ScrotusGobbleBottom
Solar Enthusiast
Did you try turning it off and then back on again?
18kpv Issues
- Thread starter Dyotat100
- Start date
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
Restart the inverter cold again, grid, pv and battery all off for a few then start it back up again.
Sometimes they seem to need a 2nd reboot.
Also give us the specific error code.
Sometimes they seem to need a 2nd reboot.
Also give us the specific error code.
Inverter gave no code. The AC started
and shut off after 5 seconds 2 times. 3rd time I got over voltage from micro air soft start. That's when I said I'm done. Not ruining my AC.
That's when I asked them to put back old firmware. I did restart inverter. Turned off and let it go blank.
Read top of pic where it says status
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ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
Dude . . . I just looked at your status page. . . Your grid is 251V! That is REALLY high. You are exporting power which means it has to punch out a voltage HIGHER than whatever the grid is providing. Mee thinks this is your issue, I'd gamble the easy-start is not happy with that high a voltage. Likely you have other solar exports on your grid, pushing things a tad, and your old inverters did not export.
Ex: If your grid is 249v, the inverter is going to have to jack that up to 251 to export power. If the ES has like a 250v threshold, . . .
Ex: If your grid is 249v, the inverter is going to have to jack that up to 251 to export power. If the ES has like a 250v threshold, . . .
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
I'd try disconnecting the grid, let the inverter run on it's own closer to a nominal 240v, and see if that doesn't solve the problem. If so, then your work is cut out for you, I'm not sure what the next steps would be, maybe the ES has an adjustment for voltage limits?
If your saying my grid is high your wrong
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
Wrong user's picture, . . .sorry, grasping straws.
Something may be wrong with the EG4. . . "Over-voltage" would need to be pretty darn high, perhaps the unit has a faulty sensor somewhere. Did you put a meter on the EPS outputs, and verify the voltage? Better yet put a recording meter on the HVAC AC line. Are you connected with anything to the "GRID"? If so what is the voltage on your grid lugs? I know the EG4 will easily handle 50A, thus I suspect something odd at play. None the less, if you are connected at the grid lugs with house power I would turn off that breaker and test.
Then again, it's possible your "Easy Start" has failed, coincidentally with your inverter swap. I would roll up my sleeves and start getting some voltage and current readings. A cheap recording multimeter/ammeter can be had on Amazon, you don't really need precision, just an idea of where you are. I would re-seat/re-torque all my electrical connections from the inverter to the panels/switching/whatever. You made a pretty big change swapping out two for one, with new wiring, something may have "jiggled" loose, or gotten twisted.
It never hurts to pull the cover on the HVAC and verify the wiring there, toss us some pics of the physical interconnects from the inverter to the panel. I can't tell you how many times I've solved an issue by simply walking it back. Oh, grab a temperature gun while you are at it shoot the various connection points. Unlikely you are going to blow up your HVAC, unless you have some ridiculous numbers. Pictures of the connections walk it from the HVAC, pull the cover, visual/physical inspection, re-seat the outside disconnect, check the fuses, make sure everything is tight. Pull the panel cover, verify the connection at the breaker is tight, check the connections at the panel to the inverter feed, and then back at the inverter.
The ususal, turn off the HVAC unit at the thermostat, verify voltage the entire way down at each point all the way to the contactor (S/B 0). Cut the power again, put the meter / probe on the wire just in front of the easy start, turn everything back on, start the HVAC, while monitoring the connection at the HVAC. If you see a problem post it here. I'm not buying a surge issue if you are only pulling 49-50A on start.
Nothing has changed on my setup. All the issues yesterday were from firmware update. I don't trust this thing enough to connect it to the grid. All wiring is the same since I did it in 2022. Been verified by EG4 with pic when I first installed and had issues. Only thing that changed was I had to pull out the 2 runs for the 6548's and swap for larger single run.
AC runs fine if I wire it to grid. Tomorrow a AC guy is coming to verify that my AC is all good.
AC runs fine if I wire it to grid. Tomorrow a AC guy is coming to verify that my AC is all good.
