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Solar inverter: LED lights flickering while running the washing machine or blender

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Nov 4, 2022
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Recently installed an off-grid system in my house with Make Sky Blue 6.6KW inverter and 9.6KW LifePO4 battery pack.
When running the washing machine I can see LED light flickering issue.
I don't think this is happening due to the battery or battery cable because there is no issue with the electric geezer and Air conditioner (Those consume more power than the washing machine). It seems this is happening when the more powerful motor is running (In the washing machine and the blender)
There is no issue when running with utility power (which also comes through the inverter)

The distance between the inverter and the main board is around 10m. But there is no option to change the inverter location or main board location due to the installation cost and other difficulties.

How do I isolate if is this an issue in the inverter or load wire (main board -> inverter and vice versa) or something else?
 
Recently installed an off-grid system in my house with Make Sky Blue 6.6KW inverter and 9.6KW LifePO4 battery pack.
When running the washing machine I can see LED light flickering issue.
I don't think this is happening due to the battery or battery cable because there is no issue with the electric geezer and Air conditioner (Those consume more power than the washing machine). It seems this is happening when the more powerful motor is running (In the washing machine and the blender)
There is no issue when running with utility power (which also comes through the inverter)

The distance between the inverter and the main board is around 10m. But there is no option to change the inverter location or main board location due to the installation cost and other difficulties.

How do I isolate if is this an issue in the inverter or load wire (main board -> inverter and vice versa) or something else?
This is pretty common. Mine does it with my blender and when the batteries are getting close to 10% SOC or 48V. Also when my 75kW tankless water heater comes on I get flickering for a good 20 seconds. I think it has to do with the high frequency inverter, that there isn’t enough capacity margin to keep the voltage from rapidly dipping. Nothing much we can do to resolve at this point.
 
This is pretty common. Mine does it with my blender and when the batteries are getting close to 10% SOC or 48V. Also when my 75kW tankless water heater comes on I get flickering for a good 20 seconds. I think it has to do with the high frequency inverter, that there isn’t enough capacity margin to keep the voltage from rapidly dipping. Nothing much we can do to resolve at this point.
In my case no matter the remaining battery capacity. Even the washing machine runs from SOL-only mode I see this issue when it spins/rotates the motor (of the washing machine).
Would like to hear other's experience with make blue sky inverter or other inverters with similar issues and the fixes.
 
In my case no matter the remaining battery capacity. Even the washing machine runs from SOL-only mode I see this issue when it spins/rotates the motor (of the washing machine).
Would like to hear other's experience with make blue sky inverter or other inverters with similar issues and the fixes.
Air conditioners are usually 240V balanced load, washing machines and blenders are 120V unbalanced loads.
Also, the washing machine has constantly changing loads as the tub reverses. Fairly common for them to cause spikes and sags in voltage the lights pick up and flicker. Different lights can solve the effect, as would a larger inverter more capable of dealing with the imbalance.
 
Most the newer washing machines actually stop and reverse the driving AC motor for every agitator rotation reversal. You get a motor starting surge current for every slosh of the agitator. Terrible for battery powered inverters.
 
Most the newer washing machines actually stop and reverse the driving AC motor for every agitator rotation reversal. You get a motor starting surge current for every slosh of the agitator. Terrible for battery powered inverters.
Will this damage my electrical appliances in my house?
 
Not likely but most LED lights are very sensitive to AC voltage fluctuations.
 
It likely will not cause damage, but you might benefit from a larger battery. A washing machine or blender likely has about 3.5-4kVA of inrush energy; generally you want to keep running + inrush energy to under half of the inverter's 10-second overload rating.
 
Most the newer washing machines actually stop and reverse the driving AC motor for every agitator rotation reversal. You get a motor starting surge current for every slosh of the agitator. Terrible for battery powered inverters.
Fortunately. we haven’t experienced this with our new LG front loader. Running 6 inverters (39 kW) and 50 kWh batteries.
 
Just a heads up I had this issue with my off grid mpp solar and couple of pylon batteries it only happened on a few led lights not all, turned out to be the dimmer module not liking the voltage changes. Changed it for a different brand and all is well.
Fyi the dimmable leds in the house show the voltage changes quite well as the oven and larger loads change but the non-dimmable lamps are fine.
 
Interesting discussion.... I recently set up my Ecoflow Delta Pro via a Reliance transfer switch and a couple of days ago noticed the led lights in my office flickering when various appliances/circuits engaged or disconnected ... even when those devices are on grid power and the office led lights are on battery/solar power.

Does not flicker when I put the overhead LED bulbs on grid.

I was thinking it might be some kind of ground fault or weird cross-phase wiring issue but what I'm reading above sounds like it is 'just the way it is."

Any suggestions or solutions?

I note the above 'different brand of LED' solution but not sure if these bulbs are even dimmable or not...
 
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