New MultiPlus-II 12/3000/120-50 2x120V Inverter/Charger Install

[SacRV]

Over the weekend we completed our solar system into a 2021 Cedar Creek Cottage 40CRS. This was actually quite a long process for us. I started talking to installers in August, after we ordered our trailer. Eventually I settled on who I wanted to use but his prices were pretty high so we did a lot of back and forth tweaking the design and labor to settle at a place we were both happy with.

Our system was really tailored around our setup. We own a piece of secluded property in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The trailer is stationary and we are completely surrounded by tall trees. Our window to capture a lot of sunlight is limited so we focused more on the battery bank and using our 30amp inverter to charge the batteries.



We added five 170-watt solar panels with room to add more. So far I’m getting 700-watts peak / 3.4 kWh yield with the panels still needing to be dialed in. I’ll set them to the summer solstice in a few weeks.



I only took a few pics of the install. Here’s the main panel under the bedroom closet pulled out and the back side. The drain pipe comes down a false wall between the closet and washer and dryer hookup on the other side. In hindsight we could have probably popped up through the false wall, which would have been only a few inches away and concealed the wiring coming down. Either way the install is clean.





The wiring is coming down through the cabinet above. The Victron MPPT 150/85 is mounted on the top with a shut-off switch. I also had him install an outlet in the closet for the cell phone booster (pictured) and a Starlink modem..whenever our number comes up.





The next shelf has the MultiPlus-II 12/3000/120-50, SmartShunt 500A/50mV, fuse block and shut-off.



On the bottom shelf are four BattleBorn GC2 batteries (400amps total)..with room for one more. The floor below the batteries was reinforced for the weight. He put a piece of plastic over it so no one touches the battery terminals. Next to the batteries is the Main and the DC shut-off.



We were only able to spend a day in a half up there after the install. But things seemed to work fine. Basically I could turn on anything in the trailer and it worked. I’m looking forward to putting the system through its paces over the next few months.

 

[snoobler]

From the inverter manual, installation:

4.1. Location
The product must be installed in a dry and well-ventilated area, as close as possible to the batteries. There should be a clear
space of at least 10 cm around the appliance for cooling.

The MultiPlus-II is suitable for wall mounting. A solid surface, suitable for the weight and dimensions of the product must be available (e.g., concrete, or masonry). For mounting purposes, a hook and two holes are provided at the back of the casing (see appendix G

The interior of the product must remain accessible after installation.

From the MPPT manual, installation:

4.1. Mounting Mount the solar charger vertically on a non-flammable substrate, with the electrical terminals facing downwards.

By having your MPPT on a horizontal surface, you have essentially disabled it's ability to cool itself.

Sorry to be a buzzkill. If you paid someone to install this, they are incompetent. If an alleged solar professional instructed you to mount them this way, they are incompetent. If this is your doing, then it's just a friendly reminder to RTFM.

 

[WhiteHot]

As was quoted from the manual, the issue is cooling. You could add fans to encourage airflow that convection would naturally create. Definitely a band-aid though.

 

[SacRV]

Snoobler, I think it's an unfair assessment to call him incompetent because he choose to sit them horizontal. As you know in RV's you have to be creative on where things go and how its laid out. To my understanding most people put these in the basement, which are far hotter than the living quarters. So I'm confident the equipment will operate just fine in its current configuration. And if I do encounter any over-heating issues in the future, its not the end of the world to reconfigure things.

There are vents in the cabinets you cannot see to allow for more airflow. I like the idea of the fan and might consider adding one.

 

[Bob B]

Snoobler, I think it's an unfair assessment to call him incompetent because he choose to sit them horizontal. As you know in RV's you have to be creative on where things go and how its laid out. To my understanding most people put these in the basement, which are far hotter than the living quarters. So I'm confident the equipment will operate just fine in its current configuration. And if I do encounter any over-heating issues in the future, its not the end of the world to reconfigure things.

There are vents in the cabinets you cannot see to allow for more airflow. I like the idea of the fan and might consider adding one.

It probably depends to some extent on how hard you push your Multiplus ..... What Snoobler is showing you is NOT an opinion .... it is Victron documentation showing what mounting will give the device sufficient cooling airflow.

 

[snoobler]

Snoobler, I think it's an unfair assessment to call him incompetent because he choose to sit them horizontal. As you know in RV's you have to be creative on where things go and how its laid out. To my understanding most people put these in the basement, which are far hotter than the living quarters. So I'm confident the equipment will operate just fine in its current configuration. And if I do encounter any over-heating issues in the future, its not the end of the world to reconfigure things.

There are vents in the cabinets you cannot see to allow for more airflow. I like the idea of the fan and might consider adding one.

Frankly, "incompetent" is almost too kind. Deliberately negligent would be a better description as he charged you to make this mistake. The 5 year warranty they carried is now null and void for failure to comply with installation requirements. Understanding that you have invested in good hardware, one would presume a desire to prolong its existence. Instead, and you are engaging in use that will absolutely shorten its life by always running hotter than it otherwise would in your environment - especially the MPPT. You're going to cook it.

Given the space used, vertical surfaces could have been utilized and occupy essentially the same space. Honestly, the more I look at it, I'm almost convinced it might be less.

I understand that this likely feels harsh and is miles from the thumbs-up and Likes you hoped to receive from your post. I apologize for that. I feel something of a responsibility to make these comments so that others don't choose to implement a similar installation that may look pretty but compromise the equipment and void their warranty.

