Sol-Ark problems by David Poz.. anyone else?

[bgflyguy]

Yesr electrician has wired a 3000W burner which is 25 Amps onto the same breaker with a 4 slice toaster which is 20 Amps I think you need to get your house rewired ASAP. I have never seen a single pole 50A breaker in a panel box, they do exist but I have never seen one wired in.
Most electricians will not go past 30A breakers for a 120V load. In my Kitchen the Toaster outlet, Stove outlet and Microwave outlet are all on separate breakers.

If your electrician has wired a 3000W burner which is 25 Amps onto the same breaker with a 4 slice toaster which is 20 Amps I think you need to get your house rewired ASAP. I have never seen a single pole 50A breaker in a panel box, they do exist but I have never seen one wired in.
Most electricians will not go past 30A breakers for a 120V load. In my Kitchen the Toaster outlet, Stove outlet and Microwave outlet are all on separate breakers.

Yes 4500w is too much for a single breaker, but the point is still valid. Not all loads can be balanced easily if you are using more than 100% capacity of a leg. You most likely will run in to problems.

 

[robby]

If you crank the math on a 200A house the probability of combinations that exceed 4500w (or even 5000w) on each leg is very high, the Growatt 12kw has no balance either and the sheer capacity increase tends to safeguard he risk better, maybe if Solark delivers a 12kw inverter in the 12kw unit it would address the issue going forward, or a balance transformer for that matter, they are cheap ya know.
As someone who dragged my family through the R+D mud going off grid I can say that is 100% believable and I have done worse in the name of science, not everybody has the luxury of buying a second inverter, the cobbler's kids never have shoes bro, -James

I won't ask the question again because it's obvious that you are deflecting and refusing to answer it.

 

[Samsonite801]

Watching this David Poz video didn't give me any negative vibs about Sol-Ark inverters, my opinion of them is very high based on all the people I know who love them. My position is that systems always need to be properly sized for the intended loads, understanding what their limitations are.

So far except for me, 100% of our shareholders on our off-grid homestead community are running EMP-hardened Sol-Ark 12k's and none of them complain, they all still praise them. I didn't want to spend that much on my setup for now so I went with dual MPPs (haven't even hooked them up yet so I can't speak for how well they'll work for me yet)...

I'm sure if my community gets their houses built finally and start running more sustained imbalanced loads, then they may come to some point where they see fit to add another inverter and stack 2x Sol-Arks. Half the battle is just understanding what the equipment is capable of and ensuring that you are properly sized, or else everyone in the household is properly trained to understand how to work around and use the system based on its limitations.

 

[Struc]

And yet he has the Grid available and he uses it with his Growatt system.

And you avoided my question above about proof of that. Hmmm....

Your avoiding the question:

Am I to believe that David had Mrs. Poz dealing with constant blackouts six times a day for a month because he would not Grid tie the Inverter or use his Transformer or even call Sol-Ark to ask them for help?

I don't remember anyone ever saying 6 times per day, nor would anyone put up with that. I would assume after a few days, you figure out what you can and can't do, and adjust your behavior. I think the point of the video is exactly that. They needed to adjust and think about what they were doing before they did it.

Because bringing in the unhappy Wife at the end was either pure pander for clicks or he actually made her suffer for a month when he could have fixed the problem in 15 minutes.

Yeah, let's patch the $7000 inverter with another transformer so that the test is more upbeat and positive. Good plan.

 

[Samsonite801]

If you crank the math on a 200A house the probability of combinations that exceed 4500w (or even 5000w) on each leg is very high, the Growatt 12kw has no balance either and the sheer capacity increase tends to safeguard he risk better, maybe if Solark delivers a 12kw inverter in the 12kw unit it would address the issue going forward, or a balance transformer for that matter, they are cheap ya know.
As someone who dragged my family through the R+D mud going off grid I can say that is 100% believable and I have done worse in the name of science, not everybody has the luxury of buying a second inverter, the cobbler's kids never have shoes bro, -James

I think on Sol-Arks, the 12k number refers to the solar PV input capacity watts, the inverter circuit is 9kW, and that would be split 4500w across each leg, so that sounds about right that 4500w on one leg would trip the inverter.

When inverters are stacked, different brands achieve it differently. When you stack a Growatt with a second one, it is just the 240v bus, so it adds amps. On my MPPs, when you stack a second inverter (which are 120v only), it uses each inverter as a hot leg, so it requires both to even get 240v in the first place. So 2x MPPs operates more like a single Sol-Ark would as one unit.

