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H6 inverter went bang and the smoke came out!

AlanN

New Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2020
Messages
8
Any experts with the Delta H6 on here?
The inverters are orphans so no factory/dealer support, the guy I bought the inverters from is great and will give me another one but I would like to figure out what killed this one before I hook up another.
The inverter has been working well for a couple of months.
Hooked up to just ten 315 watt panels.
It is raining today so no significant output from the panels.
The inverter was showing a fault light , the display said inverter fault, at this point the inverter showed the panels connected was happy with the grid and the reconnect timer was counting down.
After the timer finished the inverter did not reconnect with the grid.
At this point I cleared the arc fault . When the inverter tried to start up it went bang, not a big boom, more like a. 22 pistol shot.
So... If anyone has any wisdom to share I would appreciate it.
I tried to attach pictures of where the smoke came out, I hope it works.
 

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Any experts with the Delta H6 on here?
The inverters are orphans so no factory/dealer support, the guy I bought the inverters from is great and will give me another one but I would like to figure out what killed this one before I hook up another.
The inverter has been working well for a couple of months.
Hooked up to just ten 315 watt panels.
It is raining today so no significant output from the panels.
The inverter was showing a fault light , the display said inverter fault, at this point the inverter showed the panels connected was happy with the grid and the reconnect timer was counting down.
After the timer finished the inverter did not reconnect with the grid.
At this point I cleared the arc fault . When the inverter tried to start up it went bang, not a big boom, more like a. 22 pistol shot.
So... If anyone has any wisdom to share I would appreciate it.
I tried to attach pictures of where the smoke came out, I hope it works.
Wait...
Inverter hooked to JUST PV?
No battery?
What panels?
What specs? How were they wired?
 
Any experts with the Delta H6 on here?
The inverters are orphans so no factory/dealer support, the guy I bought the inverters from is great and will give me another one but I would like to figure out what killed this one before I hook up another.
The inverter has been working well for a couple of months.
Hooked up to just ten 315 watt panels.
It is raining today so no significant output from the panels.
The inverter was showing a fault light , the display said inverter fault, at this point the inverter showed the panels connected was happy with the grid and the reconnect timer was counting down.
After the timer finished the inverter did not reconnect with the grid.
At this point I cleared the arc fault . When the inverter tried to start up it went bang, not a big boom, more like a. 22 pistol shot.
So... If anyone has any wisdom to share I would appreciate it.
I tried to attach pictures of where the smoke came out, I hope it works.
I have similar setup and I came home to fault codes and I haven't been able to clear the codes. Grid under voltage/System fault in inverter/PV over voltage. I only have 15 panels to one array. I disconnect 3 of them today. It's reading 400v of pv roughly. But what I found odd is it reads a voltage for string 2 which I dont have a string 2 hooked up. I only have 1 string. And also the line one for the grid reads 260v but I tested line 1 and 2 and they are both roughly 120. I'm pretty sure its fried I haven't took the cover off it yet but I think it seem crispy not sure though.
 
Can we get some more information?
Is it hooked up to any batteries, and what's the wiring?
 
I have the delta H6 inverter connected to 2 strings with 21 Canadian 250w panels (5.25kw) which I bought used for $50 each. I installed them about 7 months ago. It is grid-tied and no batteries. It has been working wonderfully until a few days ago. It went pop (as reported by my son) and quit and popped the 40a 220v back fed breaker. It smoked for a day or so before I realized it quit. You can see the fried components in the pictures. The 2 strings are still putting out 290v and 390v each. I understand it is not supported anymore: no warranty. Is it repairable? I am guessing that for $559, I just buy another. I also have another system on the same AC circuit behind the 40A breaker rated at 3Kw (Sunny Boy SMA). It it still working fine. Naturally I don't want to keep buying inverters. Do you think the 2 systems could have interacted to cause this? Any suggestions for preventing this? Or was this a fluke? IMG_20210515_170953230.jpgIMG_20210515_171025702.jpg
 
I have the delta H6 inverter connected to 2 strings with 21 Canadian 250w panels (5.25kw) which I bought used for $50 each. I installed them about 7 months ago. It is grid-tied and no batteries. It has been working wonderfully until a few days ago. It went pop (as reported by my son) and quit and popped the 40a 220v back fed breaker. It smoked for a day or so before I realized it quit. You can see the fried components in the pictures. The 2 strings are still putting out 290v and 390v each. I understand it is not supported anymore: no warranty. Is it repairable? I am guessing that for $559, I just buy another. I also have another system on the same AC circuit behind the 40A breaker rated at 3Kw (Sunny Boy SMA). It it still working fine. Naturally I don't want to keep buying inverters. Do you think the 2 systems could have interacted to cause this? Any suggestions for preventing this? Or was this a fluke?

