Brand new EG4 6000XP threw #26 error code and then blew up

[Roedel]

My new EG 4000 was running happily for a couple of weeks until this night the battery ran low and the inverter switched off power supply and threw a 26 Error code on the front panel.
Checked the manual, it stated code number 26 to be a "internal fault" and to restart the inverter.
So i turned the inverter off and as soon as i turned the battery main fuse back on, with no solar input or juice from the grid, i was greeted by a loud bang with smoke and sparks coming out of the unit. Save to say, that's it, shes dead.

Now comes the moment of truth, the part to see how https://solarguyspro.com/ and EG4 handle warranty issues.
I'll keep my progress of that posted in here.
@EG4_Jared @SolarGuys , any input ?

 

[solaruser120]

Ouch, I hope that wasn't the capacitors exploding due to the in-rush current... (I never personally seen that happen)

 

[Adam De Lay]

My new EG 4000 was running happily for a couple of weeks until this night the battery ran low and the inverter switched off power supply and threw a 26 Error code on the front panel.
Checked the manual, it stated code number 26 to be a "internal fault" and to restart the inverter.
So i turned the inverter off and as soon as i turned the battery main fuse back on, with no solar input or juice from the grid, i was greeted by a loud bang with smoke and sparks coming out of the unit. Save to say, that's it, shes dead.

Now comes the moment of truth, the part to see how https://solarguyspro.com/ and EG4 handle warranty issues.
I'll keep my progress of that posted in here.
@EG4_Jared @SolarGuys , any input ?

Was it E026 or W026?
E026 is internal fault, W026 is Battery Voltage low.

It does sound like some capacitors possibly blew due to the inrush current when the battery was turned on. Did you happen to pre-charge the capacitors in the inverter before throwing the switch on the batteries?

 

[Roedel]

it only showed code "26" on the front panel, to this day i dont know if that should be taken as W026 or E026. Pre-charge the capacitors? Can you point to the page describing that process in the EG4 manual?

 

[solaruser120]

This is from the 6000xp manual V1.3 (you might have a different version that may or may not have this section)

 

[Roedel]

Yes, thats the normal startup procedure i followed. Everything off, then turning battery on first. How does that pre-charge capacitors?

 

[solaruser120]

Depends on the battery, but the EG4 LiFePOWER4 batteries have this feature:

 

[Roedel]

Like many other battery banks mine do not have pre-charge resistors, nor is it required to do this by the inverters specs. Anyway i have stopped and started this inverter many times before, nothing ever happened.

 

[solaruser120]

The resistor might not have anything to do with the issue -- it was just a guess (I don't own a 6000XP, just an 18kPV and a Sol-Ark 12k). I'd be interested in hearing from EG4 and see what they think.

I hope you get your inverter back up and running.

 

[Adam De Lay]

it only showed code "26" on the front panel, to this day i dont know if that should be taken as W026 or E026. Pre-charge the capacitors? Can you point to the page describing that process in the EG4 manual?

Unfortunately I don't believe it's included in the manual.

 

[solaruser120]

Unfortunately I don't believe it's included in the manual.

Is the difference a frown face vs. a neutral face? (might depend on the LCD firmware version??, might be a version that just has the number?)

 

[Adam De Lay]

Is the difference a frown face vs. a neutral face? (might depend on the LCD firmware version??, might be a version that just has the number?)

View attachment 220222View attachment 220223

It very well could be. Would be helpful if it matched up.

Did you have the EG4 Monitoring App configured on your 6000xp? If so, in the app you might see something under the Event page. On the EG4 Monitoring website, under Data -> Event History would show the event logs with the proper "W" or "E" code.

 

[Roedel]

yes, correct, online log brought clarity, w026 battery voltage low a 6:33am. The detailed log shows that the inverter started to charge the battery at about 7am. It went from 0% charge to 6% until about 9am when i stepped in and rebooted the unit thinking its the 029 internal fault. I checked the App shortly before turning the inverter off, there was no current flowing into the battery at that moment, also the fans were not on.

 

[Roedel]

Is the difference a frown face vs. a neutral face? (might depend on the LCD firmware version??, might be a version that just has the number?)

View attachment 220222View attachment 220223

That does not describe what table should be applied, 14.1 table is labeled Error/Warning codes, the codes start with an "E" . Why wouldn't they use a "F" and call it "Fault table" instead, to be consistent with the page you quoted and the "W"used for warning codes in table 14.2?
This manual is piss poor, i have wasted a huge portion of my time translating tons of misleading definitions in there.
In any case, a normal reboot should not blow up the inverter.

 

[saggys]

If a precharge resistor is required why doesn't the manufacturer provide a circuit for that? This should not be the end user responsibility.

