MPPSolar LV6048 won't use the utility input

[mesquito_creek]

I have a new mpp solar LV6048 with bigbattery 48V 125ahs. It won't use the 120v utility input? BigBattery shipped the batteries discharged at 42.8v but I have successfully charged 1 of them with my PV 1600watts to the point where the inverter will turn on. Now my assumption is that at some point the inverter/charger will use the grid to charge the battery? My battery is still pretty low so when I connect a load I get a low voltage warning. But I assumed that the grid line in should pick up the load and the grid line in should help charge the battery! I have even set it to 01 - Utility First and 16 - CUT (Utility first). My output is wired to a breaker panel and set split phase 180 degrees. What am I doing wrong? Should I wait until the battery is fully charged, even though that defeats the purpose of utility first? When I hook up WatchPower I see LINE_FAULT in the event log.

 

[snoobler]

Second screen. There's a "back to charge' voltage of 46. If your battery is 46V or above, it won't charge.

And WTF? BB shipping you a battery at 42.8V? That's completely depleted. That's a massive red flag. Should have been above 52.

 

[mesquito_creek]

Second screen. There's a "back to charge' voltage of 46. If your battery is 46V or above, it won't charge.

the watchpower setting do not exactly match the manual? Any idea if one of these settings is the matching "back to charge" voltage? OR can you tell me what I should set the watchpower "back to charge" at if 46v is incorrect? I have 48V 125ah lithium ion "bigbattery"s....

#12 - Setting voltage point back to utility source when selecting “SBU priority” or “Solar first” in program 01.
#13 - Setting voltage point back to battery mode when selecting “SBU priority” or “Solar first” in program 01.

OH! and I noticed you are in Heber AZ.. I am just north of Page in Utah..

 

[snoobler]

set #12 to something above your battery voltage. For normal operation, I'd set it to 48.8V.
#13 should be something closer to 56V.

P.S. Welcome to the forum

 

[mesquito_creek]

Thanks, it only took round numbers so I set #12 at 49 and #13 at 56. Any idea why it doesn't seem to want to use the grid input? do I need a fully charged battery before that will happen etc? I sort of thought that I should be able to competely disconnect the batteries and it still should be able to use the grid, but that may be wrong. The only way the unit turns on is with batteries connected.

 

[mesquito_creek]

every once in a while the utility icon on the dashboard display flashes red twice and goes back to normal? but nothing appears to happen one way or the other good or bad... just no utility functionality.

 

[snoobler]

What does the manual say about the red flashes?

Have you tried completely disconnecting the battery and grid, reconnect battery, then reconnect grid?

 

[mesquito_creek]

What does the manual say about the red flashes?

Have you tried completely disconnecting the battery and grid, reconnect battery, then reconnect grid?

There really is nothing in the manual about the flashing... I have disconnected reconnected dozens of times. I disconnect the battery and the unit will keep running, but if I turn the inverter off of standby it throws the breaker on the AC input and the whole unit shuts down? The unit will not turn on without the batteries. But it will keep running if you disconnect the battery with the utility input on. The connection is so simple I don't know what I could have wrong on the input, I am just doing the Will Prowse extension chord input at the moment.

 

[snoobler]

Hmmm... Maybe there's your answer.

When it tries to charge the batteries, it's pulling too much from the AC input circuit (15A)?

Try lowering the current allowed from grid charging to 20A.

 

[mesquito_creek]

Hmmm... Maybe there's your answer.

When it tries to charge the batteries, it's pulling too much from the AC input circuit (15A)?

Try lowering the current allowed from grid charging to 20A.

lowering both combined to 20a and utility to 10 doesn't seem to change anything. What about the output voltage showing 120v? If it is configured 240v (A2 on the display) shouldn't it read 240? I have an RV 50 amp plug wired to the output and it shows 240 across both L1/L2 on my meter.

 

[mesquito_creek]

well I got it to work, but my generator cost just quadrulped.... You must run 240v to the input as far as I am concerned, I could figure out no way to make it work with a single 120v connection. So now I have to either run a 240v generator, figure out how to run two small generators with a transformer or something... or spend all that money instead on more PV and batteries to make sure I never need a generator...

 

[DeniseN]

Hi. I was advised on this subject a few months ago, for the LV5048. Will's video at 7:29 may apply to yours as well.

 

[mesquito_creek]

Hi. I was advised on this subject a few months ago, for the LV5048. Will's video at 7:29 may apply to yours as well.

Kick Azzzzz! Will is the man!... problems solved. I jumpered L1 to L2 and I have a single leg/single phase 120v input from a predator generator powering a ulitiliy input! Thousands of dollars and 3 days of work are saved and behind me!

 

[DeniseN]

Kick Azzzzz! Will is the man!... problems solved. I jumpered L1 to L2 and I have a single leg/single phase 120v input from a predator generator powering a ulitiliy input! Thousands of dollars and 3 days of work are saved and behind me!

Wonderful!!!! It feels so good to be able to help. I have received so much here.

 

[snoobler]

Which predator do you have? My $450 cheap-o 3500 is 240 split phase out.

 

[snoobler]

Which predator do you have? My $450 cheap-o 3500 is 240 split phase out.

 

[mesquito_creek]

Which predator do you have? My $450 cheap-o 3500 is 240 split phase out.

I have the 2000 watt $550 dollar harbor freight unit. Which I think for now should do what I need it to do, but since I can add a second unit and a parallel kit and still feed my inverter with 120v I hope I can get away with my set up.

 

[mesquito_creek]

I am only on 4 acres and have neighbors so, I only want as little generation as needed.

 

[snoobler]

Nice. Yours is the quieter one. Mine is loud, but 40 acres, and I can aim the exhaust in a direction no one will hear for miles. We can't even hear it when it's running 50' away in the 5th wheel.

Just make sure your charge current is set to just under what the Predator can supply. If you're running off a 3 prong outlet/extension cord, then its likely limited to 15A/120V. I have a similar situation on my Quattro/predator. I can set the max pull from the grid/generator AC, which overrides the battery charge current. I have mine set to only pull 14.5A.

If you have to set you max DC charge current, 30A is probably good 30 * 58.4 (extreme limit of LFP) = 1752. 1752/120 = 14.6A (120VAC).

 

[mesquito_creek]

Nice. Yours is the quieter one. Mine is loud, but 40 acres, and I can aim the exhaust in a direction no one will hear for miles. We can't even hear it when it's running 50' away in the 5th wheel.

Just make sure your charge current is set to just under what the Predator can supply. If you're running off a 3 prong outlet/extension cord, then its likely limited to 15A/120V. I have a similar situation on my Quattro/predator. I can set the max pull from the grid/generator AC, which overrides the battery charge current. I have mine set to only pull 14.5A.

If you have to set you max DC charge current, 30A is probably good 30 * 58.4 (extreme limit of LFP) = 1752. 1752/120 = 14.6A (120VAC).

I have it set at 30 amps with a 8 foot #10 chord from the inverter to generator. When I measure the amps with an amp clamp it doesnt seem to get anywhere close to 30 amps only about 12-14 amps on the wire.