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ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
I can say I've not had any inverter specific issues with my pair since some of the Fall software updates. Even before then I hit them very hard last summer, thought early firmware releases had some interesting issues managing various edge case conditions, and flickering issues. Thus far, at least for me, these have met my expectations, and pushed out 20GW of electricity in less than a year. I'd be doing any testing with the latest firmware. If the Easy Start is showing an over-voltage fault running your AC then either the inverter or the Easy Start unit is faulty. That should be trivial to test with a recording meter.
Those pics are from yesterday after getting firmware 1919. Never seen a over voltage or power interrupt before. Normally AC tries to start and doesn't. Say start failure. With the 1919 it would start and run for 5 seconds and shut off. That's when it said power interrupt. Then 3rd attempt I got the over voltage.
AC starts fine now. But it is 63 degrees. It's when the AC gets hot and requires more to start is when issues happen. 2 weeks ago it was 85 out and AC wouldn't start.
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
What kind of batteries do you have 10 of? Total AH output is? What is the overall load on the unit without the AC running? Are they in a closed loop? And there are no messages in the log on the 18kpv? You might try just pulling the Easy Start, I assume you told it to re-learn on the grid already in the heat of the day. My HVAC is on the roof in the direct sun, I'm sure it's upwards of 140F in the cabinet when it's over 115F outside. Doesn't get any worse than that. I do know that the 18kpv can react poorly in closed loop if the battery reports issues.
wpns
Solar Joules are catch and release
Is that normal (that startup surge increases in higher temperatures?) or something about your particular AC unit?
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
Is the same breaker feeding the HVAC from the grid as from the inverter? You are pretty light on details of the physical connections.
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
Oh yea, and not only that the hotter it gets the more demand you have while running. I peak around 3500-3700W currently. This summer It will hit 5000, sometimes for several hours straight. But 85F is a joke in my area. My AC goes "bang" starting up in July and August, Don't notice it this time of year.
No but it is 30amp. Breaker never trips.
I have 10 rack batteries for 50 kwh. Load is under 1000w. All this has been explained to EG4. They know I have a issue. If 2 6548s ran it for 2 summers with out one glitch I would have thought this would also. But here is the thing. They still don't list the surge capacity like every other inverter. So you buy and find out later. I had to ask 3 times yesterday to get what it is. All they wanted to say is 1.35%. Well it's 1.35 x 12,000. If I would have know I wouldn't have bought it. I could care less that it will run over 12,000 w for a short time.
You even told me in a PM last year that it's going to be hit or miss with just 1 18kpv. So I don't know why you think any different now
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ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
Don't remember, hit or miss depending on your static load, and the AC unit, but according to your magic start you ain't hitting 50A. I know the 18kpv will put out 60A for quite some time, and your HVAC should settle around 18 or less. You are still trickling information.
Are the batteries in a closed loop? Are they EG4 batteries? What flavor? If closed loop is the firmware up to date?
You are saying with the latest firmware it starts the AC then the AC cuts off within a few seconds. So at that point you should be well past any overload condition, so that makes no sense. Does everything on the system die or just the AC?
What is the physical connection path from Grid->HVAC vs Inverter->HVAC?
I will say my 4T unit is much lighter than yours though:
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
I am not running closed loop. I use solar assistant to monitor batteries. I have 6 Jakipers and 4 SOK's. 4/0 from ea rack.
The difference from grid to inverter is about 20' of 2 gauge.
I'm running a older firmware and AC is starting no problem right now with colder temps. The 1919 was doing the start and then stop. When it's running it is 10.7- 12 amps.
Yeah I'm surprised how low your AC start is. Have never seen one that low in all the video installs on 4t units I have watched. Usually in the mid 30's. I know mine is 120 amps without a soft start.
What's with the 36 faults?
The difference from grid to inverter is about 20' of 2 gauge.
I'm running a older firmware and AC is starting no problem right now with colder temps. The 1919 was doing the start and then stop. When it's running it is 10.7- 12 amps.
Yeah I'm surprised how low your AC start is. Have never seen one that low in all the video installs on 4t units I have watched. Usually in the mid 30's. I know mine is 120 amps without a soft start.
What's with the 36 faults?
What model is your micro air? 368-48 or 368-72?
