We had a 15s-30s power cut at 18:00 this evening as I was going out.
Came back at 00:00 to see no inverter data.
Went to garage to reset system and now the battery makes many clicks then goes red status 🙁
It will stay green if you trip the dcmb off, but putting on again brings back clicks and red
Sounds like a failed board in the inverter. You will need to contact Givenergy support (good luck).
Google "Givenergy Click of Death"
Rubikcube Oh yes.....
Let us know how you get on with GE support, I have a thread about the Red Light which turned out to be an inverter issue.
GE finally resolved it with a "new" inverter. It took several months and even a letter of legal action.
I hope you get a quick response, but useful for us here to know how it goes.
Good luck
What Gen and fw is your inverter? Can't help but feel these failures are somewhat related to those inverters which can't accept fast Gen1 fw without going bang - which suggests they are a little bit on the edge of their operating limits already.
I can't find the whatsapp or chat links, so I will have to try calling tomorrow lunchtime
Inverter Model
GIV-HY5.0 Gen 3
Software Version
D0.316-A0.316
Battery Type
Lithium-ion
Battery Capacity
186 Ah | 9.52 kWh | (1 Pack)
Battery Firmware Version
3020
Guess not if your Gen3. So they just struggle with power outages.
wrighar Wow, that's amazing!! I'm so pleased my app worked so well. Possible improvement would be to suppress the BMS Voltage High message if the voltage is less than 48V.
Unfortunately not so pleased for you as you need a new inverter. GE should replace it under warranty ... Good luck!
The short power outage around 6pm was not the cause of the issue (but it may be relevant). The inverter failed at 23:17:38. I am wondering if it might have failed due to a power surge. I would try calling 105 (it's free) and say that you had some electrical equipment fail on Saturday evening and think it might be due to a power surge. They might know something or be able to correlate it with other reports.
Have you checked the SPD in the consumer unit? Is it still green? Do you even have an SPD? Midsummer states "Giv inverters do not come with an SPD inbuilt which means that installers will need to offer their own." https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/giv-energy
@"M_J" Do you have an SPD?
wrighar If you haven't already done so, I would turn the batteries off with the little black button on the side. Is the inverter still working for solar?
23:17 may have been the time I rebooted the battery and inverter to get the dongle talking again.
I spent a while out in the garage trying before coming back in to post...
I'll go and check our SPD.
Yes, Green:
Inverter has provided to solar and export today thankfully.
wrighar Its exactly consistent with when the battery control board went in my Gen 1 hybrid, the inverter works off solar but can't talk to the batteries. The battery clicks repeatedly when you power it on, then goes to red light and turns off, but if you turn the power breaker off to the battery then it remains on OK.
Basically the inverter is not talking to the battery and the clicking you hear is the battery trying to make contact to the inverter then giving up.
Its a replace the inverter under warranty job I'm afraid with GivEnergy support.
Yes, battery is still chatty to the world I think though
It was 66% yesterday, dropped to 65% and now 64%
wrighar Yes, battery is still chatty to the world I think though
It was 66% yesterday, dropped to 65% and now 64%
Interesting, as you say your battery is still in at least partial communication with the inverter, you can see voltages and the SoC dropping as the battery slowly self-consumes.
I'm pretty sure with my Gen 1 the battery turned itself off after failing to communicate to the inverter. 🤷♂️
As your Gen3 I don't think the battery board is a seperate item like the Gen1s, so you'll likely get a new (potentially old/refurb) inverter. If you log data in HA I'd prepare in advance to handle that as if its a refurb the meter data might not start from 0.
If you happen to snap any pics of its guts I'd be quite interested to compare how they are laid out inside now.
geoffreycoan I would expect the battery to stay on and show just a red light. The log from my app suggests the battery stayed on all night. I think maybe your system failed before I added the battery cell stuff to my app.
