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

Just tired of these trolls making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Well .... I think it's a little harsh to call them trolls. Most everyone is going to react badly if treated badly.

While mounting it horizontal may be acceptable it is with the caveat of good ventilation. It isn't the optimal way to do the mount, but if you mitigated the risk by introducing air flow you should be ok.

I personally would choose to mount it in the most optimal fashion if I had space to do it.
 
Hey sorry to maker your life less than awesome. I'm not trying to troll you. Heat and "self protection power limiting" was just mentioned in the meeting. Since you have Victron on speed dial, you'll know right where to go for warranty. Cheers. All the best for you.
 
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
So Rich's response is obviously regarding the Inverter/Charger. Is Justin's response in regards to the same, the SCC, or both?

At least their responses should cover you for any warranty claims (don't lose that correspondence)
 
Were these in response to a written inquiry of "can these be mounted horizontally?" or were they responding to actual pictures of the installation?
 
Since you have Victron on speed dial, you'll know right where to go for warranty.
Ohhhhh SNAP!!!!!! That's gonna leave a mark.....

Hey SacRV.... just chill, you're among friends here, no need to get on the defensive, part of being part of a community is being able to let stuff roll off your back.... what p**ssed people off I think was the "to all the know it all's" comments.. you came here for guidance and for knowledge so don't bash people who are here cus they know it all and they offer to provide that help.... there are some pretty smart people here and calling them know it all's is just rude, so we hit back... nothing personal, have some fun.... a lot of people, especially Aussies and Canadians, consider playful jabs, endearment and friendly banter. You yanks take yourself too seriously at times.

In the interest of full transparency, I did chat with Rich today during that meeting as I wasn't sure how hard ass V would be about it, no, your warranty would not be voided based on the way you mounted it, so mount how you see fit and how works for you, and just enjoy it and the forum... and have some fun while you're here, you're among friends.

PS: The temp you saw on mine was because I'm in AZ, it was like 300 degrees ambient temp yesterday, and I was pushing massive current into 8 100ah BattleBorn lithiums, you may never see that kind of workout on yours so you'll be fine, if not, you'll know about it and can fan up..

Thanks for posting and for joining the board... ya flippin know it all. ?

Jen
 
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Were these in response to a written inquiry of "can these be mounted horizontally?" or were they responding to actual pictures of the installation?
I specifically asked Rich in chat during the Zoom call if mounting an MPPT horizontal as in laying on a table would void the warranty as opposed to mounting vertical which allows better fin cooling, his response was, basically what Sac said he told him, but he clarified no warranty void, just use fans if needed. That being said, all of us gave our guidance based on best performance, not what would skate by and not void a warranty, so we all gave you good advice, but it's your setup Sac, so install it the way you wish, your warranty is fine.
 
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.
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.
While you did quote the Victron manual correctly, I have been researching this particular inverter, and all the Victron Multi-Plus inverters for a while. I had plenty of time to read and watch RV installs as I ordered mine May 12 and Just got it.
Yes, every install I looked at made every effort to stand the inverter upright for proper airflow, the inverter is 26 inches tall. Others have run into the same issue and installed on it's side or back like this guy did. All had the same concerns and made compromises to fit it in, because as of right now, this is the only inverter on the market that does what this one does.

While I appreciate your desire to point out that laying flat compromises cooling, your snobbish (hence your name snobby) attitude does nobody any favors and just reflects poorly on your personality.
 
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.

In the same space that cabinet occupies is ample space to mount the Multi and the SCC correctly - wall mounted, upright, and accessible.

Also numerous other no-no's like the split loom going into the AC breaker panel.

RTFM! Victron has great manuals and all you need to do it READ to get it right. No excuses here except someone not reading or thinking it doesn't matter. The fact they put it in the manual means it does matter.

This is not a space issue with this install.
 
After 3-months in the summer I've had no problems with the inverter over-heating. As noted previously, two reps from Victron said mounting it horizontal would be ok and not void my warranty. As a precautionary measure I added this 4" USB fan and it has done a great job of cooling the inverter off even during high temps. So again, even with 100+ days I've had no problems with my inverter or any of the installation.

IMG_2279.JPG

The fan head is actually tilted up more than what's seen in the picture above to create air flow into the vents and over the case. In general I'm seeing the inverter about 10 degrees cooler when the fan is on.

Jeff, I really haven't been pushing my system to know its limits. I have seen the PowerAssist kick in but it seems to only be providing an extra power boost for say 10 seconds..not sustainable. Part of my problem is I had an under sized Inverter, which I have since replaced with a bigger one. So I'm still in the process of learning the marriage between the two and their limits.
 
Hey SacRV!

I am very happy to have found this thread thanks for sharing your installation details! I recently purchased a Victron Energy - MultiPlus-II 12/3000/120-50 2x120V and have been struggling with finding a way to install in vertically, as the manual states. To install it vertically, I would have to install it in our only closet, above the pass-through on my camper. After reading this entire thread, I will be installing it horizontally, within the pass-through storage area. I will however, add a temp monitoring system and fans external to the MultiPlus to provide the necessary airflow. This will keep the MultiPlus within 18 inches of the battery buss. I don't expect to run the system at full capacity very often and I am willing to accept the implications of installing it this way.
 
Hi Peter, ya sometimes you just can't install it the ideal way. But like I mentioned before both my installer and those at Victron have said it's fine to install it horizontal. That little USB fan has been working great at keeping the inverter from getting too hot.
 
Thought I'd do a quick update.

I recently added 3 more solar panels bringing me up to 8. Since my trailer is surrounded by trees having those extra 3 panels were sorely needed. I also added another BB GC2 battery bringing me up to 500 amp. This maxes me out on space for panels and batteries. But perhaps the best new addition was the Cerbo GX and Touch 50 monitor.

In hindsight, I really wish I would have added this to begin with. It's really providing a lot more data then I had access to before, which has been great. I haven't had a lot of time to customize the Cerbo GX but hope to play with it more over the weekend.

Right now the only limitation / issue I'm still dealing with is seeing L1 and L2 as separate legs coming into the Cerbo GX. I suspect this has more to do with the Multiplus as I was never to see both legs via the VictronConnect app. My installer wants to wait another month or so before performing a firmware update on the Multiplus so I'm hoping once that happens that limitation will be resolved.

Is anyone else with the same inverter and Cerbo GX seeing both legs?
 
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Not sure where it would display the two legs. It's cold and snowy here so I can't go check.

I do love the CerboGX + display, too. Very professional look and so easy to monitor everything vs. the dongle and a laptop. The blue mist does suck you in.
 
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