EG4 18Kpv strange occurrence

[Bananaman321]

Eg4 18kpv luxpower, 2 wall mount batts 280ahr+ 4 eg4 lifepower4 server rack batteries, 2solar arrays 6 panel series and 12 panel series fed into #2 and #3 inputs 370w panels
Running off grid for over a week no problem 4500w water heater, 4000w+ well pump, and 4ton ac intermittently as a load dump bringing in more than I need.
Firmware update 2 days ago
So I'm grid tied but have had main disconnect between feeder tap and inverter off because when I initially brought it online it was still using some grid pwr so I left it this way till I could figure out right settings for "self consumption mode" the manual kinda jumps around and some of the terms didn't make sense I even downloaded the Luxpower 12k hybrid manual to compare
So anyways today batteries over 76% 4k+ solar coming in I turned on the 4ton ac and it seemed to struggle starting also lights were all flickering and when air handler kicked in it mad an odd grouling sound and flickering worsened so I turned ac switch to off and back to cool this gave me 3 min to get downstairs to monitor inverter when compressor kicks in watching the interface "no faults or alarms recorded" could not see a change on display hred slight buzz as compressor attempts to start 0.5-1.5 seconds nostart it (unit has defrost board and sensitive to power fluctuations it is also like 18yrs old) so I proceeded outside for next attempt and almost instantly kicks out this time. So I turn on main disconnect to inverter and proceeded inside and restart inverter now while on grid bypass for (300sec. default) the ac starts right up and seamlessly transfers to inverted power after elapsed time and has been running ever since.
I will update with some screen shots of display settings and firmware I took after reset
They are on my phone that's why not in this post
This is all brand new equipment from Signature Solar if one of team members wants to login and check it out its online and I'm game for that

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Eg4 18kpv luxpower, 2 wall mount batts 280ahr+ 4 eg4 lifepower4 server rack batteries, 2solar arrays 6 panel series and 12 panel series fed into #2 and #3 inputs 370w panels
Running off grid for over a week no problem 4500w water heater, 4000w+ well pump, and 4ton ac intermittently as a load dump bringing in more than I need.
Firmware update 2 days ago
So I'm grid tied but have had main disconnect between feeder tap and inverter off because when I initially brought it online it was still using some grid pwr so I left it this way till I could figure out right settings for "self consumption mode" the manual kinda jumps around and some of the terms didn't make sense I even downloaded the Luxpower 12k hybrid manual to compare
So anyways today batteries over 76% 4k+ solar coming in I turned on the 4ton ac and it seemed to struggle starting also lights were all flickering and when air handler kicked in it mad an odd grouling sound and flickering worsened so I turned ac switch to off and back to cool this gave me 3 min to get downstairs to monitor inverter when compressor kicks in watching the interface "no faults or alarms recorded" could not see a change on display hred slight buzz as compressor attempts to start 0.5-1.5 seconds nostart it (unit has defrost board and sensitive to power fluctuations it is also like 18yrs old) so I proceeded outside for next attempt and almost instantly kicks out this time. So I turn on main disconnect to inverter and proceeded inside and restart inverter now while on grid bypass for (300sec. default) the ac starts right up and seamlessly transfers to inverted power after elapsed time and has been running ever since.
I will update with some screen shots of display settings and firmware I took after reset
They are on my phone that's why not in this post
This is all brand new equipment from Signature Solar if one of team members wants to login and check it out its online and I'm game for that View attachment 220489View attachment 220490View attachment 220494View attachment 220495View attachment 220496View attachment 220497View attachment 220498View attachment 220499View attachment 220500View attachment 220501

Can’t help you with the 18KPV settings but might want to consider a Microair soft starter to limit those LRA of your compressor.

You will need to select the size necessary for your unit.