I imagine when you stack 2x Sol-Arks, it would bridge both the respective hot lines from each one and just add amps to the buses. So probably 2x Sol-Arks would make 9000w on each leg, and 18000w on the 240v bus...

 

[robby]

And you avoided my question above about proof of that. Hmmm....

He mentions it in his videos several times.
I don't even care if he has Grid power and did not use it. I am only saying it was one of several options he had available to him and he deliberately ignored all of them so as to make the video sensational and please his Sponsor. Do you honestly think they sent him a $7K Sol-Ark so that he could show off it's cool features and make it look good?

Anyway Here is David Poz saying he has Grid Power. Go to the one minute mark.

I don't remember anyone ever saying 6 times per day, nor would anyone put up with that. I would assume after a few days, you figure out what you can and can't do, and adjust your behavior. I think the point of the video is exactly that. They needed to adjust and think about what they were doing before they did it.

Yeah, let's patch the $7000 inverter with another transformer so that the test is more upbeat and positive. Good plan.

Lets spend 20 minutes shifting the 120V breakers and balancing the load like all solar Installers do.

 

[Struc]

He mentions it in his videos several times.

I never said he didn't have Grid Power. I know he does. He switches back and forth from his grid power all the time. He uses a transfer switch to go from solar/inverters to Grid.

And yet he has the Grid available and he uses it with his Growatt system.

THIS is what you wrote. That he uses it with his Growatt system. He does not. It was an apples to apples comparison.

I am only saying it was one of several options he had available to him and he deliberately ignored all of them so as to make the video sensational and please his Sponsor. Do you honestly think they sent him a $7K Sol-Ark so that he could show off it's cool features and make it look good?

I think you're being overly critical and cynical. He was using it as he has used all his inverter systems. I do not see trying to force it to work correctly FOR HIM as a valid test and what the video was about. He configured it the same as his other systems. He mentioned in his first video he was really excited to be able to get his hands on one and has wanted to for a long time and was excited to have a chance to test it. I don't see anything in his video bashing the Sol*Ark, and yet everyone is reading it that way. He was doing a VERY basic review talking about how it worked FOR HIM when he put it in place of the existing setup.

 

[robby]

I never said he didn't have Grid Power. I know he does. He switches back and forth from his grid power all the time. He uses a transfer switch to go from solar/inverters to Grid.

Oh you most certainly implied that he had no Grid power and was off Grid.

THIS is what you wrote. That he uses it with his Growatt system. He does not. It was an apples to apples comparison.

What Comparison!! All he did was plug super heavy loads into the Sol-Ark and trip it. There was no review, there was no comparison, it was just a hit Job on Sol-Ark orchestrated by their competitor.

I think you're being overly critical and cynical. He was using it as he has used all his inverter systems. I do not see trying to force it to work correctly FOR HIM as a valid test and what the video was about. He configured it the same as his other systems. He mentioned in his first video he was really excited to be able to get his hands on one and has wanted to for a long time and was excited to have a chance to test it. I don't see anything in his video bashing the Sol*Ark, and yet everyone is reading it that way. He was doing a VERY basic review talking about how it worked FOR HIM when he put it in place of the existing setup.

Look I get the hero worship thing some people have for known YouTube content creators. You need to feel like your defending him because his videos have made you like him. I was going to subscribe to his channel just based on his positive attitude, but I backed out when he admitted he has no electrical or technical knowledge. I am an Electronic Engineer and I am a lot more interested in getting accurate information than having someone give me the cutsie smile like the ones my Kids give me when I ask them if they ate the cookies out of the Jar.

If he was really excited to get his hands on one, you would think he would read the manual and set the settings correctly and then do a firmware update. After all of that If he was still having problems you would expect him to call the company and they would advice him on how to fix it. One thing that no one will ever question about Sol-Ark is just how dam good their customer support is. If he had called he would have been in contact with a knowledgeable technician within 5 minutes.

Why is it that you think after 30 days of hell he did not once call Sol-Ark? I mean poor Mrs. Poz having to deal with the constant Blackouts and you don't call the company to find out if there is a solution?

This is all getting super repetitive. We now have had our suspicion confirmed that it was David's Sponsor who is also Sol-Arks competitor that supplied him with the Inverter. Does anybody really think the outcome of this video was going to be anything other than a thumbs up for Growatt and Thumbs down for Sol-Ark?

 

[Struc]

Oh you most certainly implied that he had no Grid power and was off Grid.

Prove it. Show me where I said that or implied that. You're getting a little unhinged without much to back up your wild claims.

