire but I’m really no expert. However the installer has been back several times and the GE guy twice (once for two hours) so I think/hope they would have found anything that obviously wrong. As I said everything works fine except this and even that isn’t really a problem it’s just that nobody seems to know why it’s happening.
On a side note the new inverter seems to run marginally warmer than the last one. I did ask if they would swap it for a gen3 but they weren’t having it!
If you are not overloading the breaker that is tripping excess (current flow), then it looks like an earth fault or neutral fault trip.. Could be due to a stray neutral or something.
I had similar when my installer put in my EPS. The breaker kept tripping he said "I will have to come back and fix that".
I gave up waiting and disconnected every circuit/wire and tested with a meter until I found a stray neutral that was crossed between a "normal" circuit and and EPS circuit. Once that was found and moved all was OK.
Trouble is, it takes a lot of time and messing about to find and cannot easily be seen or identified
Thanks I’ll suggest it as all involved seem baffled. I’m not touching it whatever as it’s under a year old and I didn’t do it!
SimonClarke I’m really no expert
Neither am I, and there is no reason to think your installer or the guy from GE are either. I think RCBOs are a poor choice for any installation with generating capacity, but again I'm not an expert. You may find this informative.
https://givenergymonitor.wixsite.com/tutorials/emergency-power
Rubikcube I don’t think I have a non maintained load but it is acting as per that description, however it appears to be correctly wired according to GE instructions, and wasn’t fitted by a random sparky but by someone who does solar, battery and inverters for a living, and has been checked by the manufacturer. However I will again pass it on- probably making myself unpopular! Thanks
Mine was installed by a proper electrician who observed the fault (which was due to original house wiring where the "cross connection" did not cause any issues).
My problem was his quote did not include for the time to try and figure out a 20 year old problem that could take 10 mins or 10 hours.
I paid good money for it to work so they will be coming back! To be fair they already have several times with no complaints and they are not particularly near me. I’ve just emailed them both these suggestions so they will probably be having a laugh at my expense Monday morning! Still no harm trying.