 

[EG4_Jared]

My new EG 4000 was running happily for a couple of weeks until this night the battery ran low and the inverter switched off power supply and threw a 26 Error code on the front panel.
Checked the manual, it stated code number 26 to be a "internal fault" and to restart the inverter.
So i turned the inverter off and as soon as i turned the battery main fuse back on, with no solar input or juice from the grid, i was greeted by a loud bang with smoke and sparks coming out of the unit. Save to say, that's it, shes dead.

Now comes the moment of truth, the part to see how https://solarguyspro.com/ and EG4 handle warranty issues.
I'll keep my progress of that posted in here.
@EG4_Jared @SolarGuys , any input ?

Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that happened! Has the RMA process been started for this inverter? Also, if you could post a few pictures of how the system is connected, I can look into this.

 

[Roedel]

I am a automotive master technician working on Tesla vehicles, i guarantee you the unit is connected correctly, there is nothing to see in a picture with 7 connected wires.
I am waiting for official response from Eg4, solarguyspro.com opened a quality ticket with them.
Lets see how long that takes.

@EG4_Jared where could one buy spare parts for these units? I found no source online.

 

[EG4_Jared]

Unfortunately, we do not offer spare parts at this time, and I would recommend going through the warranty process with SolarGuysPro. However, if you could DM the parts you need, I can see what I can do.

 

[Roedel]

SolarGuysPro contacted EG4, i have still no News. Nobody even asked for the serial Number of the Inverter to look into its Data Log.

Not sure if EG4 products should be marketed as "Off Grid". If i was really of grid right now i would have a real problem with that lack of customer support and spare part availability.

Judging the sound and smell the unit produced when failing I am pretty sure one or several MOSFET blew up, common parts to fail on inverters, not having spares available in the US is a huge red flag for anyone considering these units.

 

[EG4_Jared]

Could you DM your order number and serial number? I will look into this for you.

 

[Roedel]

Just sent DM to you. Thanks for the support!

 

[Roedel]

Just a quick update , my system is down for over a week now.
I still have no official response from EG4.
@SolarGuys started a a quality claim at their end but do not keep me informed, i sent several emails to get a status with no response, called in yesterday a guy named Adam promised to escalate the case, but i have not heart back from him.
@EG4_Jared was so kind to support as well, he started a process on his end, but also that lead to no path forward so far.

This is a high ticket item, there seems to be no proper system in place to Service customers in the US, needless to say i am disappointed.

 

[saggys]

Just a quick update , my system is down for over a week now.
I still have no official response from EG4.
@SolarGuys started a a quality claim at their end but do not keep me informed, i sent several emails to get a status with no response, called in yesterday a guy named Adam promised to escalate the case, but i have not heart back from him.
@EG4_Jared was so kind to support as well, he started a process on his end, but also that lead to no path forward so far.

This is a high ticket item, there seems to be no proper system in place to Service customers in the US, needless to say i am disappointed.

That is enough to give me second thoughts on purchasing this product.
It seems you either buy multiples of cheap units or tier 1 gear?

 

[Roedel]

@saggys i had plenty of second thoughts rolling the dice on a chinese inverter, especially after watching this video:

I still went for the EG4 thinking that the lack of a transformer and reliance on sensitive MOSFET transistors is neglect-able due to the low cost and (so i assumed) readily available spare parts. Boy was i wrong, i deeply regret not looking into spare parts any deeper, there is NOTHING available no part diagrams no part sources, neither at EG4's website or at Luxpowers website.
In other words, if your unit goes down for a little piece of circuit board you are screwed!! @EG4_Jared or @Luxpower_Gilbert feel free to comment on this.

I would be willing to swap out the circuit board myself, but sure enough the section of the inverter containing the board is sealed so i cannot even take a peak into it. Anyway, i have heard and smelled MOSFET's blowing before, i am pretty sure the circuit board is toast.
I'd love to see if EG4/Luxpower at least build a separate MOSFET board that can be easily exchanged, like it is the case for most halfway decent high frequency inverters.

And yes, NEVER EVER rely on only one of those units for a true off grid solution, you WILL regret it if you are running a fridge of it and have no generator.

The fact that Youtubers like @Will Prowse never mention the lack of the transformer and spare parts in their over-hyped content promoting EG4 speaks for itself, either they have no clue what they are talking about or they are really just out there to gather $$$$$$.
Will Prowse is the reason i got interested in EG4, i truly trusted in his opinion even though i noticed inconsistencies in his content before. Usually i don't trust people wearing safety gear while using just a screwdriver, i should have listened to my instincts.

 

[saggys]

I had this AIO on my radar because of its built in OCP devices, especially at this price point. It would be nice if they all were made this way.
If not, at least have the option for a breaker box made for the AIO.
Good luck on your unfortunate situation, I hope it ends well.