What Comparison!! All he did was plug super heavy loads into the Sol-Ark and trip it. There was no review, there was no comparison, it was just a hit Job on Sol-Ark orchestrated by their competitor.

He was demonstrating what was happening when he was using it in real life by creating loads to show it happen. It would have been stupid to run back in the house and turn on the stove and toaster to show the exact same result. Again, wild theory without much backing it up.

Look I get the hero worship thing some people have for known YouTube content creators. You need to feel like your defending him because his videos have made you like him. I was going to subscribe to his channel just based on his positive attitude, but I backed out when he admitted he has no electrical or technical knowledge. I am an Electronic Engineer and I am a lot more interested in getting accurate information than having someone give me the cutsie smile like the ones my Kids give me when I ask them if they ate the cookies out of the Jar.

Another fantastic claim. I have no hero worship going on. I do like him, but yes, this video was not one of his best. Personally, I agree with you that his videos are lacking technical expertise, and that does turn me off at times. OTOH, he's funny and exuberant in his naïve way, and I do enjoy watching some of his stuff. His reviews are exactly what they are... a personal experience messing with this stuff and trying to share it.

If he was really excited to get his hands on one, you would think he would read the manual and set the settings correctly and then do a firmware update. After all of that If he was still having problems you would expect him to call the company and they would advice him on how to fix it. One thing that no one will ever question about Sol-Ark is just how dam good their customer support is. If he had called he would have been in contact with a knowledgeable technician within 5 minutes.

I don't disagree.

Why is it that you think after 30 days of hell he did not once call Sol-Ark? I mean poor Mrs. Poz having to deal with the constant Blackouts and you don't call the company to find out if there is a solution?

This is all getting super repetitive. We now have had our suspicion confirmed that it was David's Sponsor who is also Sol-Arks competitor that supplied him with the Inverter. Does anybody really think the outcome of this video was going to be anything other than a thumbs up for Growatt and Thumbs down for Sol-Ark?

For his personal situation - yes, I can't argue with that. He has spent a LOT of time and done a LOT of videos on the Growatt, and he likes them. Is it a conspiracy? Naaah... This is his PERSONAL OPINION based on his PERSONAL EXPIRIENCE. I can't see how his video would sway anybody who wants to use the features of the Sol-Ark to swap to a Growatt instead. They are on completely different levels - 2 entirely separate products really.

But, you're going to keep believing in conspiracies, so I'll go away now.

 

[robby]

Prove it. Show me where I said that or implied that. You're getting a little unhinged without much to back up your wild claims.

Yeah on a second read I think you are right. I read it and figured you implied that he was completely off grid when I knew he had said he had Grid power. I realize you are right.

 

[SignatureSolarUS]

I won't ask the question again because it's obvious that you are deflecting and refusing to answer it.

unanswered question not detected...

 

[SignatureSolarUS]

Yeah on a second read I think you are right. I read it and figured you implied that he was completely off grid when I knew he had said he had Grid power. I realize you are right.

If your comments were "deleted" why are the 13x of other similar critical comments still up? the CONSPIRACY is getting pretty sloppy...

Maybe we should fire David as our evil genius because he is doing such a poor job of obfuscating the truth???

 

[Cheap 4-life]

If your electrician has wired a 3000W burner which is 25 Amps onto the same breaker with a 4 slice toaster which is 20 Amps I think you need to get your house rewired ASAP. I have never seen a single pole 50A breaker in a panel box, they do exist but I have never seen one wired in.
Most electricians will not go past 30A breakers for a 120V load. In my Kitchen the Toaster outlet, Stove outlet and Microwave outlet are all on separate breakers.

For most homes it’s very easy for there to be a difference of load between legs that puts one leg over 4500w, even with a balanced panel.. Also separate breakers does not mean separate legs..

 

[Cheap 4-life]

I think most people got from his video the same things I did..
if offgrid and using a SolArk make sure that one of your legs won’t go over 4500, or be prepared to buy an additional transformer.. if you are only going to be offgrid then the growatts with a transformer is cheaper and might be a better option because you can go over 4500w on one leg when using the growatt.. All that is true as can be..
I mean he even said the SolArk has more features than the growatts, although the extra features are for things he doesn’t need

 

[robby]

For most homes it’s very easy for there to be 4500w difference of load between legs even with a balanced panel.. Also separate breakers does not mean separate legs..