This same fault (aka the click of death) has been reported many times. We have confirmation in this thread that it has happened to Gen1 Hybrid, AC3 and Gen3 Hybrid. I think this rules out it being a faulty batch from the factory. It doesn't seem the be due to a power outage or power surge. The weather was very calm on Saturday evening so I think lightning strike is ruled out. This system is in a garage, which rules out overheating (in January) or water ingress. Previously I think loose connections have been ruled out, and the number of incidents seems to rule out installation errors.
I am 99% convinced the failed component is a mosfet in the input stage of the buck-boost. In which case AIO owners are safe because the AIO doesn't have a buck-boost.
I don't know the underlying cause (or if there even is one), which is concerning because this fault could happen to any of us at any time.
I was wondering if there was any correlation with high input voltage or current but the battery wasn't fully charged by the looks of it so it wasn't a high input voltage and it's a single battery so it wasn't a high input current (2 batteries might deliver twice the current momentarily). It must be that the power envelope of that mosfet is momentarily exceeded in some conditions with no obvious external influence. I always like to blame the software but can't see how it might blow up the buck-boost converter. I do know that it is a lot more tricky to design a buck-boost than a straight buck or boost converter.
On Gen 1s the capacitor bank they battery precharges (the ticking noise you them do) are only rated to 63V.
This should be fine as the battery shouldn't get near that & I doubt it would suddenly explode at 63.01V but it would probably weaken it. The supply side to the bat though, which equally pumps through these capacitors, I don't know what the logic is for the buck-boost startup or protection logic (i.e if you get a sharp spike on the input AC does that percolate all the way through to the HV DC bus and back down towards the battery?) Maybe. All guess work though.
I do believe that the vast majority of these failures occur after a power outage, so I think there's something that can sneak past, either when the power fails (suspect more of a brown out is the issue as I've switched mine on and off hundreds of times) which wipes a component out & then shows its hand when the power returns OR there is something on the resync after power fail that goes wrong.
Power quality gets complicated real fast with harmonics and so on so but it is interesting that by Gen3 we still get this failure.
hoggy On my Gen 1, when installed July 2021, my installer demonstrated the (manual changeover) EPS. When he switched the mains back on, the inverter failed. It took GE about two weeks to replace a board and I believe the technician said it was a power MOSFET that had blown.
Better than the caps going as they are bonded together so a pain to get out. Repair of the mosfet would be relatively straightforward providing its not damaged the PCB too much.
I've spoken to Rachael today, who said they'd pass my info onto eva/support.
Heard nothing, so I emailed support and got an automated response with a case no. with a call if it's urgent (I'm guessing to talk to Rachael again...)
Called Rachael with the case number to ask where it's at and they said they'd pass it to support...
Expect an email in 5 working days for a 1st response.
Hmmm
hoggy are only rated to 63V.
We never used caps above 80% of their voltage rating so this is a bit close. For Tantalums we even derated to 50% as they are so temperature dependant. But why the mosfet goes who knows.
Finally turned the battery off after 2 days and 18 hrs, so I could see the self consumption depletion.
Snapshots almost 2 days apart
So I've given up on Givenergy replying (so far) and spoke to my installer this lunch time.
They wanted to come out next week, but only have full day availability Mon/Tue 2nd/3rd Feb and they are not sure how much recommission/tech time they'll need from GivE.
So, now what do I need to do from an HA perspective, to retain my old stats, and concatenate my new ones from the next inverter...
Can I just add the new inverter as a 2nd inverter in GivTCP v3
Rubicube, how will 'Monitor' handle this? just set up the new one's ip?
wrighar if your new inverter replaces your old one then you'll need to replace the existing one in givtcp (or just allocate it the same IP address). You can't leave the old one and the new one in givtcp because givtcp will complain all the time that it can't talk to the missing inverter.
Your new inverter will have a new serial number so all your givtcp entities will have new names. The old ones won't disappear, they just won't continue to build up history.
You can move your long term statistics from your old inverter to your new one in HA, scripts and procedures I shared previously to do that
wrighar Rubicube, how will 'Monitor' handle this? just set up the new one's ip?
