EG4 6000ex 120/240 48V warning

[Kaiser57]

Good day folks! Newbie here, 1st decent sized system for me. Just installed my EG4 6000ex 120/240 inverter with 3 EG4 48V LiFePo batteries in a server rack. I have it connected to my main panel which is grounded to an 8' long ½" copper pipe driven over 7' into the ground. The main panel has zero loads on it except for a single dewalt 20V battery charger as my test that it's all working. I have full 120/240 in my panel.

Every time I fire up the inverter within a few minutes the red LED on bottom right of LCD screen starts flashing and it beeps once a second and will not stop. It appears to be going into warning mode but no warning codes pop up or anything else. It does this with or without the panel connected.

There is no PV panels connected yet and only a honda inverter generator used to charge batteries as this is totally off grid, panels will be setup and connected once winters done. No steady AC or PV input at all. It seems no matter what I do or try the warning always comes on and it keeps producing AC power for 7 minutes or so even in warning mode and then the inverter eventually stops producing AC current.

Everything is hooked up properly, no wires crossed etc...even with everything totally disconnected(meaning all wiring physically disconnected) except for my batteries hooked up it still goes into warning mode with no codes. All battery communication dial switches are set the same, 1 is on 2, 3 and 4 off. I've read the manual numerous times thinking perhaps the battery server rack needs to be grounded but can't find anything stating that nor does it seem that the inverter itself can be grounded until its connected to the main grounded panel. All wiring installed was done with the wiring sized and supplied by Signature solar.

I'm well versed in regular residential wiring but can not for the life of me figure out what the problem is here. Anyone able to show what I'm doing wrong or missing lol? Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[mountkay]

except for my batteries hooked up

Do you have the communication cable set up to the batteries?
What are you using for setting 14? EG4 or USE? If it’s a communication error, setting it to USE might help. But I’m not sure why that would cause the inverter to stop producing AC.

All battery communication dial switches are set the same, 1 is on 2, 3 and 4 off

Are you talking about the Dip Switches on the batteries? If so, they should have different combinations of the switches and should not be the same. This is so the batteries can be differentiated with different addresses.

Do you have the LiFePower4 batteries or the LL batteries? The dip switch combinations may be different depending on which you have.

Here is a photo from the LiFePOWER4 battery manual describing how to set the dip switches.


Here’s a link to the manual.

https://signaturesolar.com/content/documents/EG4/EG4-Lifepower4%2048V-24V%20Manual-2.3.1.pdf

I've read the manual numerous times thinking perhaps the battery server rack needs to be grounded but can't find anything stating that

I don’t think I ever saw this in a manual, but the solar installer that helped me with my setup said I needed it to pass code. I attached a grounding bar to the rack and ran bare copper to my main panel. Not sure how hard the electrical inspector looked at it, but he didn’t say anything.

I’m not sure this would have anything to do with fixing your issue though.

 

[dcg9381]

Good day folks! Newbie here, 1st decent sized system for me. Just installed my EG4 6000ex 120/240 inverter with 3 EG4 48V LiFePo batteries in a server rack. I have it connected to my main panel which is grounded to an 8' long ½" copper pipe driven over 7' into the ground. The main panel has zero loads on it except for a single dewalt 20V battery charger as my test that it's all working. I have full 120/240 in my panel.

Every time I fire up the inverter within a few minutes the red LED on bottom right of LCD screen starts flashing and it beeps once a second and will not stop. It appears to be going into warning mode but no warning codes pop up or anything else. It does this with or without the panel connected.

I think you need to post a photo of your physical connections as well as provide the configuration options.
As I understand it, the batteries set per the manual are for when you set the inverter to communicate with the batteries of that type. I've seen it suggested that you start with "use" mode initially and treat the battery bank like a dumb bank.

 

[Kaiser57]

Do you have the communication cable set up to the batteries?
What are you using for setting 14? EG4 or USE? If it’s a communication error, setting it to USE might help. But I’m not sure why that would cause the inverter to stop producing AC.


Are you talking about the Dip Switches on the batteries? If so, they should have different combinations of the switches and should not be the same. This is so the batteries can be differentiated with different addresses.

Do you have the LiFePower4 batteries or the LL batteries? The dip switch combinations may be different depending on which you have.