I am using roughly 50KWh per day and have zero issues with unbalanced loads or the tripping of my Sol-Ark.
If your having a 4500W imbalance in your panel box then you must be using a lot of power. In that case you get two Sol-Arks 12K or wait for the 15K model to be released. Also Separate breakers on high 120V loads does mean separate legs if your electrician is doing their Job properly. It's not rocket science to figure out what are the most commonly turned on high power 120V Appliances and then moving the breakers up or down a slot to keep them from being on the same leg.

 

[robby]

If your comments were "deleted" why are the 13x of other similar critical comments still up? the CONSPIRACY is getting pretty sloppy...

Maybe we should fire David as our evil genius because he is doing such a poor job of obfuscating the truth???

I guess Sol-Ark is also lying when they state that 6 of their messages have been deleted? I guess I am hallucinating when I see that two of mine and several other peoples comments have been deleted? David is deleting all the ones that he does not like and leaving some others like Engineer775 comments up because he knows he will get a video smack down from Engineer775 if he starts to censor him. Some of the other people who are major followers of his channel have been saying the same thing in a more delicate manor.

13x, I wonder why there are so many critical comments still left if the video was so fair and balanced?

 

[Cheap 4-life]

I am using roughly 50KWh per day and have zero issues with unbalanced loads or the tripping of my Sol-Ark.
If your having a 4500W imbalance in your panel box then you must be using a lot of power. In that case you get two Sol-Arks 12K or wait for the 15K model to be released. Also Separate breakers on high 120V loads does mean separate legs if your electrician is doing their Job properly. It's not rocket science to figure out what are the most commonly turned on high power 120V Appliances and then moving the breakers up or down a slot to keep them from being on the same leg.

There are many large 120v loads in most homes. Not just one or two. Very easy to have 3 or 4 of them using power on the same leg sometimes and trip a SolArk 4500w limit. In Davids video it was 6 times (or whatever he said) in a month. which sounds reasonable for most homes even with a balanced panel.. There’s flat irons, heaters, stove tops, turbo cookers, toasters, tools, etc etc, and many smaller loads that are all 120v.
I use very little power and might only see a leg over 4500w (due to 120v loads) a hand full of times in a year. But I installed my main panel and balanced it the best I could.. but things get added and added.
To me the point is that the legs being unbalanced occasionally, will not trip the cheaper growatts with transformer. With a SolArk a person would might have to be mindful of what loads they are using, like Pozs’ old lady was doing. Or spend even more money and get a transformer for the SolArk

 

[robby]

There are many large 120v loads in most homes. Not just one or two. Very easy to have 3 or 4 of them using power on the same leg sometimes and trip a SolArk 4500w limit. In Davids video it was 6 times (or whatever he said) in a month. which sounds reasonable for most homes even with a balanced panel.. There’s flat irons, heaters, stove tops, turbo cookers, toasters, tools, etc etc, and many smaller loads that are all 120v.
I use very little power and might only see my legs 4500w out of balance a hand full of times in a year. But I installed my main panel and balanced it best I could.. but things get added and added

Yes and if your off grid you learn to live with good practices like not running the water heater, Dryer and washer, Microwave, the toaster and Iron plus a Table saw all at the same time. Most Split phase Inverters cannot even do close to 4500W on one leg and battery power is always a premium. David Poz is not off Grid so he can do whatever he wants.

BTW you consider an inverter tripping 6 times per month reasonable? Mine has not tripped once since I installed it 5 months ago.

 

[Cheap 4-life]

Yes and if your off grid you learn to live with good practices like not running the water heater, Dryer and washer, Microwave, the toaster and Iron plus a Table saw all at the same time. Most Split phase Inverters cannot even do close to 4500W on one leg and battery power is always a premium. David Poz is not off Grid so he can do whatever he wants.

I agree if your offgrid you usually manage your loads.. but with the (cheaper) growatts and transformer, a person doesn’t have to manage their loads as much. That’s imo the entire point of his video. “Most splitphase inverters cannot even” yeah and most inverters don’t cost as much as SolArk. For the price imo it shouldn’t trip if the cheaper growatts and transformer are not tripping. Not to take away from the added value of SolArks other features/selling points (like much lower power consumption than growatts). But the video was referring to offgrid and his experience with the SolArk offgrid compared to the (cheaper) growatts and transformer

 

[Struc]

if offgrid and using a SolArk make sure your legs are not more than 4500w out of balance, or be prepared to buy an additional transformer..

I've seen this mentioned on the past few posts. There was no problem with being 4500w out of balance at all in the video. It was when one leg (L2) went slightly above 4600w (4629w) that caused the problem. L1 was pulling 2871w. So, the imbalance was only 1759w.

Would a mid point transformer have helped even those loads out? Yes, absolutely.