So, I have installed a system with 40 Jinko 330W panels divided into 4 strings of 10 panels each. Strings are connected to 2 solar city/delta H6 inverters. AC output from each of these units goes to a load center to combine and fed to the line side of utility meter passing thru a production meter and couple of disconnects (1 fused and 1 unfused as required by APS here in Arizona).

System was commissioned on June 21st and first day combined output from both inverters was 56KWh. Next day, there was an arc fault on inverter 2 which has string 3/4 connected. I checked cables, connectors under the array and PV to THHN transition box for loose connections and did not find any visually. To isolate the issue, I disconnected String 4, cleared arc fault and let the system run on only string 3. Did not arc fault and combined output was around 36KWh. Next day, I connected string 4 again and there was an arc fault around 1pm and the inverter seem to have tripped 35a breaker in the load center and went into endless reboot cycle. It would start, display fault and shutdown...retry again.

I did read this thread that day and was curious to see if there is any damage inside at arc fault circuit so I opened up the inverter to find fried components at exact same location as in the pictures in Brian's post above. At this point, it was clear this is not coming back so I disconnected both DC/AC circuits.

Now I wanted to see if string 4 was the culprit causing arc fault so i connected string 4 to inverter PV1a input where string 1 was connected before. It has been 3 days and the inverter 1 produced 28KWh each day and no arc fault triggered or any other faults.

I wonder if:
a) These inverters are stackable?
b) Inverter was defective and failed prematurely (Brian had it running for 7 months, Mine lasted 2 days)

The choice now is to
a) Replace with another H6 ($550)
b) Install micros and feed AC to load center. (5 X Hoymiles HM1200-N or DeYe 1300G2 @ 230 a piece)

Can H6 and Micros co-exist?

My neighbor and I did a DIY install. Identical system...all components and line diagrams exactly same.
His system will commission this week...will watch how the system works for few days. Hopefully no fried inverter...
 

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The seller posted this video regarding the arc fault, if that helps
 
Here is an update on my system repair. Read my issue above from May 15, 2021 first. I replaced the H6 inverter with the same model from the same seller. I contacted them with my story and they gave me a discount on the replacement. I upped the back-fed breaker to 50A since the replaced 40A breaker had tripped (wiring is safe for 55A). I postulated that the output from both systems got near the 40A at max output and tripped it causing the 2 systems to interact disconnected from the grid causing the failure (just my guess). Hopefully at 50A I have eliminated this potential issue. I also installed a GE whole house surge protector in the main breaker box. Both systems have been running flawlessly ever since I made these changes (over a month ago) and installed the replacement H6.
 
Here is an update on my system repair. Read my issue above from May 15, 2021 first. I replaced the H6 inverter with the same model from the same seller. I contacted them with my story and they gave me a discount on the replacement. I upped the back-fed breaker to 50A since the replaced 40A breaker had tripped (wiring is safe for 55A). I postulated that the output from both systems got near the 40A at max output and tripped it causing the 2 systems to interact disconnected from the grid causing the failure (just my guess). Hopefully at 50A I have eliminated this potential issue. I also installed a GE whole house surge protector in the main breaker box. Both systems have been running flawlessly ever since I made these changes (over a month ago) and installed the replacement H6.
Is it still working well? I've got a few of these off grid and I tried to stack them with strange errors and no success. Nothing exploded but I wasn't stacking there grid connections necessarily like you may have accidentally done. Since I'm off grid I have the backup output of one going to the AC lines of the other. So one makes the "grid" and the other tries to feed it. I had many strange errors tried bonding the neutrals not bonding grounding not grounding tried connecting in different orders yada yada.
So are they stackable? Not the way I tried off grid. They do have a couple of network connections for public and private I wonder if I were to connect them together through that network if they would somehow play nice? For now I have them feeding different breaker panels which is irritating.
 
