I do not see any GFCI breakers anywhere. When the walls, floors, doors, etc are all conductive surfaces, should not GFCI be paramount?
Live Ground Shocked 5 Year Old
- Thread starter Joshua787
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I think most electricians on here are not concerned about him smoking his system but, when you have a child getting shocked, it’s a whole other level.
OP could easily over look a critical piece of information that will make it impossible to troubleshoot correctly. Safety for him and his family is paramount.
And yes, I am an electrician.
timselectric
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It doesn't matter with an autotransformer. The input and output are the same. (Other than the neutral)
wpns
Solar Joules are catch and release
Isn’t an autotransformer just a single winding? Are A and B connected internally in the drawing above?
timselectric
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It would be a good idea, in a metal shipping container sitting on the ground.
But not required if it's a dry environment.
wpns
Solar Joules are catch and release
No, current induction is how an autotransformer works, and it’s all happening inside the case. Occam’s Razor says the ground bond in the (inappropriate) inverter is the root cause, as others have noted.
hwy17
Anti-Solar Enthusiast
The DIY community will never be restricted to grown adults playing in an isolated shed.
If OP is at this point already, it is unlikely that he's going to halt and change course completely. So more advice can only help.
It is valid to add a warning if you want to that it would be safest to proceed with a professional, but it's not a valid reason to withhold further DIY advice.
Edit: Or rather I should say it is not a valid reason for anyone to to tell others to withhold advice. Everyone can personally withhold whatever they want.
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finite
New Member
That may be the biggest issue he has though it is not the only. Auto Xfmr still not bonded i can for sure see that. Nor is that how i would prefer to see the disconnects wired. BUT... this is DIY so long as it works!
Could you use a multimeter to verify which pin on the jumper power cord actually connects to shipping container? If the ground pin was making contact with container it would not be possible to shock you. Something else must be going on.
Visiting this Thread after it was combined makes for some interesting reading. Hopefully the OP is able to resolve his live container issue. It does point up the problems of adapting European/Asian single phase to US standard split phase. From what I am reading his transformer is using a single phase euro style with the primary having one leg being neutral, and ground bonded, instead of both input legs hot.
I would pay most attention to advice from those folks that setup such a system in regards to properly wire it. From my past reading that seems to have been Timselectric.
I would pay most attention to advice from those folks that setup such a system in regards to properly wire it. From my past reading that seems to have been Timselectric.
timselectric
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The problem is that the "ground pin" isn't bonded to neutral.
In this case, everything that should be a ground is actually bonded to L2.
And the neutral is connected to the ground rod. (Earth)
This is why there is 120v between the container and Earth.
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
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Your diagram is Solar Edge auto-transformer, with external transfer switch between Solar Edge and Growatt + auto-transformer.
No grid is shown. I don't know what this system is supposed to do.
OP's system uses GroWatt auto-transformer, which has relays inside so to transfer load so auto-transformer doesn't go parallel with grid (at least in typical use cases). It's breakers should open to protect against overload, and disconnect loads to prevent power with lost neutral. Not sure if OP's system implements that.
From description so far it appears that inverter chassis is floating. Ground rod only connects to isolated ground bar (right side neutral bar uncoupled from left side neutral bar) on right panel and that only connects to 120v outlet ground and nothing else.
timselectric
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There's no relay in the Growatt autotransformer.
It's just input and output connection terminals. Which are jumpered together on the top of the terminals.
Electrically the same as the Solar Edge.
seneysolar
Solar Addict
I thought something like this would turn up, seemed very suspicious, but I had no idea or experience with this model being European 230v system. Good catch!
I don't think a ground fault breaker would have helped in this instance anyways as it wouldn't have had the function.
I have seen guys order this stuff online and then realize its not intended for north America. None have ever made it this far with the install, probably because of the transformer required.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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I might have said it backwards.
L2 is connected to earth and neutral is connected to the container.
Either way the result is the same.
120v between the earth and container.
From description L2 is not connected to earth. 1st picture in this post says ground wire passes through the conduit that goes through inverter 2 but does not make contact. It connects to right panel. Autotransformer neutral is also floating.
timselectric
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The biggest problem is that there are two different versions. That have the same model number. And it's not widely known.
Which version you have depends on where it was purchased.
I have both versions mixed into my system. Some factory modified and some that I modified.
A GFCI should have avoided the shock. Because the current was taking a different return path.
timselectric
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1st picture has notation of ground rod connected to inverter.
Which means that ground rod is bonded to L2. Through the internal N/G bond.
Correction:
It passes through inverter #2 and panel #1 , then goes to panel #2 ground bar.
There's some weird wiring going on.
But still easily corrected.
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