EasyStart 368 6-ton Soft Start Motor Starter for 115 & 230V AC Motors

The EasyStart™ soft start motor starter supports 115 & 230V A/C motors & employs a 4-part start ramp sequence that offers the lowest possible start-up current.

www.microair.net

 

[Bananaman321]

Eg4 18kpv luxpower, 2 wall mount batts 280ahr+ 4 eg4 lifepower4 server rack batteries, 2solar arrays 6 panel series and 12 panel series fed into #2 and #3 inputs 370w panels
Running off grid for over a week no problem 4500w water heater, 4000w+ well pump, and 4ton ac intermittently as a load dump bringing in more than I need.
Firmware update 2 days ago
So I'm grid tied but have had main disconnect between feeder tap and inverter off because when I initially brought it online it was still using some grid pwr so I left it this way till I could figure out right settings for "self consumption mode" the manual kinda jumps around and some of the terms didn't make sense I even downloaded the Luxpower 12k hybrid manual to compare
So anyways today batteries over 76% 4k+ solar coming in I turned on the 4ton ac and it seemed to struggle starting also lights were all flickering and when air handler kicked in it mad an odd grouling sound and flickering worsened so I turned ac switch to off and back to cool this gave me 3 min to get downstairs to monitor inverter when compressor kicks in watching the interface "no faults or alarms recorded" could not see a change on display hred slight buzz as compressor attempts to start 0.5-1.5 seconds nostart it (unit has defrost board and sensitive to power fluctuations it is also like 18yrs old) so I proceeded outside for next attempt and almost instantly kicks out this time. So I turn on main disconnect to inverter and proceeded inside and restart inverter now while on grid bypass for (300sec. default) the ac starts right up and seamlessly transfers to inverted power after elapsed time and has been running ever since.
I will update with some screen shots of display settings and firmware I took after reset
They are on my phone that's why not in this post
This is all brand new equipment from Signature Solar if one of team members wants to login and check it out its online and I'm game for that View attachment 220489View attachment 220490View attachment 220494View attachment 220495View attachment 220496View attachment 220497View attachment 220498View attachment 220499View attachment 220500View attachment 220501

 

[chrisski]

n4ton ac intermittently as a load dump bringing in more than I need.

So anyways today batteries over 76% 4k+ solar coming in I turned on the 4ton ac and it seemed to struggle starting also lights were all flickering and when air handler kicked in it mad an odd grouling sound and flickering worsened so I turned ac switch to off and back to cool this gave me 3 min to get downstairs to monitor inverter when compressor kicks in watching the interface "no faults or alarms recorded" could not see a change on display hred slight buzz as compressor attempts to start 0.5-1.5 seconds nostart it (unit has defrost board and sensitive to power fluctuations it is also like 18yrs old) so I proceeded outside for next attempt and almost instantly kicks out this time.

A 4 ton normal AC can spike up to 105 amps. For me, this is 24 KW of surge and seems to last a second or two. Do you have a hard start or soft start attached? A soft start would be ideal.

Often, they have hard starts attached to it, so I don't know if this adds to it or subtracts from the startign load, but it dumps enough amps at it to get the motor going.

A Soft Start is better for these solar inverters and can start it slower and not need 105 amps to start it. I have an Outback inverter and when a soft start was added to another person's Outback this light flickering went away. My lights flicker and I've stopped running the 4 ton AC off the battery, but will after I get a soft start installed.

 

[Bananaman321]

I just shut down and restarted ac no problem
As this has been the case every other time I've tried to start it

 

[Bananaman321]

A 4 ton normal AC can spike up to 105 amps. For me, this is 24 KW of surge and seems to last a second or two. Do you have a hard start or soft start attached? A soft start would be ideal.

Often, they have hard starts attached to it, so I don't know if this adds to it or subtracts from the startign load, but it dumps enough amps at it to get the motor going.

A Soft Start is better for these solar inverters and can start it slower and not need 105 amps to start it. I have an Outback inverter and when a soft start was added to another person's Outback this light flickering went away. My lights flicker and I've stopped running the 4 ton AC off the battery, but will after I get a soft start installed.