Is it still working well? I've got a few of these off grid and I tried to stack them with strange errors and no success. Nothing exploded but I wasn't stacking there grid connections necessarily like you may have accidentally done. Since I'm off grid I have the backup output of one going to the AC lines of the other. So one makes the "grid" and the other tries to feed it. I had many strange errors tried bonding the neutrals not bonding grounding not grounding tried connecting in different orders yada yada.
So are they stackable? Not the way I tried off grid. They do have a couple of network connections for public and private I wonder if I were to connect them together through that network if they would somehow play nice? For now I have them feeding different breaker panels which is irritating.
My system is still working fine. I have not had any errors. I added 4 more 250w panels. I cannot comment on stackability with anything other than what I have done.
 
I’m glad I ran across this thread. I was considering getting one of these h6 inverters since you can pick one up for $400 right now @ https://shop.signaturesolar.us/products/6kw-120-240v-grid-tie-inverter-by-delta
Using code
One main reason I was considering it is they put out 240 split phase apparently.
But there’s no sense in buying something that’s just going to go up in smoke in a couple months.
 

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Any experts with the Delta H6 on here?
The inverters are orphans so no factory/dealer support, the guy I bought the inverters from is great and will give me another one but I would like to figure out what killed this one before I hook up another.
The inverter has been working well for a couple of months.
Hooked up to just ten 315 watt panels.
It is raining today so no significant output from the panels.
The inverter was showing a fault light , the display said inverter fault, at this point the inverter showed the panels connected was happy with the grid and the reconnect timer was counting down.
After the timer finished the inverter did not reconnect with the grid.
At this point I cleared the arc fault . When the inverter tried to start up it went bang, not a big boom, more like a. 22 pistol shot.
So... If anyone has any wisdom to share I would appreciate it.
I tried to attach pictures of where the smoke came out, I hope it works.
hew man. mine worked well for about 2 months it quit and now it just says ac overload every
Yea. Might want to stay away from this one.

time it starts up. if u find anyone that can help please let me know
 
Any experts with the Delta H6 on here?
The inverters are orphans so no factory/dealer support, the guy I bought the inverters from is great and will give me another one but I would like to figure out what killed this one before I hook up another.
The inverter has been working well for a couple of months.
Hooked up to just ten 315 watt panels.
It is raining today so no significant output from the panels.
The inverter was showing a fault light , the display said inverter fault, at this point the inverter showed the panels connected was happy with the grid and the reconnect timer was counting down.
After the timer finished the inverter did not reconnect with the grid.
At this point I cleared the arc fault . When the inverter tried to start up it went bang, not a big boom, more like a. 22 pistol shot.
So... If anyone has any wisdom to share I would appreciate it.
I tried to attach pictures of where the smoke came out, I hope it works.
 
Any experts with the Delta H6 on here?
The inverters are orphans so no factory/dealer support, the guy I bought the inverters from is great and will give me another one but I would like to figure out what killed this one before I hook up another.
The inverter has been working well for a couple of months.
Hooked up to just ten 315 watt panels.
It is raining today so no significant output from the panels.
The inverter was showing a fault light , the display said inverter fault, at this point the inverter showed the panels connected was happy with the grid and the reconnect timer was counting down.
After the timer finished the inverter did not reconnect with the grid.
At this point I cleared the arc fault . When the inverter tried to start up it went bang, not a big boom, more like a. 22 pistol shot.
So... If anyone has any wisdom to share I would appreciate it.
I tried to attach pictures of where the smoke came out, I hope it works.
hey alan saw your post. im wondering if maybe i have same problem my h6 worked fine for about 3 months unplugged it one night before a storm.. when i went to start it back up it just says ac overload and tries to restart 3 times and then i get red alarm. i cant find anything burned but i havent looked under that board where you was pointing. was that component burned that u were pointing to i cant tell. hoping you have some advice
 
hey alan saw your post. im wondering if maybe i have same problem my h6 worked fine for about 3 months unplugged it one night before a storm.. when i went to start it back up it just says ac overload and tries to restart 3 times and then i get red alarm. i cant find anything burned but i havent looked under that board where you was pointing. was that component burned that u were pointing to i cant tell. hoping you have some advice
Maybe measure output transistors to see if shorted.
 
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