EG4 Lifepower4 short circuit protection

Aakelley · Mar 6, 2022

Did some testing this weekend with the Growatt 3000 and one of the two 24v 200 ah eg4 batteries installed in my skoolie. I know it won’t run the AC for very long, but when I started it up, the battery would trip into an alarm mode. When I hooked up the BMS Test it shows a “short circuit protection”.

Is the AC drawing so much current that the BMS is shutting off the battery? Wouldn’t the breakers trip too / first instead?

Wondering if getting the second battery out there might make it work since half the current would come from each battery? Or am I just going to have to bite the bullet and get a soft starter?

Will Prowse · Mar 6, 2022

What type of air conditioner? Can you post a link to the air conditioners manual? Can you show us how these packs are wired into the system?

timselectric · Mar 6, 2022

You definitely need more batteries.

Aakelley · Mar 6, 2022

It’s a dometic rooftop unit. Let me find the model number.

Aakelley · Mar 6, 2022

timselectric said:
You definitely need more batteries.

What I figured. I’m waiting on some more parts (busbar, wires). When that comes in, will bring out the second battery and see if that works.

timselectric · Mar 6, 2022

I have the same issue with an air compressor. Was able to start it once, on 100ah of battery. After that, the bms was going into alarm. The surge at startup is too much for the bms.

Aakelley · Mar 6, 2022

https://www.dometic.com/assets/45/99/installation%20manual_64599.pdf

I have the B59516

Aakelley · Mar 6, 2022

timselectric said:
I have the same issue with an air compressor. Was able to start it once, on 100ah of battery. After that, the bms was going into alarm. The surge at startup is too much for the bms.

Have you been able to start it with 2 batteries?

timselectric · Mar 6, 2022

Aakelley said:
Have you been able to start it with 2 batteries?

Haven't gotten the second battery, yet. But, I'm sure that it will work. Just by the way it acted.

robby · Mar 6, 2022

Aakelley said:
https://www.dometic.com/assets/45/99/installation%20manual_64599.pdf

I have the B59516

They recommend a minimum of a 3.5Kw generator to run that AC.

Aakelley · Mar 6, 2022

robby said:
They recommend a minimum of a 3.5Kw generator to run that AC.

Yep. Run it off a predator 3500 all the time. When running it (only) the genny reads a ~1200 watts. But I know they consume a lot more than that at startup. The inverter seems to be doing fine. It’s the battery that is tripping.

Going to try the second battery when the parts come in. If that doesn’t solve it, going to get a soft starter.

Aakelley · Mar 6, 2022

Will Prowse said:
What type of air conditioner? Can you post a link to the air conditioners manual? Can you show us how these packs are wired into the system?

Dometic B59516. https://www.dometic.com/assets/45/99/installation manual_64599.pdf

It’s just the one pack for now, so directly into the Growatt. Thinking I am hitting the max discharge rate of one pack.

sten · Jun 16, 2022

Did you ever fix this? I have a short circuit issue same as your screen shot, but mine is just with a connection to my inverter not even under load. Super frustrating...

timselectric · Jun 16, 2022

sten said:
Did you ever fix this? I have a short circuit issue same as your screen shot, but mine is just with a connection to my inverter not even under load. Super frustrating...

Which inverter?
What is your startup procedure?

sten · Jun 16, 2022

EG 6.5K
Battery 48v 100Ah EG lifepower4
Just hooking up to inverter and turning battery on, no load.

Aakelley · Jun 16, 2022

It went away, but can’t say I know what solved it.

sten · Jun 16, 2022

Did upping the battery count help?

jberger · Jun 16, 2022

It will come back, when you least expect it, because that unit is pulling different inrush current depending on the compressor state when turned on.
I've got 2 dometic 15,000 and a coleman 10,000. It seems to happen more often when the units have been turned off for more than a day, I assume the caps drain down after a while and the full inrush demand can trip out the BMS.

The dometics will sometimes pull over 400 amps at startup and make the BMS think there is a short circuit. It drops off rapidly after the compressor gets up to speed and settles in between 170 and 190 amps but the inrush is huge when the caps are flat.
Adding an easy start kit should help keep the BMS from tripping because of the way it starts up the AC.

I'm 12V, so I have (3) of the EG4 12V packs connecting to 2 inverters so it's not the same as yours, but the experience seems very familiar.

timselectric · Jun 16, 2022

sten said:
EG 6.5K
Battery 48v 100Ah EG lifepower4
Just hooking up to inverter and turning battery on, no load.

The only thing that makes sense is the capacitors in the inverter is overloading the battery on startup.
But, that battery has a built-in pre charge circuit.
Might try resetting the battery controls. (Insert a paper clip in the small hole by the SOC indicators)

sten · Jun 16, 2022

Oh jeez over lost track on the amount of times I've tried resetting the battery. I wish it was so simple. I'm wonder how long the caps in the inverter need to discharge completely.

EG4 Lifepower4 short circuit protection

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