heirloom hamlet
life my way
Anyone know why there is such a spark when you plug something into the ac output on the LV2424s? Happens every time. Is it avoidable?
Idk, but all there is is a chopped 12awg ext cord wired to the inverter's output and am plugging in typical grounded and ungrounded plugs into it...ext cord, led lights, phone or laptop charger...and they always noticably spark more than normal. It isn't a single spark either. If you're fiddling while trying to get it inserted, and it makes then loses and remakes contact, it will spark each time. I should run experiments to see if any cords or scenarios DO NOT create a spark.There shouldn't really be any more of a spark than if you plugged something into a wall socket. If anything, likely less because the wall socket is backed by a very low impedance supply, ie the mains (grid), while the inverter is comparatively lightweight. Perhaps the issue is the depth of the pins in the inverter's sockets, ie they are closer to the surface making the arc appear to be worse? Perhaps there is something going on a high (10+kHz) frequencies?
My own experience is that, as expected, inverters are less bitey than the mains.
Maybe. Seems out of the ordinary. My gut tells me there is a different dynamic of some sort and I have learned to pay attention to that dude.If you jiggle and dither while plugging into a standard wall outlet you'll get arcing a plenty too, except it will be a lot more violent due to the low impedance source - the mains. Maybe you are used to the larger splat from a standard outlet vs the lower level arcing from an inverter? Maybe you are just being more aware of the situation when plugging into the inverter?
No, today just an unplugged power cord and a small charger that was off. An off fan. It's odd, I thought that it would be a smaller load than the mains, too. But it's consistent.Did you have the load turned on on the ac devise you were plugging in? That might be the reason.
Just guessing?
Well, it really hasn't been resolved. @RCinFLA is correct, I am just connecting and testing the MPPs and everything else en route to my full system hookup. The LV2424s have been sitting waiting while I get the cells in, charge and top balance, find a BMS and learned to connect them. I've done everything now except make a permanent mount for the x24 250w panels.@ecualibrium
How did it get resolved? People are naturally curious and would like closure. There may be a lesson that we can all learn.
Since the breaker is to protect the wire you are commiting to using 10 AWG wire on anything past that breaker. Most household circuits are 20 Amps using 12 AWG wire which is pretty common at Home Centers and hardware stores. Some lighting circuits use 16 AWG with 15 Amp breakers. You will find a significant price difference between those size wires.It took a bit to figure exactly what size breaker I needed after ac leaves the inverter, but I've settled on 25a.
Well, it really hasn't been resolved. @RCinFLA is correct, I am just connecting and testing the MPPs and everything else en route to my full system hookup. The LV2424s have been sitting waiting while I get the cells in, charge and top balance, find a BMS and learned to connect them. I've done everything now except make a permanent mount for the x24 250w panels.
So you were on to something too when you asked about the circuit breaker. I am waiting for the 25a breakers to arrive, but, no there is no connected breaker just yet. That is unless the LV2424 has a built-in inverter fuse, which it may, I can't quite tell. It took a bit to figure exactly what size breaker I needed after ac leaves the inverter, but I've settled on 25a. I also have to drive in my x2 8ft copper grounding rods and ground the systems. Simply using the ground screw on the units is essentially nothing, as I understand it.
It is all hooked up now exactly how Will did it in his quick video. While I will ultimately have a larger 6awg wire running from the inverter outlet to the breaker, and then aluminum 2 guage from there to the home box, right now it is just a chopped 12awg cord outlet.
And every time plug into it it sparks more than what I consider normal. I'm starting to think it won't always be this way, once I wire to breakers and ground the systems.
Would that show up as voltage between neutral and ground?There shouldn't be, but sometimes there are ZNR's surge protectors and/or some disc caps between neutral and case grounding. Your 'sparks' might be caused by them so connecting neutral to ground should prevent it.
Anyone know why there is such a spark when you plug something into the ac output on the LV2424s? Happens every time. Is it avoidable?
Well, my setup is a distance away from the homes it will be powering. So I'll have the inverter go to this 25a breaker and then from there it will travel about a hundred feet. That's what the 2-2-4is for. It will run into a breaker box on the home and be distributed with 14awg and 12awg into a few 15s and maybe a 20 in the space.Since the breaker is to protect the wire you are commiting to using 10 AWG wire on anything past that breaker. Most household circuits are 20 Amps using 12 AWG wire which is pretty common at Home Centers and hardware stores. Some lighting circuits use 16 AWG with 15 Amp breakers. You will find a significant price difference between those size wires.
BTW you never answered my question about the voltage at that chopped 12 awg cord? A useful diagnostic would be to check voltages to ground, nuetral and between each conductor.