How "clean" is my solar power?

[ColoradoRider]

Hi all,

I've been in stealth mode for over a year now, but I have a problem that I hope that someone here can help me with. I am completely off-grid here in the mountains of Colorado with panel array of 12 REC 360's, a Magnum Energy Inverter and a Midnite Classic charge controller. I have a bank of 16 Fullriver DC400 6 volt batteries set to give me a total of 48 volts DC.

Here's the problem. I don't live in a cabin, or what some folks consider a "tiny home". I live in a house that is just under 1000 sqft that we built and recently moved into. The problem that we are having is with our washing machine. The unit will start up and run through one cycle, and then stop cold. We had a technician come out and look at it, and he told us that the machine is throwing a fault that is associated with fluctuating power. Nothing else in the house has an issue with the inverter power. The fridge runs great, the boiler (very finnicky machine wrt power) has no issues, and all of my (LED) lights are nice and bright. The light will dim for a picosecond when the cistern pump kicks on, but that is it as far as issues go.

What the actual f.... is going on?

 

[chrisski]

How many watts is this magnum energy inverter?

 

[Shimmy]

A few things are likely; the washing machine model might help confirm. A reversing washing machine will either try to regenerate power or have a large inrush when changing directions; both of those are hard on a small system, since you don't have much other load to buffer regen and the inrush is likely too much for the inverter.

Sometimes more battery will help, some washing machines are 120/240V and switching them to 240V mode might work.

 

[Shimmy]

oops

 

[ColoradoRider]

How many watts is this magnum energy inverter?

4.8k advertised.

 

[Shimmy]

4.8k advertised.

What elevation are you at?

 

[ColoradoRider]

What elevation are you at?

9600 ft

 

[DIYrich]

What model washing machine? When it quits, what is the load on the inverter (other things running in the house)? How are you heating water?

 

[RV10flyer]

I bought a simple old school Speed Queen. No problems running on two SA12K’s.

 

[Shimmy]

9600 ft

Wonder if there is any de-rating at that elevation.

 

[efficientPV]

I have an old MSW inverter running right off panels and my voltage will drop to 90V. Not a problem in the world with my LG front loader. I speed read and I miss some things. The next post said "How many watts is this magnum energy inverter?" and thought he knows just from the symptoms it is a Magnum inverter. I've seen this story before. They didn't stick around long enough to solve it. So, it is the machine and not the inverter or GFI which is faulting. Hate to say it, but have you tried plugging in a toaster or other high current device in the outlet and measured the voltage. A friend built a new house using a licensed electrician. Got his new GE refrigerator installed an wouldn't work right. Went for warranty repair and they charges him $300 for a house call. They said his outlet was wired wrong.

 

[ColoradoRider]

What model washing machine? When it quits, what is the load on the inverter (other things running in the house)? How are you heating water

There may be a few lights going, plus the water pump and the propane boiler, which is used to heat the water as well as supply heat to the house.

 

[SamDeleted]

Will it run off a generator?

 

[efficientPV]

It must be some national secret what washing machine you have.

 

[cs1234]

It must be some national secret what washing machine you have.

Tell me what make/model you have, and I can tell you if you wear small/medium/large tighty whities.

 

[SamDeleted]

Tell me what make/model you have, and I can tell you if you wear small/medium/large tighty whities.

Usually XL on a forum like this

 

[Lt.Dan]

Wonder if there is any de-rating at that elevation.

This is my first thought. Usually inverters derate at that high of elevation

 

[DIYrich]

This is my first thought. Usually inverters derate at that high of elevation

Electrons get dizzy at altitude?
Thinner air, so less cooling?

 

[SamDeleted]

This is my first thought. Usually inverters derate at that high of elevation

Sounded funny for a second there, but apparently it's all about air pressure & cooling

 

[efficientPV]

Tell me what make/model you have, and I can tell you if you wear small/medium/large tighty whities.

It's like teaching Labradoodles!