Hello all.
I did my best to search the forum on this topic but couldn’t find quite what I’m experiencing.
I have a Magnum inverter/charger (MS4448), Outback Flexmax 80 charger controllers (x2) and Simpliphi Phi 3.8 batteries (x3), and 8kw of panels (24 panels total).
The system is basically new, installed last summer on our new house and studio, it’s been running since then but we’re not in the buildings yet so it hasn’t really been in use other than occasional lighting and power tools. I didn’t design or install it; I’ve been learning the system since.
Originally the system only had 2 batteries, while going through various setups and issues I was having I came to realize there should be 3 batteries minimally (according to Simpliphi’s manuals), so I recently added the 3rd battery. One of the issues with 2 batteries was in the inverter‘s programming the minimum AHs you can set is 200AH, these are 75AH batteries; now I have 225AH, but in the programming it’s only adjustable by 10s, so I’ve set it at 220AH, not sure how this might be effecting things.
I went through the steps to properly add the new battery, got it up and running, reprogrammed the controllers and inverter, had no SOC showing on the remote (just ‘Think’n’), which I experienced before when something happened and the system died one night. The solution then was to charge with the generator until it registered a SOC. As I understand it it won’t register a SOC until it’s 100% charged, so that makes sense. I did have to run the generator for about 30 minutes after the batteries were effectively charged until it registered a SOC.
Here’s where I’m sort of running into problems; on a daily basis the SOC will get to 94% and the controllers will say ‘charged’. Often one controller will say ‘charged’ and the other will still be in some stage of charging, and they will change throughout the day, and I’ve seen the SOC creep up to as high as 98%, but typically not that high. Sometimes they both say ‘charged’, sometimes they will both start charging again. It’s possible some of this is influenced by the weather and they’re restarting due to varying light condition (it’s been overcast a lot), I’m not sure.
I realize the SOC isn’t the most accurate gauge, but prior to adding the 3rd battery it would register 100% regularly.
Does it sound like something is wrong? I was wondering if I need to somehow fully reset the inverter? I did a soft and hard reset while adding the new battery, but that didn’t seem to reset the programming or stats saved in the inverter; I didn’t set set via the remote.
All settings in the inverter and the controllers are set at whatever the manuals said they should be (basically whatever the Simpliphi manuals state), I haven’t tried adjusting any of those settings.
It would be nice to have an accurate SOC. Any advice?
Sorry for the long post… thanks for reading.
I did my best to search the forum on this topic but couldn’t find quite what I’m experiencing.
I have a Magnum inverter/charger (MS4448), Outback Flexmax 80 charger controllers (x2) and Simpliphi Phi 3.8 batteries (x3), and 8kw of panels (24 panels total).
The system is basically new, installed last summer on our new house and studio, it’s been running since then but we’re not in the buildings yet so it hasn’t really been in use other than occasional lighting and power tools. I didn’t design or install it; I’ve been learning the system since.
Originally the system only had 2 batteries, while going through various setups and issues I was having I came to realize there should be 3 batteries minimally (according to Simpliphi’s manuals), so I recently added the 3rd battery. One of the issues with 2 batteries was in the inverter‘s programming the minimum AHs you can set is 200AH, these are 75AH batteries; now I have 225AH, but in the programming it’s only adjustable by 10s, so I’ve set it at 220AH, not sure how this might be effecting things.
I went through the steps to properly add the new battery, got it up and running, reprogrammed the controllers and inverter, had no SOC showing on the remote (just ‘Think’n’), which I experienced before when something happened and the system died one night. The solution then was to charge with the generator until it registered a SOC. As I understand it it won’t register a SOC until it’s 100% charged, so that makes sense. I did have to run the generator for about 30 minutes after the batteries were effectively charged until it registered a SOC.
Here’s where I’m sort of running into problems; on a daily basis the SOC will get to 94% and the controllers will say ‘charged’. Often one controller will say ‘charged’ and the other will still be in some stage of charging, and they will change throughout the day, and I’ve seen the SOC creep up to as high as 98%, but typically not that high. Sometimes they both say ‘charged’, sometimes they will both start charging again. It’s possible some of this is influenced by the weather and they’re restarting due to varying light condition (it’s been overcast a lot), I’m not sure.
I realize the SOC isn’t the most accurate gauge, but prior to adding the 3rd battery it would register 100% regularly.
Does it sound like something is wrong? I was wondering if I need to somehow fully reset the inverter? I did a soft and hard reset while adding the new battery, but that didn’t seem to reset the programming or stats saved in the inverter; I didn’t set set via the remote.
All settings in the inverter and the controllers are set at whatever the manuals said they should be (basically whatever the Simpliphi manuals state), I haven’t tried adjusting any of those settings.
It would be nice to have an accurate SOC. Any advice?
Sorry for the long post… thanks for reading.