Yes, basically. The long term stats are based on the meter values stored in the inverter. Ideally if the inverter is repaired (by replacing a circuit board) the stats will just continue fine. If more likely the inverter is replaced, it will have new meter values. If it has a different serial number then my app will just record it as a separate inverter and you will need to manually add the stats together, if say you want totals for the year. If the serial number is changed to be the old one (I think this is the engineers preferred option) then the meter values "jump". You will unfortunately get a wrong result for totals covering the changeover. My app just subtracts one meter reading from another.
So installer was just here this afternoon, I thought they were coming to replace inverter as that's what the office person said.
They arrived, checked everything, said it's dead, took some details and have left to ring GivEnergy support to get them to have a looks and then a replacement inverter.
No idea how long that will take :-(
Hmm, So while I was at work today, a givenergy employee tried getting my battery to calibrate...
Doesn't look to have worked :-)
They had another go yesterday, still failed.....
I think the Android Inverter Monitor app (free) can help with this if you pay the one off £10 subscription that opens a lot more functions.
NB no link to seller
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.rubikcube.invertermonitor&hl=en_GB
SteveCook
The inverter app says: Battery short circuit; inverter fail.
indicative of the buck boost circuitry in the inverter failing short circuit (MOSFET?)
Givenergy have just go t back to my installers and they are now planning to come back round next week to do more diag/fix.
GE's analysis is my battery is flat or the BMS is frozen.
3 weeks ago when the click of death started:
and today:
Doesn't look flat to me.
wrighar Well they got the first letter right. What's wrong with it does start with an F
Frustrated now,
Givenergy have called my installer to say they can't do the call this afternoon to diagnose the issue as the service person on my case is off until next week, and have re-booked for next week (23rd), (currently it's been down a month since 17th Jan).
Also by the sounds of it, that just to take readings and diagnose to work out if there something the installer can do or something set wrong, or if it needs a warranty repair....
We know it needs exchange/repair, but it sounds like next week it will not be fixed, just get acknowledged and put on the replace queue.
It's getting silly.
wrighar my experience of a givenergy engineer is that despite being booked to say that its a diagnostic, they come with replacement kit, and pretty quickly identify that its a swapout. There's no point sending an engineer from Stoke on Trent twice to your house
I have an engineer coming on Thursday for my failed battery, am expecting they will diagnose the failure and replace it there and then
If its a month since your failure that's not too bad service time. The engineers have constantly been booked weeks ahead. Hopefully they do fix yours (and mine) when they come
geoffreycoan
It was my installer that was (coming for a 2nd time) today to have a planned 2hr phone call with the support desk to diagnose the issue, and from the sounds of it to decide if it needed replacing/fixing or what was wrong.
The office support person is now off this week, so that's re-booked for next week.
After that I guess they will schedule a replacement...
Installers been again, 2 hrs of call and chats with lots of reading taken.
Confirmed inverter is dead, now passing ticket to warranty team for approval for replacement...
Than can take a couple of days, then delivery to installer and schedule fitment...
geoffreycoan How many failures is that now? A couple of inverters and two batteries - assuming I'm not counting the self-inflicted damage 🙂
Vestas How many failures is that now? A couple of inverters and two batteries - assuming I'm not counting the self-inflicted damage 🙂
My tally is one failed inverter, one holey battery which you have gracefully agreed not to count, and then I'll claim it as a half for my most recent battery issue. I'll post about this 'incident' separately, it wasn't as catastrophic as the hole incident.
And I still have that extra-ventillated 9.5 sitting in a box in my garage....
Two days now, and no warranty agreement news yet..
Just chased installers again as it's been a week.
Warranty replacement authorised, and new (?) Gen3 5Kw LV being sent to them to fit, but it's not arrived yet.
Yay, Text message from the installer this evening, that have a delivery scheduled for next week from Givenergy for the replacement.
