EG4 3000 with EG4 Lifepower4 Battery Short [Resolved]

[carefulmistake]

Was hoping someone could help identify what I have wrong here. I'm attempting to turn the batteries on when connectted to the EG4 3kw inverter. Turn on process is:

1. Make sure solar array breaker is turned off
2. Turn on each battery wait 5 seconds then turn on the next
3. Turn on breaker from bus bar to inverter

Positive is to positive and negative is to negative on the bus bar to the inverter. The positive has the breaker inline before the inverter. I am able to run the inverter separate on just the solar panels but as soon as I flip the breaker on for the battery bank, the inverter fails to turn on and I get a warning on the batteries like it's a short circuit. I've gone through to make sure all connections are tight and made sure + on bus bar is to + on inverter.

One other thing to note is that I have the battery bank going to the line side of the breaker and inverter on the load side. Anyone able to point me in the right direction? Seems like this should be a simple task but I'm failing at it.

 

[shopman]

Did you pre-charge the inverter capacitors? Here's a video describing how to do it. Pre-charge instructions are at 2:49.

 

[carefulmistake]

I did go through that process and reset each battery before the initial connection. I actually had that video pulled up and walked step by step through it for the most part.

 

[shopman]

Well, if it was me, I'd disconnect the batteries from the inverter and see if the batteries will turn on. I'd also take out my multi meter and start tracing for the fault. Process of elimination. I didn't use the built-in charge resistor when I pre-charged my Growatt;I used an external resistor to perform that task.

 

[carefulmistake]

Thanks, I'll grab one and try to manually precharge to make sure that isn't it.

 

[Solar Guy Richard]

Try this start up order:
1: Make sure everything is in the off position.
2: Turn on the breaker between your bus bar and inverter.
3: Turn on all the batteries - should be no need to wait 5 seconds between each one.
4: Turn on inverter.

Please post results.

 

[carefulmistake]

Thank you @RichardfromEG4 that was my problem. Main breaker goes on first in the future.

 

[thanhrodke]

I know that my reply here is resurrecting a three month old thread, but I just wanted to add this for future readers.
I have six EG4 Lifepower 48V batteries connected to a pair of EG4 6000 inverters, and my inverters will not power up without using pretty much all of the batteries. This is if I am just rapidly moving between the breakers flipping them on.

If I introduce a few second delay to each successive turn on, I can get both inverters running with only 2-3 batteries. I have no idea how folks get these systems started if they only have one battery. Of course, that very issue has probably been discussed hundreds of posts here. I would guess that using a precharge process is the only way to start up a pair of big inverters with just 1-2 batteries.

In my case, I always using the breaker to power cycle the batteries, so the precharge circuit is firing in each battery upon startup. But a single battery does not run the precharge process long enough to get both inverters started. This is regardless of whether I have active solar input or not, and the display is running or not.

I hear the precharge circuit start in the first battery, then the second one starts a few seconds later, and it's a little louder with both precharge circuits going. Then a few seconds later the third, and maybe I'll even make it to the fourth battery while the precharge circuit clicking gets faster and faster, then just stops and goes silent. As soon as I hear the clicking stop, I know that both inverters have successfully been precharged and have powered up.

Please note that I have never used a precharge resistor to get my inverters running. Not saying that to discourage their use, only saying that I figured out the timing of the precharge circuits, and now simply power on the batteries with a few second delay between each breaker flip.

The only time that I have not had this issue was the very first time that I powered them up. I am not sure if they would behave differently if they had grid power, as they don't in my scenario.

TL;DR: Can't start up two EG4 6000 inverters with a single battery...have to use multiple and delay turning each one on by a few seconds.

(edit to fix a tpyo)