SunGold Power SP6548 Flickering lights after new install

[DanielS]

@Quattrohead have you checked the power usage on the grid supply? Just hooked up monitoring on the entire service and see 90-100watts being pulled from the grid by the inverter at all times when grid power is supplied to the unit. This can not be normal.

I have the same on my LV6548’s. It’s due to the inverters staying in sync with the grid so they can swap between. I haven’t really looked at the circuit to see why it’s that much, but it’s reasonable to assume that it’s not zero.

 

[DanielS]

I too have the LED on dimmers flicker issue on the Lv6548…the issue for me is more prominent when the overall load is low. If the AC comes on it usually reduces or eliminates the issue. Oddly enough I have a Sous Vide cooler that will exacerbate the problem. It’s a 1000w load at 120VAC with a resistive load and an inductive circulator motor. I live with the issue so far but would be interested in any solutions y’all have found. I feel like that fact that not everyone has the issue lends to this being a neutral or ground issues

 

[nc73]

I too have the LED on dimmers flicker issue on the Lv6548…the issue for me is more prominent when the overall load is low. If the AC comes on it usually reduces or eliminates the issue. Oddly enough I have a Sous Vide cooler that will exacerbate the problem. It’s a 1000w load at 120VAC with a resistive load and an inductive circulator motor. I live with the issue so far but would be interested in any solutions y’all have found. I feel like that fact that not everyone has the issue lends to this being a neutral or ground issues

Have you tried a 20uf cap like the OP?

 

[nc73]

Seems pretty close to the issue I had with the lvx model. The cap did fix it.

 

[nofear72784]

So far none of the fixes proposed have alleviated the issue. Still a work in progress. The wife's hair straightener causes all kinds of havoc on the lighting just like your sous vide cooker.

 

[Quattrohead]

I have not been able to check any power draw from grid as they alarm when I connected them, not sure why yet and have not investigated any further.

It was on sale the other day now back to normal

https://www.amazon.com/HQRP-2-Pack-Ceiling-Capacitor-Coaster/dp/B01N5NLYY9/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=capacitor%2Bfan%2B20uf&qid=1663342435&sr=8-4&th=1

Not sure I would trust that type of capacitor 24/7/365. You should use Class-X or Class-Y something like this - 22uf-310vac real cap !!! Although everything seems to be out of stock ATM so maybe they decided to ship inverters without them lol

 

[Quattrohead]

@Quattrohead have you checked the power usage on the grid supply? Just hooked up monitoring on the entire service and see 90-100watts being pulled from the grid by the inverter at all times when grid power is supplied to the unit. This can not be normal.

No I have not, my pair alarm as soon as I connect them to grid, not sure why yet.

 

[RV10flyer]

Do your variable speed units start ok on the inverters? I have two EG 4 6.5K in split phase and a newly installed Lennox 4-ton variable speed heat pump system installed with propane for the heating, dual fuel no electric elements. I know my old unit had104LRA to start but with these new variable ones, I think a lot less is required. I am hesitant to try to start the HVAC because I don't want to damage it. I can start my deep well pump fine which pulls 40A per leg inrush current.

The vs compressors are so gentle ramping up. The current on the whole system just gradually increases to stabilize at 3-14A, at 240VAC. There is no inrush. A soft start is the next best thing, with a 19-20A inrush current on a typical modern 14 SEER 2 ton hp system.

 

[bones1]

The vs compressors are so gentle ramping up. The current on the whole system just gradually increases to stabilize at 3-14A, at 240VAC. There is no inrush. A soft start is the next best thing, with a 19-20A inrush current on a typical modern 14 SEER 2 ton hp system.

Excellent information, thanks. I noticed that the A/C unit did ramp up slowly when it started. Shouldn't be an issue starting the 4 ton unit on two EG4's then. One day I will try it out. That's the only thing in the house I have not tried so far.

 

[Quattrohead]

My pair of SP6548 start up my 3 ton heat pump no problem, and it is a hard bastard to get going sometimes LOL. Both Growatt 6000T and Solark 12k (but not really) had trouble with it. The Growatt would growl and not manage it maybe 1% of starts, the Solark was about 50%.
Your inverter based heat pumps should be easy to start.