Install planned for 16th March. That will be two months to the day.
wrighar At least your installer seems to be still wanting to help
When my battery stopped working and Givenergy said they’d send a replacement to my installer, they quoted me £480 to fit it. I said ‘er no, warranty’ and they said that since it wasn’t a fault in their installation that’s what they’d charge.
Ended up with Givenergy coming to fix the battery (which didn’t need a replacement in the end)
When my SolarEdge inverter died after 5 years, SolarEdge posted a new one to me under warranty. I paid my original installer £70 to fit/test/commission it.
I am not sure exactly what costs are included/excluded
geoffreycoan To be fair they can't be expected to do work for free years after initial install. GE seem to think installers work for them.
Vestas I agree, I just didn't think £480 was a fair price for doing a battery swap
anyway, in my case it was sorted
Hmm, installers not had a delivery yet, and are chasing,
Install on Monday now looks doubtful
What's this about a holed battery?
Marren2016 Someone (who will remain nameless) managed to drill into their batteries from behind as they attempted to create a route for cabling (for a hot tub I believe).
No explosion, no fire but it did create an impressive amount of smoke if I remember correctly.
Nothing you need to worry about too much unless you have an itchy trigger finger and a high powered drill.
pwdst Nothing you need to worry about too much unless you have an itchy trigger finger and a high powered drill.
... and forget to measure twice/cut (or drill in this case) once 😆
At a 45 degree angle....
Found it, that's one expensive mistake!
4 weeks now since Warranty approval, and still no sign of a replacement inverter.
9 weeks since an incident was raised.
Getting rater annoyed now.
wrighar
Unplug the dead one. Drive to Newcastle-under-Lyme and sit with it in reception until they give you a new one?
SteveCook
Unfortunately it's the inverter battery controls that have shorted otherwise i'd take the 110Kg battery for a drive,
Best man lives in Stoke.
Inverter is working from solar really well, just won't talk to the battery.
Inverter is also a little more difficult to detach.
:-(
Vestas it’s a catch 22. Unless you use one of GE’s approved installers you risk invalidating the GE kit warranty. So if it is a warranty replacement then surely the vendor, GE in this case pays their approved installer to replace.
Maxwell They don't pay the installer for warranty work & never have. That's one of the main reasons why anyone with a brain has stopped installing GE 🙂
GE are supposed to be sending a replacement to my installers, so they said 3 weeks ago.
Installers have been engaging with GE, but not getting updates now.
Not sure they get paid to replace, just given a replacement to install, likely a used/repaired one.
Reading all this about poor customer service is depressing. The heads of GE must know they can't go on like this, so is it the usually cash grab that seems to happen nowadays.
Marren2016 Depends which "heads" you mean. Many have been decapitated (in company terms) recently.
In the words of an old film ... There can be only one!
Don't hold your breath for a revival of the brand in the UK.
I managed to get through to someone on the phone who checked my ticket/incident and could see it's been approved and is sitting with the warehouse team, and there is stock available.
But there is currently a hold issuing RMA's and she didn't know when the hold would be released. She is going to chase for me tomorrow and call me back...
They did say the company is in 'interesting times'.
Chased GE again today and got a call back!
Apparently my new Inverter has been shipped to my Installer, and GE have just had conformation it's been signed for as delivered.
No to chase Installer for fitment date...
wrighar That's a result!
wrighar
How are you chasing them? Don't reply to emails or even answer the support line phone when I try.
53 minutes in hold waiting for an answer
Most of us can't get through at all unless we pretend to be installers. If you did that and were still on hold for 53 minutes then no wonder they have all stopped handling the kit.
pwdst Installers have been reporting waits in excess of that for well over a year.
Vestas waits in excess of that for well over a year.
That's a long wait! 😆
KevinB Go look at trustpilot reviews - there's some epic installer reviews on there. It would be comedy gold if you were a "neutral" 😃
And today I've managed to get hold of the installers after the easter break, they are coming next Monday (13th) to replace/install.