 

[Jennifer]

Frankly, "incompetent" is almost too kind.

I understand that this likely feels harsh and is miles from the thumbs-up and Likes you hoped to receive from your post.

Very well said, people need to remember that they're coming to these forums for advice and help from other members who've been there, done that, had the experience...if all you want is approval and a badge for your installation, regardless the quality, you're parents are a more appropriate option.

Thank you Snoobler for your honest comments, spoken in the best interest of his build.. it's shocking someone would mount that MPPT like that, the PCB being ABOVE the heat sink..... "you're going to cook it" is an understatement.

Jen

 

[Boondock Saint]

But but . . but Jennifer . . . they have to CLOSE the closet doors to seal in all that hotness. Maybe roast a chicken.

"I LOVE THE SMELL OF ELECTRONICS IN THE MORNING"

That setup is fixable in a very short period of time. All of it can be reoriented and probably without even changing any cable lengths.

 

[SacRV]

Contrary to the responses above, my equipment has shown no signs of over-heating, even during consecutive 100+ days running 24/7. Using a laser thermometer to take readings at numerous locations on the equipment nothing has been more than 5-10 degrees above the ambient temperature.

 

[Jennifer]

Contrary to the responses above, my equipment has shown no signs of over-heating, even during consecutive 100+ days running 24/7. Using a laser thermometer to take readings at numerous locations on the equipment nothing has been more than 5-10 degrees above the ambient temperature.

Well winner winner chicken dinner...we're all wrong, it's your lucky day... I know my MPPT 250/100 is mounted properly (at least as to when it comes to vertical airflow through the heat sink fins) and I can hardly touch the back black heat sink it's so hot, you must have that new and improved "defies the laws of physics" MPPT that Victron was hinting they were releasing... enjoy.

PS: I'm not sure how much value-add rubbing the noses in it of those who offered help gets you as this may not be the last time you ask for help..... it may however be the last time you get a response if that's the outcome for those who do.... just sayin.

PS, yes I know, a wood back board is a bad idea, I have lots of fire extinguishers .. LOL

 

[SacRV]

View attachment 53115

Well winner winner chicken dinner...we're all wrong, it's your lucky day... I know my MPPT 250/100 is mounted properly and I can hardly touch the back black heat sink part it's so hot, you must have that new and improved "defies the laws of physics" MPPT that Victron was hinting they were releasing... enjoy.

PS: I'm not sure how much value-add rubbing the noses in it of those who offered help gets you as this may not be the last time you ask for help..... it may however be the last time you get a response if that's the outcome for those who do.... just sayin.

Good, you have nothing constructive to add anyway.

 

[JAS]

Contrary to the responses above, my equipment has shown no signs of over-heating, even during consecutive 100+ days running 24/7. Using a laser thermometer to take readings at numerous locations on the equipment nothing has been more than 5-10 degrees above the ambient temperature.

That still doesn't mean Victron will honor any warranty... Grant it, they would have to know or prove you had it mounted incorrectly, but still...

 

[Jennifer]

Grant it, they would have to know or prove you had it mounted incorrectly...

... simply by looking at the picture in his posting, yes, excellent point.

 

[Boondock Saint]

Jennifer you crack me up with those likes :D

SacRV you received accurate constructive criticism on your implementation, which we assumed you asked for by posting. Even I'M NOT snarky enough to post a google link for "How do heatsinks work?" Your own intelligence and posts suggest you know you could decrease the life of your quasi expensive* equipment by retaining heat and conducting it onto the circuit board beyond and contrary to the mfr suggestion.

By un mounting and simply re orienting these in order for your unseen fans and ducting to be effective you'll surely have a longer parts life expectancy. If we use the illustration provided by the very knowledgeable Jennifer whereas her correctly oriented MPPT 250/100 in her climate controlled environment measures a balmy 159.4 degrees, is it safe to assume that you controllers and inverter would be hotter? What does the gun say?

Ironically while at Happy Hour yesterday I saw one of those food programs where this large guy goes around trying to kill himself by eating too much. The restaurant he was at cooked bacon overnight at 160 degrees. So maybe you can make brisket in your closet?

I since I have nothing constructive to repeat from others anyways, I'll just move along now.

*maybe this isn't quasi expensive for you, and you have a suggar mamma. Sadly I'm still looking

 

[Jennifer]

 

[snoobler]

Ugh. Everybody step back. I realize I contributed to the tone, but it was with good intentions. Let's not dogpile.

 

[SacRV]

To all the know it alls...

HI,
It is OK to mount them in this way. Just be sure to have air flow around the unit so the fans can do their job. The unit will always protect itself from overheating via shutdown.
You might find it de-rates its max output a bit sooner than if it were mounted upright, but this does not damage the unit.
Regards
Rich Shea
Sales Manager North America
Victron Energy

Hi,

I hope you are well. I can answer this one quickly. The unit may run a little warmer, but there is no problem mounting it this way. Hope that helps!

Best Regards,
Justin Larrabee
Sales Manager
Victron Energy

 

[Jennifer]

Speaking of Rich.... hey folks, our Victron Zoom meeting (with Rich) starts in 2 minutes, if you're in the know, you know where to get the zoom link... see you there,... I'll tell Rich and Justin you said hi.

 

[Bob B]

Hmmm ...... name dropping ..... really getting serious now. LOL

 

[SacRV]

Hmmm ...... name dropping ..... really getting serious now. LOL

Just tired of these trolls making a mountain out of a mole hill.