More Noob Combiner Box Confusion

[newbostonconst]

Thanks for being honest and reminding me/us of the breaker voltage requirements. I want to add another panel to my series string but you remind me that I need to check the breaker spec....I am at 140 volts now and want to go from 4S4P to 5S4P....I think I have the 150 volt breakers. Wonder if they can run at 175 volts?...hmmm

Thanks again and good luck with your project.

 

[sethile]

OK, I have put together a new DIY combiner box plan. This should accommodate 6 in 2 out, and work for my 5S2P going to Input 1 on the LV6548, and the 5S3P going to input 2. I found these on Amazon and I think two of them in an off-the-shelf PVC box may just do the trick. They can handle 600V and 12A per string going in. I'm hitting them with 188Voc and 8.27A per string. And they're rated for 600V/36A going out. I should have 188Voc and 24.81A heading to input 2 and 188Voc and 16.54A heading to input 1 :

Dinkle Solar Combiner Box 3 Fused 10 AWG Inputs 6 AWG Output 36A 600V: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Dinkle Solar Combiner Box 3 Fused 10 AWG Inputs 6 AWG Output 36A 600V: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

And these are the fuses I ordered, which I'm pretty sure spec out to work:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYSRSWX?psc=1&smid=A2TF7BYPCYUTTP&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

I think I'll wait to see what sort of box will work the best for these, and will hopefully be able to get that locally when I see what it all looks like. This should end up costing about the same and maybe less than handling it with branch connectors and in-line fuses, and it puts all the connections in one waterproof box instead of strewn out every place.

It's surprising to me there are not more suitable off the shelf PV combiner boxes ready to go for this size system. I guess it's sort of in between the options. Or maybe I just missed some obvious solutions. Everything I found either didn't spec out, or was WAY overkill and very expensive.

Wish me luck!!

 

[newbostonconst]

OK, I have put together a new DIY combiner box plan. This should accommodate 6 in 2 out, and work for my 5S2P going to Input 1 on the LV6548, and the 5S3P going to input 2. I found these on Amazon and I think two of them in an off-the-shelf PVC box may just do the trick. They can handle 600V and 12A per string going in. I'm hitting them with 188Voc and 8.27A per string. And they're rated for 600V/36A going out. I should have 188Voc and 24.81A heading to input 2 and 188Voc and 16.54A heading to input 1 :

Dinkle Solar Combiner Box 3 Fused 10 AWG Inputs 6 AWG Output 36A 600V: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Dinkle Solar Combiner Box 3 Fused 10 AWG Inputs 6 AWG Output 36A 600V: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

And these are the fuses I ordered, which I'm pretty sure spec out to work:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYSRSWX?psc=1&smid=A2TF7BYPCYUTTP&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

I think I'll wait to see what sort of box will work the best for these, and will hopefully be able to get that locally when I see what it all looks like. This should end up costing about the same and maybe less than handling it with branch connectors and in-line fuses, and it puts all the connections in one waterproof box instead of strewn out every place.

It's surprising to me there are not more suitable off the shelf PV combiner boxes ready to go for this size system. I guess it's sort of in between the options. Or maybe I just missed some obvious solutions. Everything I found either didn't spec out, or was WAY overkill and very expensive.

Wish me luck!!

I tried a plastic Amazon breaker box for under my hybrid inverter and the are flimsy and not UL listed if you are getting things inspected... That is one reason I did the steel MidNite combiner box....I agree it is hard...

 

[sethile]

I tried a plastic Amazon breaker box for under my hybrid inverter and the are flimsy and not UL listed if you are getting things inspected... That is one reason I did the steel MidNite combiner box....I agree it is hard...

Yes, I looked at a few plastic boxes on Amazon that looked pretty questionable. I'll try to find a PVC one that is UL listed, but go with metal if I need to. This is going outside and needs to be waterproof. I'm hopeful I can get one locally. It's frustrating to order stuff only to find it won't work, that seems to be happening a lot with this (no doubt due to my lack of experience).

I love the MidNite box. Hate to send it back, actually, but it won't quite work. I think the MNPV12 would, assuming it has the same ability to split the output that the MNPV6 has. The problem for me on these boxes is the smaller breakers for them are only rated at 150VDC. The fuse holders would work, but are larger. And I think you can use that same bar the fuse holders use for the larger 250VDC breakers. You can only get 4 of them in MNPV6, though.

These Dinkle units seem to tick off all the boxes for what I need, they are UL listed, and cheap! Hoping I can put them together in some sort of strong, waterproof, UL listed box ?

 

[WYtreasure]

Yes, I looked at a few plastic boxes on Amazon that looked pretty questionable. I'll try to find a PVC one that is UL listed, but go with metal if I need to. This is going outside and needs to be waterproof. I'm hopeful I can get one locally. It's frustrating to order stuff only to find it won't work, that seems to be happening a lot with this (no doubt due to my lack of experience).

I love the MidNite box. Hate to send it back, actually, but it won't quite work. I think the MNPV12 would, assuming it has the same ability to split the output that the MNPV6 has. The problem for me on these boxes is the smaller breakers for them are only rated at 150VDC. The fuse holders would work, but are larger. And I think you can use that same bar the fuse holders use for the larger 250VDC breakers. You can only get 4 of them in MNPV6, though.

These Dinkle units seem to tick off all the boxes for what I need, they are UL listed, and cheap! Hoping I can put them together in some sort of strong, waterproof, UL listed box ?

Keep a close eye on the path I lead you down, but I did have a nice chat with these folks a while back and although spendy, they are UL listed.

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