My AC3 + 8.2 & 9.5 have been working flawlessly for the last couple of years, not even a SOC drop!
Now tonight, the battery breaker in the main consumer unit keeps tripping out. Every time I switch it back on it trips again after a few seconds. No notifications or anything in the logs.
Any ideas please?
ChrisRowe "Battery Breaker in the main consumer unit" so I can assume this is not the DC battery breaker on the battery itself but he AC supply to the AC3 inverter?
If so is it an actual MCB or an RCD or RCBO tripping. As a trip from any of these can mean a different thing -
MCB - only trip on overcurrent, so there is a short in the inverter or the cabling up to it. (I'd imagine as it doesn't immediately trip, its the inverter when it closes its relays to the inverter side after its startup checks - you can time this if its repeatable)
RCD - trip only on earth leakage and don't care about over current. Potentially damp related depending on where it is fitted but unusual to trip in a repeatable/timed way if so.
RCBO - is both these devices together so can be either of the above.
hoggy It’s RCBO. Damp was my first thought. Batteries are outside, and although in a wooden enclosure it has been very very wet for weeks on end
If there's an ac isolator next to the inverter I'd throw that and see if it holds up. That way you know that the cables thus far are probably OK. Then try and fire the inverter up with the batteries off & just the inverter running on AC (damp in batteries may be a source of your troubles for example). Then try one battery, then the other. Basically just try and break it down into chunks to see where it faults.
If its wired up in trunking or Copex or whatever- it all looks very nice but if water starts getting in it'll work its way into all sorts of places unseen.
hoggy That sounds beyond my technical limits! I wouldn’t know where to start.
Funny that....for the past few days we had the DC MCB isolator between the inverter and batteries trip in the early hours...especially since we have had so much rain. It only tripped once and when reset stayed on. We have our system outside but under a rain shelter. Had the installer look yesterday who took the isolator housing apart - v little damp anywhere...then put sealant around cables to/form it, inverter and battery. It rained overnight and touch wood is all OK. No tripping at all.
hoggy The Inverter is still pulling power from the batteries, but not supplying the house, so can I assume from that the Inverter is OK?
I've not taken the AC3 apart so there is a potential that all its brains run off DC but it would presumably now be outputting 230V AC power to the EPS side (which uses the same bits of the inverter) so you may well be correct.
If you have an isolator fitted next to it (red and yellow rotary switch) does it have cables going in the top by any chance?) Water standing ontop has a way of finding its way in eventually. If you turn this isolator off does the RCBO still trip?
Take it your installer is going to take a look as I am just stabbing in the dark from likely faults.
AndyZ900rs yes moisture has always been the arch nemesis of external installs.
Case in point - this was one of the first installs on YouTube for the AIO2 - and yes I know he installed it in the rain but now it's damp in there, IP ratings work both ways so it'll stay in there unless it gets aired out later.
hoggy Yes, there is an Isolator next to the Inverter, cables go in from underneath though. I’ve tried turning it off but RCBO still trips, it doesn’t even wait a few seconds now, it trips instantly! I’ve taken the front off the enclosure and there is a lot of moisture present. I’m awaiting a call back from my Installer, but I doubt he’ll be in a hurry, the initial install was over 4 years ago.
Thanks for all your advice and suggestions.
An interesting point is that my installer - after checking the inside was dry(ish) suggested to put one or two sachets of silica gel (the ones that come with some electrical equipment...or you can buy direct from Amazon/eBay...he said that this can help ..since apart from drying out any atmospheric moisture...if it becomes too damp will indicate whether there is damp getting into the device. Just a thought..
I take back all I said about my Installer. He sent his electrician around this afternoon who initially thought the inverter was kaput, but then found the cause was a waterlogged junction box.
All sorted now, thanks for everyone’s comments.