Here is a photo from the LiFePOWER4 battery manual describing how to set the dip switches.
View attachment 137297

Here’s a link to the manual.

https://signaturesolar.com/content/documents/EG4/EG4-Lifepower4%2048V-24V%20Manual-2.3.1.pdf

I don’t think I ever saw this in a manual, but the solar installer that helped me with my setup said I needed it to pass code. I attached a grounding bar to the rack and ran bare copper to my main panel. Not sure how hard the electrical inspector looked at it, but he didn’t say anything.

I’m not sure this would have anything to do with fixing your issue though.

Yes I have comms cable setup and yes setting 14 is set to EG4(user). Did not know though that each battery needed a different setting! I will definitely try that!!!

 

[Kaiser57]

Yes I have comms cable setup and yes setting 14 is set to EG4(user). Did not know though that each battery needed a different setting! I will definitely try that!!!

Just tried changing the battery communication settings and made no difference, still goes into warning mode in a cpl minutes

 

[mountkay]

Just tried changing the battery communication settings and made no difference, still goes into warning mode in a cpl minutes

Try it in USE mode

setting 14 is set to EG4(user)

EG4 mode is different than USE mode

Also, try leaving the communication cable between the inverter and batteries unplugged while in USE mode

 

[dcg9381]

Yes I have comms cable setup and yes setting 14 is set to EG4(user). Did not know though that each battery needed a different setting! I will definitely try that!!!

I believe the first battery needs a specific setting (reserved for master communications) and subsequent batteries need sequential numbering (or just different settings). Batteries need power down / power up after changing DIP.

 

[Kaiser57]

I think you need to post a photo of your physical connections as well as provide the configuration options.
As I understand it, the batteries set per the manual are for when you set the inverter to communicate with the batteries of that type. I've seen it suggested that you start with "use" mode initially and treat the battery bank like a dumb bank.

Everything you see is purely temporary trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong. I have one 14/3 wire as my temporary connection from inverter to the panel for test purposes which you can see is disconnected from inverter. The other thick white wire from panel is my 6ga ground wire connected to copper pipe ground.

 

[Kaiser57]

I believe the first battery needs a specific setting (reserved for master communications) and subsequent batteries need sequential numbering (or just different settings). Batteries need power down / power up after changing DIP.

I have them set as 1, 2 and 3. Where do I find what specific setting I need for battery 1? I didn't get any documentation for anything like that unfortunately.

 

[dcg9381]

I have them set as 1, 2 and 3. Where do I find what specific setting I need for battery 1? I didn't get any documentation for anything like that unfortunately.

It's in the manual above, section below.



It should be noted that putting EG-4LL V2 (I dunno about older ones) - BMS will not function. It's a reserve setting used for setting the master battery for communicating with the inverter.

 

[Kaiser57]

Try it in USE mode



EG4 mode is different than USE mode

Also, try leaving the communication cable between the inverter and batteries unplugged while in USE mode

Just tried it in USE mode with comms cable NOT connected and it's working fine producing full 240V non stop. Meaning it's a battery comms setting perhaps?

Try it in USE mode



EG4 mode is different than USE mode

Also, try leaving the communication cable between the inverter and batteries unplugged while in USE mode

Do you have the communication cable set up to the batteries?
What are you using for setting 14? EG4 or USE? If it’s a communication error, setting it to USE might help. But I’m not sure why that would cause the inverter to stop producing AC.


Are you talking about the Dip Switches on the batteries? If so, they should have different combinations of the switches and should not be the same. This is so the batteries can be differentiated with different addresses.

Do you have the LiFePower4 batteries or the LL batteries? The dip switch combinations may be different depending on which you have.

Here is a photo from the LiFePOWER4 battery manual describing how to set the dip switches.
View attachment 137297

Here’s a link to the manual.

https://signaturesolar.com/content/documents/EG4/EG4-Lifepower4%2048V-24V%20Manual-2.3.1.pdf

I don’t think I ever saw this in a manual, but the solar installer that helped me with my setup said I needed it to pass code. I attached a grounding bar to the rack and ran bare copper to my main panel. Not sure how hard the electrical inspector looked at it, but he didn’t say anything.

I’m not sure this would have anything to do with fixing your issue though.

Thank you kindly for the battery manual! I will read it in depth tonight. It appears it may be a comms setting perhaps

 

[mountkay]

I believe the first battery needs a specific setting (reserved for master communications) and subsequent batteries need sequential numbering (or just different settings). Batteries need power down / power up after changing DIP.

Yes this is correct.



