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Victron Multiplus 3000 and EG4 Lifepower Battery Compatibility Issues?

Yeah, I get where you are coming from. I built a couple of 4S batteries with JBD BMS's for a friend that was upgrading from lead acid and almost all Victron. A few people here tried to convince me to go with a REC BMS ($$$$) but I just put a Victron Smart Shunt on the battery bank and it has all been working well, with the shunt reporting the SoC to the Cerbo GX just fine.

Thanks.

Yeah, that’s exactly how mine is setup.

Smart Shunt to the Cerbo GX.

I Have the Victron temp sensors, and such on the batteries.

Works great
 
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For whatever it’s worth.. here’s a view of the EG4 BMS that came out of my 400ah 12v Lifepower battery next to an Overkill 120a BMS

EG4 build quality and finish is definitely superior…. Cooling fins on the back as well

Just wish their software worked

EG4 on Left

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got it. You are probably aware that there are some soft start options for existing systems.

Technically this A/C has one built in, but it’s apparently not the most efficient style out there, but there are no other soft starts for this unit.

Also, we’ve measured the draw, even when it spikes and it’s still way under the supposed BMS limit

Thanks
 
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Have you tried your Communication cables from one battery to the next battery then to either your computer ???

Looks like the communication cable in the picture is only going to one battery I believe the bms’s need to communicate to each other

But I could be wrong ...just an observation


I run two of the e.g.4’s in parallel
At 24v 200ah
And it runs my 13,500 BTU AC unit in my RV flawlessly
On a 24v - 4000 W inverter Giandel
My inverter does have a soft start feature built into it though
 
Have you tried your Communication cables from one battery to the next battery then to either your computer ???

Looks like the communication cable in the picture is only going to one battery I believe the bms’s need to communicate to each other

But I could be wrong ...just an observation


I run two of the e.g.4’s in parallel
At 24v 200ah
And it runs my 13,500 BTU AC unit in my RV flawlessly
On a 24v - 4000 W inverter Giandel
My inverter does have a soft start feature built into it though

Yes, that was the first thing I tried
 
Here are some photos after finishing up the second one:

Photo1: Plug from EG4 BMS and leads identical to Overkill Solar

Photo2: Added a 200a breaker (doubles as on/off switch) and voltage gauge

Photo3: install (before tidying it up)

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Here are some photos after finishing up the second one:

Photo1: Plug from EG4 BMS and leads identical to Overkill Solar

Photo2: Added a 200a breaker (doubles as on/off switch) and voltage gauge

Photo3: install (before tidying it up)

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View attachment 93773
Nice work, but gosh. Doesn't seem like you should have to do this. Seems like you paid lots of money for a case and some raw cells, then had to pay more money for a BMS, then had to manufacture a completed battery.
 
Nice work, but gosh. Doesn't seem like you should have to do this. Seems like you paid lots of money for a case and some raw cells, then had to pay more money for a BMS, then had to manufacture a completed battery.

Thanks

Yeah. Not ideal, but kind of my only option.

To be clear, I was offered a full refund when I first had issues.

But my work schedule sucks and it took me over a week to pick them up from the freight terminal in the first place so it was easier just to bite the bullet to make it work.

Inverter and A/C working great

Hopefully this is the last time I have to mess with them
 
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Here are some photos after finishing up the second one:

Photo1: Plug from EG4 BMS and leads identical to Overkill Solar

Photo2: Added a 200a breaker (doubles as on/off switch) and voltage gauge

Photo3: install (before tidying it up)

View attachment 93771
View attachment 93772

View attachment 93773
@SoCalKevin message me for a full order value credit here at signature solar, you have provided hugely helpful feedback, the 12v400 pack is kind of a stepchild that we should have tried with more inverters first, we will lean in and improve as we get some more gear, my victron multiplus 3000 is on the way. we do a lot here but i will try to bump this up.
 
Richard and all,

Thanks for the support.
I have a similar situation and is NOT 100% the battery bank fault, but all the same, I have to find a resolution. Existing dual Outback Radian 8048 installed for many years with 22,000AH Gel cell carbon nano batteries. Ran out of cycles for having to charge with a generator in the middle of the night for 3 months out of the year. 4 ton Air Conditioning load (107 LRA Lock Rotor Amps) = 25,680W Means 535 Amps draw (at 48V), 10 seconds 20 times a day. Powered by 15KW solar, 3 each Flex Max 100-300 Charge controllers.

Rack of 6 EG4 Lifepower4 installed about 20 days ago. 4/0 attached to a large busbar system (MIDNITE, MNBCB 1000/100, BATTERY COMBINER) with breakers before the inverter-charge controller. Cross connected negative upper right side, positive lower left side.

Everything appears fine, until the AC compressor kicks in. then the top or second from the top battery blinks and turns off and then cascades down the rack. 6,5,4,3,2,1 and shutdown. Then becomes a bear to get the whole Outback system back up and running.

Look inside the battery bms and short circuit or something like that. Blew out one of the EG4's (shows 53V in the BMS but measures only 42V at the terminals) (have spares at the office and added 1 more battery to the bus bar system. Back ordered 3 and 6 open racks showed up Friday so will rack more batteries but this is somewhat overkill (no pun intended). AC starts sometimes if the solar is charging or if the gen is on. Rest of the time, shut down. Annoying.

I am assuming the Outback Radians see the load and have an instantaneous draw for a second or 2 of up to their overload capacity (16KW each) even though it is only drawing 25KW. The rest of the time this system runs at 3-4Kw peaks, sometimes 7KW if the ac does start.

I think if just bypassed ONE of the Lifepower4's BMS the system would be happy and AC would start, like SolCalKevin's scenario but not a solution, just a troubleshooting tool but not opening a battery without your permission.

Ideas? I see changing to a less beefy BMS (Overkill) would probably solve the issue, (have to find a 48V BMS) Changing the shutdown parameters seems easier.
Shipping from your Texas location is a 10 day problem, and I need to resolve this. (central California)
SOK can get me product but they are slammed like Signature, and MAY have the same issue.
Not at all unhappy with EG4's, for most locations have mini-splits and TOU arbitrage has no need for spikes like the Outback can handle.

Also, I have had to build special cables to monitor ALL the previous EG4 batteries, Do I use the cascade cables RS485 that came with them, and just build the special cable for top battery? I can figure it out, just all the spares out in the field right now, and field cable making is annoying.

Thanks,

Jack Ramsey
 
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