Almost burnt my house down...

[esands]

I've just purchased the EG4 6000XP, 3 EG4 LL batteries and the 3 battery rack mount. I had professionally installed a Generic Manual Transfer Switch.
I have from my house main panel a 50 AMP breaker to supply power to the 6000XP. The load is installed in the Transfer Switch for it's gen input. The power to the transfer switch from the grid is connected to an second 50 AMP breaker in the main house panel.

All the cables from the panel to the 6000XP Are from a 50' string 8/4 SOOW pure copper UL-62 compliant cable. Black to L1 and Red to L2 Yes I have each leg grounded and natural on the 6000XP bus bars.

When I tested to see if everything is working, I killed the main 200 AMP main panel breaker. Lights out. Powered up the Batteries, and the 6000XP Turned on the Load that goes to the Transfer switch. All looked good.

When I hit the switch to cut over from grid setting to Gen on the transfer switch horrible noises house had an electrical fire smell. Needless to say I shut down the 6000XP as fast as I could. In my office where I have all my computer equipment a power strip was not fully melted but a melted hole on the bottom and very black.

What do we think? Bad Transfer Switch install, Defected Transfer switch, or defective 6000XP.

 

[AntronX]

We need pictures.

 

[Solar Guppy]

What about your neutral connection? I suspect you went open neutral when you engaged the transfer and things on 120V got imbalanced with no neutral

 

[LithiumSolar]

What do we think? Bad Transfer Switch install, Defected Transfer switch, or defective 6000XP.

I think you need to contact them and send it back for assessment rather than everyone speculating what could have happened without sufficient information. Please keep us updated.

 

[42OhmsPA]

We need pictures.

Lots of them, detailed and wide view.
Wiring diagrams would be great too.

Glad it wasn't worse.

 

[DougfromdaUP]

And a diagram.
The load is connected to the generator input??

 

[esands]

Pictures...

 

[AntronX]

Pictures...

of your inverter wiring

 

[esands]

And a diagram.
The load is connected to the generator input??

Load is connected to Load on the 6000XP and to the Generator input on the Transfer Switch.

 

[Solar Guppy]

Where are the neutral wires switched??

When you switch from grid to the inverter, you also have to switch from using the neutral from the grid transformer to a neutral from the inverter. Not doing this makes the neutral open circuit and then the 120V loads can imbalanced, for example you could have 180V and 60V instead of 120V/120V, all depends on the 120V loads.

 

[fatjay]

Also make sure the pictures weren't taken from a flip phone and have a resolution higher htan 180x240px.

 

[seneysolar]

I have each leg grounded and natural on the 6000XP bus bars.

Need this picture specifically.

Turned on the Load that goes to the Transfer switch.

Where is the transfer switch exactly?

Picture of inside the transfer switch?

It really sounds like the inverter OUTPUT was somehow connected to grid power.

 

[esands]

of your inverter wiring

Load connection goes to the inside of the Transfer Switch in the Gen Port. The Grid connection goes to my main home panel into a 50 amp breaker.
Black is installed as L1, Red as L2.

Looking at the picture of the Transfer switch, the top connections are from the Grid (Main panel 50 amp breaker) bottom is from the 6000XP Load.

 

[esands]

Need this picture specifically.

Where is the transfer switch exactly?

Picture of inside the transfer switch?

It really sounds like the inverter OUTPUT was somehow connected to grid power.

I don't see how that could have happened with the main house panel 200 amp breaker off. I know this to be true as all power to the house was off.

 

[agtcovert]

Snip. Need new eyes.

 

[Solar Guppy]

It really sounds like the inverter OUTPUT was somehow connected to grid power.

That wouldn't do anything to loads in the home, only a open neutral or 240V to a 120V could would cause what is in the images ( burnt up APC ups ).

 

[esands]

I have the electrician who installed the Transfer Switch coming tomorrow. I don't want to open up the Transfer switch before they return.

 

[esands]

Are you running only 120V out of this?

No setup for 240, I have a heat pump that I may need to turn on during a power outage. I asked they split the 120 loads evenly between L1 and L2.
I'm up in the Seattle are... Cold winters

 

[agtcovert]

Trying again, can you get a better picture of your load-grid connections? I can't tell from the angle, just want to make sure L1/L2 are correct and with the bends of the cable it's hard to see. Looking to verify that and your neutral connections.

Without opening the transfer switch (and I understand your reasoning), might be difficult for us to help further, until we see.

 

[sollap]

Please take a closeup picture of the Neutral bus bar in the 6000xp. I see you have your Neutral wire going to the first spot on the left after the mounting screw. That's usually where the internal 6000xp Neutral wire is connected.

 

[esands]

Also make sure the pictures weren't taken from a flip phone and have a resolution higher htan 180x240p

lol, the pics are from an iPhone 16 Pro... but sent in email so the resolution may be less 180x240.

 

[esands]

Please take a closeup picture of the Neutral bus bar in the 6000xp. I see you have your Neutral wire going to the first spot on the left after the mounting screw. That's usually where the internal 6000xp Neutral wire is connected.

 

[Supervstech]

The input and output of the 6000xp must not exceed 25A...

Likely nothing to do with the failure, but something to understand.

 

[sollap]

I don't see the 6000xp's internal Neutral wire connected to the Neutral bus bar. Take a closer look on the top side of that bar for a loose wire. It has a ferrule on the end.

 

[Supervstech]

lol, the pics are from an iPhone 16 Pro... but sent in email so the resolution may be less 180x240.

I find if i text the photos to myself, the resizing is more useful size.