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Thanks Rod.

Hi Guys, I have a Growatt SPF5000TL. Working fine but when I try and input from a 40 year old 3.75kw generator, it aknowledges a utility but doesn’t take any input. If I plug in a later genny, Obviously pure sine, it works. Is the issue that the old genny from the ‘80’s isn’t putting out a pure...

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I run two Chinese diesel heaters in the house, one in the bedroom, the other in the lounge. As long as they are just ticking over, they use very little. One in the van also.

We can thank Jerry Harvey for that!

You can still run 12v of the likes of 48v. I have three 12v batteries being charged at 36v but have a 12v inverter running off all 3 at 12V.

Bud

Hi Bud, sorry for the late reply. Been very busy. Bud, no it doesn’t make sense at all. I tend to think it will stay pretty much as a mystery. Ill get a pic in the morning mate.

Tim, did it the same with the isolator.

Bud, with the probe at the in of the breaker and the other probe on the out side, I get zero resistance. I did’nt bother with polarity off the meter. 90-120volts (depending on sun) were coming into the breaker. On the output side I was getting only about 1/4, 1/3 of the amount of volts. Now...

Input and output read zero.

Thanks Volvo, I’ll have a look mate.

Tim, I wouldn’t put it past me to muck it up, but the reading was the same with two breakers and two isolators. Even the controller recognised what I was seeing. Eliminated the breaker and away she went! Next day, fit breaker and all is good!

Yeah I know Bud. Its odd. Its fine now though. Go figure!

Guys. Just how Growatt are wording it.

https://www.ginverter.com.au/upload/file/contents/2019/06/5d034b409a911.pdf

Thanks Bud, I’ll get that info soon

Just the one Doug. Set it up as 48v if you can.

I would assume its the ‘maximum solar charge current’.

A bit like yours aye! “So much half information” is that like that ’only half pregnant’? But thanks Volvo.

Yep. Before the breaker, 100 odd volts. After the breakers/isolators, 25-35V. The controller was obviously seeing the same as it wouldn’t register any PV input! Buggered if I know but today is all good! Zero resistance and zero drop in volts. Controller reads it good!

Bud, at first I thought the sheet you posted was the same as in my manual. It isn’t. Here is mine.. Why there is a difference I have no idea. With 22A on your sheet, I thought I was going out of my mind considering my series and parallel.

“3s string is 8.2A, so 6 strings in parallel = 8.2A x 6 = 49.2A” Well this is what I said.

Currently 100vdc and the controller is reading it. So you think this has something to do with the low voltage reading between the breaker and the controller?

Not happening. It has been working fine. Today it is working fine.

8.2A per panel. Yesterday it wouldn’t have been even half that with the weather we had. Today is a better day and it is reading fine. I haven’t had an issue previously. Its because I have been trying to implement a breaker.

Yes it is Budd.

So this morning everything works as it should do. Yesterday I was getting a low voltage reading on the output side of the breakers and isolator. It wasnt my imagination as the controller was confirming it. It wouldn’t acknowledge any input.

120VDC can be measured with the multimeter. The 49A is only an assumption made off the current rating of the panels until the clamp meter arrives. Controller is a Growatt SPF5000TL. Panels, refer to pic below. Panels are 3 in series with 6 parallel.

DC voltage coming from the panels. Tested with the multimeter. On the panel side of the breaker I was getting my full voltage. On the controller side of the breaker I was only getting 25-35% of the voltage. The controller couldn’t read any input until I bypassed the breaker. This happened...

I tested the breakers and isolators and I get zero resistance but if I put DC voltage through them, the voltage drops by two thirds.

Bud, I added more strings of 3. I’m now up to about 49 amps. These breakers are 32A. On a sunny day, which its not ATM, I only got 120V. I didnt measure the amps actually but it would have been quite low considering the weather. Cable is 6mm.

Yeah I woulda thought. Now, I brought the breakers inside and checked resistance with the Klein multimeter. Zero resistance! Be buggered if I know what is going on. A severe voltage drop to the point the controller will not recognise it. Bypass the breaker and away it goes!

Bud, the voltage from the array is 120 odd volts. On the controller side of the breaker it reads 40 volts. The controller doesnt read or acknowledge any input. When I bypass a breaker, the controller reads and charges as it should.