The master battery that communicates with the inverter should be set as in this screenshot. Set to 0000 as per the photo I posted earlier in the thread and the above photo. Also, this mentions, as @dcg9381 said, Power Cycle the batteries so the BMS will recognize the new dipswitch address.

I have them set as 1, 2 and 3. Where do I find what specific setting I need for battery 1? I didn't get any documentation for anything like that unfortunately.

The screenshot above is from the manual for your inverter.

Here is a link for it:

https://signaturesolar.com/content/documents/EG4/6000ex/EG4%206000EX-48%20Version%201.0.1-08-29-2022.pdf

Here are a couple videos from Signature Solar that show how to do this whole process:

 

[mountkay]

I originally only looked at the manual for my inverter and had the master battery at 0000 and the rest of the batteries at the same dip switch address. I would get errors from time to time, but worse of all, it was limiting the charging of my 4x LiFePOWER4 batteries to only 20amps.

I switched to USE settings and have had them on until right now. Going over this again made me want to try it myself. I just switched back over to EG4. It appears to have worked as charge amperage is set to 100amps. (For each inverter, I’m running 2x 6500 for split phase). I’m curious if this will limit to 100amp total or 100amp from each inverter. (100amp per inverter is how the setting would function if both were set to USE, but I wonder if it changed now that everything is communicating).

Also, my bulk voltage and float voltage have changed. I had it set to what the manual for LiFePOWER4 recommends. Bulk - 56.2v. Float - 54v. Now that I’m in EG4 mode, both bulk and float are at 58.0v. I’m curious as to whether it will stay like this or only do it for a few charge cycles.

 

[dcg9381]

I'm curious about the dual charge also... Dunno if that's per inverter or total. Seems important due to wire gauge limits perhaps.
I read that setting them to EG4 the bulk and float go way up, but suddenly change when the battery gets near that voltage. <don't have the reference handy>

 

[mountkay]

I read that setting them to EG4 the bulk and float go way up, but suddenly change when the battery gets near that voltage. <don't have the reference handy>

I have seen people speculate about this as well.

But there’s this from SS:
“The LP4 batteries go up to 58V to reach 100%. They are different cells and BMS than the LL. I will follow up with the EG4 guys to see why we have a discrepancy in the manual.”

EG4 USE vs BMS Communication Settings

I have been testing the limits of my off grid solar system and have a question for the community/Signature solar on battery communication and charge settings. A LITTLE BACKGROUND (not necessary reading): My system consists of two EG4 inverters (6500ex-48) and two banks of EG4 Lifepower4 48V...

diysolarforum.com

But also this:
“56.2V is what you need for 100% on all EG4 48V batteries.

If you get up to 58.4V consistently you will likely run into some issues over time.”

EG4-6500EX Multiple Problems Unable to reach Signature Solar for Support for over 6 weeks

Charge for lifepo4 is usually 58.4V to 100%.

diysolarforum.com

Post about 58v is more recent.

 

[SunFarmer]

Note: you need to power cycle the batteries after changing the the BMS address (dip switch) for the new address to take affect.

 

[mountkay]

I read that setting them to EG4 the bulk and float go way up, but suddenly change when the battery gets near that voltage. <don't have the reference handy>

So today I found this to be somewhat true. I know people have talked about it, but what I saw was that the highest voltage it actually got was 55.6v. Could have gone higher when I wasn’t looking. Settings for bulk and float stayed at 58.0v. What happened was the max amperage dropped from 100a to 10a on both inverters. My inverter communicating w the batteries had its charge light at solid green, indicating full battery. I flipped on a heavy load instantly but it stayed so solid green for a while. The other inverter was still flashing as if it was charging (although it was also set to 10a). Even with the heavy load it seemed to stay at 10a till around 53v when it switched back to 100a (on each inverter).

EDIT: just watched this happen again. Highest I saw was batteries at 55.3v. Watched it switch over from 100a to 10a. Green Charge light did not go solid this time indicating battery was full. Turned on a heavy load. Batteries still limited at 10a. Once I saw the batteries hit 53.0v the inverters changed back to 100a.


(maybe a better way EG4 could do this is to change the Bulk and Float instead of Amps. After turning on the heavy load, the 10a is not enough to keep the batteries at 54v. One inverter could have been using solar to keep batteries at 54v as it had enough to run the load. 2nd inverter did not have enough solar so it was drawing down the battery).