Zwy
Emperor Of Solar
Interesting news regarding isolators and solar panel fires.
DON'T Install DC Isolators on Solar
- Thread starter Zwy
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Zwy
Emperor Of Solar
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
Australia has done a 180 on them too, but most of theirs were fitted up on the roof when they no doubt degraded and started leaking.
Quattrohead
Solar Wizard
Stop charge and loads on your inverter, then it is safe to disconnect an MC4 to break the circuit.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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The key information is in the product name.
It's an isolator, and not a disconnect.
An isolator can only perform the same function as unplugging a MC4 connector.
It's an isolator, and not a disconnect.
An isolator can only perform the same function as unplugging a MC4 connector.
Is there a difference? Both work the same way.
zanydroid
Solar Wizard
IMOs are called isolators sometimes and if you dig into the manual I believe they say they are switch rated.
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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Absolutely
Physically, kinda.
A disconnect is designed to "disconnect" a circuit under load.
An isolator is designed to separate a part of the circuit from the rest. But should not be operated under load.
An isolator can be compared to the plug on your vacuum cleaner. You shouldn't unplug it, unless you have turned off the vacuum cleaner.
LakeHouse
Solar Enthusiast
It's the difference between brakes on your car (a disconnect) and wheel chocks (an isolator). If your car is stopped, they do the same thing. If it's moving, one is useful and one is dangerous.
zanydroid
Solar Wizard
That video shows the OK for outside North America practice of using bare MC4s as the connection method into the inverter/AIO.
Since you can’t do that here, I think you have to use an isolator to enable removing the inverter without doing something yolo like getting a screwdriver onto a hot terminal in the equipment
Since you can’t do that here, I think you have to use an isolator to enable removing the inverter without doing something yolo like getting a screwdriver onto a hot terminal in the equipment
devils advocate here…
and maybe i missed it but as isolators are being condemned by some “authoritive” body (in that video) are they really to blame for mishaps worldwide?
maybe a stretch but should not EV’s and all other forms of explosive device be banned as well?
just curious because every “safety” feature can be found with a fault. should isolators be outlawed since they pose a danger and should have no purpose for what they were designed for?
and maybe i missed it but as isolators are being condemned by some “authoritive” body (in that video) are they really to blame for mishaps worldwide?
maybe a stretch but should not EV’s and all other forms of explosive device be banned as well?
just curious because every “safety” feature can be found with a fault. should isolators be outlawed since they pose a danger and should have no purpose for what they were designed for?
Hmm I see. Seems like arguing over semantics. A swith is a switch. Major flaw in this arrangement is that the "isolator" can be "isolated" under load which it's not designed to do safely.
timselectric
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zanydroid
Solar Wizard
How would you prevent this other than by labeling and education of operators to check whether a “thing that looks like a switch” can be operated under load.
I guess you can do that by requiring everything a random person with zero education might pull to be switch rated for emergency disconnect but that would add cost. Some AHJs mandate this , sort of, when they require knife or spring disconnects at the AC interconnection point.
That can get expensive!
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
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It's not the isolators fault. It's that they are being used incorrectly.
zanydroid
Solar Wizard
“Isolators don’t kill people. People kill people”
By using pull out type disconnect like this one for $17. They are used with outdoor air con units. Cheap and foolproof (well almost "a fool" proof - don't stick your fingers inside with plug removed).
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