My Growatt has been switching between 50hz on battery and 60hz grid for months - what devices have I ruined or potential damages?

[aentrop]

I am in the US. Somehow my Growatt SPF3000 TL-ES inverter got switched from the default 60hz frequency setting over to 50hz.

All of my loads have been powered at 50hz setting for the last 6 months or more. And every time my batteries were low it would switch over to grid power at 60hz. I have a small UPS under my desk that would beep once every time my inverter switched over and I never could figure out why. I haven't noticed any issues with any of my other devices. I run all of my computers, cameras, routers, network equipment, as well as lights and tools in my workshop thru this inverter. I am not backfeeding the grid, only pulling from it when my batteries/solar run low.

What damage may I have caused that I don't yet know about?

 

[Pierre]

I am in the US. Somehow my Growatt SPF3000 TL-ES inverter got switched from the default 60hz frequency setting over to 50hz.

All of my loads have been powered at 50hz setting for the last 6 months or more. And every time my batteries were low it would switch over to grid power at 60hz. I have a small UPS under my desk that would beep once every time my inverter switched over and I never could figure out why. I haven't noticed any issues with any of my other devices. I run all of my computers, cameras, routers, network equipment, as well as lights and tools in my workshop thru this inverter. I am not backfeeding the grid, only pulling from it when my batteries/solar run low.

What damage may I have caused that I don't yet know about?

Following.

 

[crossy]

I doubt any damage has been done, certainly any modern electronics with switch-mode power supplies will be just fine.

Induction motors would run slow and may get hot, and any conventional transformers too, but other than that and any mains synchronised clocks being "a bit inaccurate" all will likely be fine.

 

[GVSolar]

I doubt any damage has been done, certainly any modern electronics with switch-mode power supplies will be just fine.

Induction motors would run slow and may get hot, and any conventional transformers too, but other than that and any mains synchronised clocks being "a bit inaccurate" all will likely be fine.

Fully off-grid (AC and DC coupled) for many years. In my case, I'm wondering what's been happening to my electronics:
As my batteries reach a full charge, my 3kw of old school Enphase AC coupled M215 microinverters are "turned off" by my hybrid Schneider SW4024 inverter - it does so by raising the frequency to 64.5hz. The SW4024 stays up at that rate until my batteries can accept more amps, at which time the frequency ramps back down to 60hz, and the micros re-energize.
So far (been doing this for almost 3 years), no obvious damage anywhere to anything, but I'd welcome any opinions or analysis on the possible side effects. Thx.

 

[crossy]

@GVSolar as noted above really, your electronics is unlikely to have any issues whatever with something like a 10% increase in frequency.

Also, increasing frequency will actually reduce heating in transformers and induction motors. The motors will run slightly fast but in reality, the design "should" have sufficient safety margin that nothing is going to get hurt.

 

[timselectric]

If you had any damage, you would already know.

 

[aentrop]

If you had any damage, you would already know.

Not necessarily. What if the fan on my refrigerator burned out? The fridge would still work but it would have trouble cooling in warmer weather and I might not know it yet.

Maybe that’s why my LED light bulbs seem to have a shorter than usual life span? Or maybe they are just low quality cheap junk and then burning out has nothing to do with the frequency mismatch. I’m not sure.

Maybe the 24v transformer for my doorbell burned up? I might not know it yet since I use it so rarely.

These are the items I can think of, but maybe there are other items I should check on that I might not have thought of yet.

 

[timselectric]

Not necessarily. What if the fan on my refrigerator burned out? The fridge would still work but it would have trouble cooling in warmer weather and I might not know it yet.

Maybe that’s why my LED light bulbs seem to have a shorter than usual life span? Or maybe they are just low quality cheap junk and then burning out has nothing to do with the frequency mismatch. I’m not sure.

Maybe the 24v transformer for my doorbell burned up? I might not know it yet since I use it so rarely.

These are the items I can think of, but maybe there are other items I should check on that I might not have thought of yet.

True
If you haven't checked for damage. You wouldn't know if it was.

I haven't noticed any issues with any of my other devices. I run all of my computers, cameras, routers, network equipment, as well as lights and tools in my workshop thru this inverter.

My statement was based on yours.
I thought that you were asking about long term damage to things that are working right now.

 

[Rustic]

Mine has done this a few times now. At first I thought it was my fault because I had changed some settings. i noticed my air purifier and central heating fan makes a different noise. Sure enough 50hz, I haven’t made any changes in months.

 

[timselectric]

It should automatically sync to the grid input.
But, if the settings are set for 50Hz. Then that would explain why it is changing. I would double check the settings.

 

[Rustic]

It should automatically sync to the grid input.
But, if the settings are set for 50Hz. Then that would explain why it is changing. I would double check the settings.

Off grid system , and it was set to 60hz Reset twice before. Unless US intermittently switches to 50hz while I’m charging.

 

[timselectric]

I would hope not.