 

[RV10flyer]

Excellent information, thanks. I noticed that the A/C unit did ramp up slowly when it started. Shouldn't be an issue starting the 4 ton unit on two EG4's then. One day I will try it out. That's the only thing in the house I have not tried so far.

as long as the compressor is variable speed, if it's only the blower that is variable speed then you might have a hard time.

 

[bones1]

It's their top of the line inverter model

 

[BenFromSignatureSolar]

I too have the LED on dimmers flicker issue on the Lv6548…the issue for me is more prominent when the overall load is low. If the AC comes on it usually reduces or eliminates the issue. Oddly enough I have a Sous Vide cooler that will exacerbate the problem. It’s a 1000w load at 120VAC with a resistive load and an inductive circulator motor. I live with the issue so far but would be interested in any solutions y’all have found. I feel like that fact that not everyone has the issue lends to this being a neutral or ground issues

We've noticed in R&D application that dimmer switches can be rough on HF inverters. Especially low cost dimmer switches. Seems like if we used a dimmer that cost $20+ everything was fine.

 

[DanielS]

We've noticed in R&D application that dimmer switches can be rough on HF inverters. Especially low cost dimmer switches. Seems like if we used a dimmer that cost $20+ everything was fine.

Yeah, I have Homeseer dimmers. Regardless is still says there is something unstable on the line. Mine isn’t as bad as OPs hence why I’m not pushing a solution that hard, but I’d just like the comfort of having the output stable

 

[midahar]

We've noticed in R&D application that dimmer switches can be rough on HF inverters. Especially low cost dimmer switches. Seems like if we used a dimmer that cost $20+ everything was fine.

 

[midahar]

I'm trying to think of how our dimmer switch Works isn't it pulse width modulation is how they dimLEDs and not by resistance so there must be a chip in the dimmer switch and and it just doesn't work very well with although I don't know why I need to look and see what the discreet components are dimmer switch is composed of

 

[BenFromSignatureSolar]

I'm trying to think of how our dimmer switch Works isn't it pulse with modulation is how they damn LEDs and not by resistance so there must be a chip in the dimmer switch and and it just doesn't work very well with although I don't know why I need to look and see what the discreet components are dimmer switch is composed of

There are apparently a few different ways that they can work. I'm not sure exactly what it is that makes the difference.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I just don't like the idea that the dimmer screws with the source. It should only modulate the output IMO. If it impacts the source that's kinda crappy IMO.

 

[Mjs]

Line voltage dimmers are either forward phase control or reverse phase control.

When incandescent lightning was the norm almost all were forward phase control. In this mode the dimmer waits a certain amount of time from the zero crossing point in the sine wave to turn on and turns off again at the next zero crossing to wait the appropriate time before turning on again. This was fine with incandescent filaments as the filament could absorb the sudden voltage spike. The exception being large filaments which would audibly "sing" due to the filament moving with the alternating magnetic fields.

As fluorescent and low voltage fixtures became more common it was necessary for dimmers to change to reverse phase control since magnetic xfmrs do not like the sudden inrush voltage. In this mode the sine wave starts ar the zero crossing point and turns off at some point in the sine wave.

Electronic drivers for led lights changed all this. While the led themselves are usually pwm controlled the driver still uses the sine wave timing to determine the pwm output. So the quality of the incoming sine wave will have an effect on the dimmer timing and the led driver's interpretation of this signal.

I don't claim to know all (or any) of the details of specific products. This is just my general observation from 25 years in the dimming industry (and I've been retired for 10).

YMMV, etc.

 

[RV10flyer]

There are apparently a few different ways that they can work. I'm not sure exactly what it is that makes the difference.

Same for me with the LED lights. I had six flickering bulbs in the mbath. Switched to CREE brand from Amazon and no more flicker. They had been doing that since I installed my 20 Seer variable speed heat pump system that sits about 6 feet outside my bathroom wall. Installing the inverters, going completely off grid, did not change anything. Only when I changed the bulbs, it stopped.