This ac unit has also started with other loads like water heater and other appliances going at the same time without a problem this is a one time occurrence

 

[Bananaman321]

This may have to do with the firmware update I don't believe I've run the AC since I installed it

 

[Bananaman321]

All seems fine now I'll update if it happens again still open to having EG4 tech check it out if they like

 

[Bananaman321]

Other than this I love the unit it runs while my loads just as it should
Air compressors water heater welders well pump you name it

Amazing machine

 

[Bananaman321]

I do recall a couple other odd power fluctuations since update
Maybe the restart did something

 

[Bananaman321]

The 18kpv has it's work cut out for it

 

[Nobodybusiness]

Other than this I love the unit it runs while my loads just as it should
Air compressors water heater welders well pump you name it

Amazing machineView attachment 220503View attachment 220504View attachment 220506View attachment 220505View attachment 220507View attachment 220511

What’s the 4 ganged breaker with the interlock for?
Never seen one of those before..

 

[Bananaman321]

That's called a redneck transfer switch

 

[Bananaman321]

That's how my brain perceived the feeder tap with whole house back

 

[Bananaman321]

As we've all seen on this forum there are many different ways to get to the same outcome
And that's why we are here to learn
I know I've learned a ton since in the short time I've been a member
And probably forgotten twice as much

I'm not as smart as I seem nor as dumb as I look proceed with caution

 

[ricardocello]

That's called a redneck transfer switch

Hey, that may be acceptable for code purposes. As long as both circuits are mechanically interlocked, that should be sufficient.

 

[Bananaman321]

I've never been a part of any of these forum types things before so beer with me while I catch up a try to figure out some of this technical crap.

 

[ricardocello]

Can’t help you with the 18KPV settings but might want to consider a Microair soft starter to limit those LRA of your compressor.

I concur.
I've got two 3-ton HVACs with the EasyStart 368, and the inverters don't even break a sweat.
A 4-ton unit will have super high LRA current, the abuse on the inverters every time it starts up should be avoided.
It's also not great for the compressor if it stalls due to brownout.

 

[Quattrohead]

You are asking an awful lot of that inverter without a soft start. However what version of firmware did you go from and to?

 

[Bananaman321]

I concur.
I've got two 3-ton HVACs with the EasyStart 368, and the inverters don't even break a sweat.
A 4-ton unit will have super high LRA current, the abuse on the inverters every time it starts up should be avoided.

I'm pretty sure my problem is not with the load but the firmware update I just installed
I've tested this unit with other equipment running without any problems

 

[Bananaman321]

I'm pretty sure my problem is not with the load but the firmware update I just installed
I've tested this unit with other equipment running without any problems

Also I heard there was supposed to be 2 firmer updates at a time there only seemed to be one I didn't know if I should reinatate it or not

 

[Bananaman321]

You are asking an awful lot of that inverter without a soft start. However what version of firmware did you go from and to?

I don't know I was just following the instructions of one of the signature solar staff members posted
Via the app

 

[Nobodybusiness]

I'm pretty sure my problem is not with the load but the firmware update I just installed
I've tested this unit with other equipment running without any problems

It very well could be but what’s the harm in limiting the surge current?

$400 is pretty cheap insurance.

 

[Bananaman321]

It very well could be but what’s the harm in limiting the surge current?

$400 is pretty cheap insurance.

I don't have to run this unit and it is soon to be replaced I have other means of climate control

Plus I don't see how throwing soft starts at large inductive loads is a reasonable solution to what seems to me to be a software issue

I have had no fluctuations with any other large inductive loads since restart

Maybe that's all I needed was a restart

Normally AC does not struggle at all even with other loads just like the grid

 

[EG4_Jarrett]

@Bananaman321 Good evening! I have some firmware that I can put on your inverter if you'd like. I think this should solve the issue. Let me know if you have a time that works for you and we can get you back up and running.