Warranties 3 5 10 year, does this make a big difference in quality ? E4G or ?

[Moretorque]

Back in the day I noticed you would get a product and the warranty lets say was 2 or 5 years but then the product might last 20 years or sometimes more. Today it seems like in general the products are designed to quit once the warranty is done. I am using E4G as an example here. The 3000 AIO inverter has a 3 year warranty the 6000 a 5 and the 18 a 10 tear. Does this reflect on the quality big time today? Are the outdoor units like the 18 really made that much better? It would not surprise me if here in the states we are not able to keep any of these things running in the future coming up so IMO you better buy the best quality you can or have lots of back up....

 

[robby]

Ah yes the good old days when you could buy a refrigerator or washing machine with a 5 year warranty and lt would last 20 years or longer! It would typically last so long that people dumped working units just because they were outdated.

Today warranties are based on testing and math crunching to come up with a number that beats the odds of them getting too many warranty problems before the warranty runs out. If that ends up being completely wrong they might just close the company and leave the customers holding the bag.

I believe in buying the best unit that I can from a reputable manufacturer right at the start. Having low end spares adds up and if the model is a lemon you now have two lemons.

Buying quality device for my needs is how I do things.
I just don’t have time to dick around with problematic equipment.

 

[wpns]

Back in the day I noticed you would get a product and the warranty lets say was 2 or 5 years but then the product might last 20 years or sometimes more. Today it seems like in general the products are designed to quit once the warranty is done. I am using E4G as an example here. The 3000 AIO inverter has a 3 year warranty the 6000 a 5 and the 18 a 10 tear. Does this reflect on the quality big time today? Are the outdoor units like the 18 really made that much better? It would not surprise me if here in the states we are not able to keep any of these things running in the future coming up so IMO you better buy the best quality you can or have lots of back up....

Well, as always, it's hard to tell, and very difficult to know if you'll get even the warranty lifetime out of a product. Sure, show me the 10-year results on today's LFP batteries.

While it _feels_ like Designed Obsolescence is a thing, it's really just a side-effect of cost reductions, which we've _proven_ to the manufacturers we want.

Ask a roofer the difference between the 20, 30, and 50-year (warranty) shingles, they'll tell you there isn't any. EG4 has been in business 4 years now, it's anyone's guess what their 10-year warranties are worth. [Note they look good to me, I've got 2 18Kpv inverters, six PP batteries, a couple of ChargeverterGCs, and a bunch of other parts on the way, so I decided the 'gamble' on their longevity and support is worth the cost savings over (say) the Tesla solution I could have gone with.]

 

[Moretorque]

I wouldn't deal with Elon Musk as well, not only are his products overpriced but I believe he's a space monster sent here to destroy us all...

 

[wpns]

I believe he's a space monster sent here to destroy us all...

Save us, destroy us, serve mankind, why can’t it be all of the above.

 

[Danke]

I seen solar panels with 30 year warranties. But the big question is are they prorated when the time comes? Do I have to pay for shipping? Will the same company even be around?

 

[Tulex]

New company with a long warranty means nothing, you don't know if they will even be around to honor it.
Established companies aren't going to put long warranties on products that they don't think will last.
Established companies with short warranties know their products won't last.

 

[Moretorque]

I seen solar panels with 30 year warranties. But the big question is are they prorated when the time comes? Do I have to pay for shipping? Will the same company even be around?

That is why I just cancelled my battery purchase and looking for a local company to buy from. Just try to keep the money in your local economy like it used to be. Won't work but at least I can say I tried...

 

[Moretorque]

I seen solar panels with 30 year warranties. But the big question is are they prorated when the time comes? Do I have to pay for shipping? Will the same company even be around?

...........................................................

 

[Moretorque]

Save us, destroy us, serve mankind, why can’t it be all of the above.

He is here "To Serve Man" watch that episode on the Twilight Zone, so good I even bought the lunch box.... SPACE MONSTERS!

 

[OffGridInTheCity]

6 years ago I bought AIMS inverters for my solar system, partly due to a good reputation (whatever that means). After 5 yrs and 25,000hrs of really good operation my 12,000w 240v/120v AIMS Inverter started acting erratically. AIMS support could not provide a replacement control board. Eventually, I found a general repair shop that replaced all the caps on the control board for $500 and it's working again.

My Midnite Classics are >6yrs and no issues.

Do capacitors wear out in 5 years as a general rule?!? - every piece of equipment has caps. I don't know what to think - is it bad support not having replacement parts or were cheap components used during manufacture or was I just unlucky in this one circuit board?

 

[wpns]

He is here "To Serve Man" watch that episode on the Twilight Zone, so good I even bought the lunch box.... SPACE MONSTERS!

Yes, I know, I read it back when reading was a thing. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Serve_Man

 

[wpns]

found a general repair shop that basically replace all the caps - and it's working again.

So capacitors wear out in 5 years?!?

Your repair shop should have told you about https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

 

[OffGridInTheCity]

Your repair shop should have told you about https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

Why would they share their secret when making $500 with something I might have been able to do myself

 

[NC_hydro]

That is why I just cancelled my battery purchase and looking for a local company to buy from. Just try to keep the money in your local economy like it used to be. Won't work but at least I can say I tried...

You should check out Trophy. Based in GA, 10yr NON prorated warranties

 

[robby]

Your repair shop should have told you about https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

That brings back a lot of memories. Thanks for the Link.
People don't have to worry about that anymore. Those Capacitors were all destroyed almost two decades ago, so nothing made today would have them in it.
One interesting side note they left out was that Rubicon had figured out that the guy was a Chinese spy and so they deliberately let him get access to an electrolyte formula they had on file that had failed long term testing and relabeled it to look like the current production formula.

 

[robby]

I seen solar panels with 30 year warranties. But the big question is are they prorated when the time comes? Do I have to pay for shipping? Will the same company even be around?

I had asked LG that question before i bought my Panels and they said that they would either instruct me to dump them or they would Pay the cost of shipping them back.
They also said they would send a new Panel and pay a "reasonable fee" for it to be installed.
Sounded great so I bought them without hesitation.

LOL now they no longer make Panels, I asked again and they said they would refund a Prorated portion of the purchase price.
It still works out for me because new panels today are almost 40% cheaper than what I paid for those 365W panels.

 

[realpinochet]

Ah yes the good old days when you could buy a refrigerator or washing machine with a 5 year warranty and lt would last 20 years or longer! It would typically last so long that people dumped working units just because they were outdated.

Today warranties are based on testing and math crunching to come up with a number that beats the odds of them getting too many warranty problems before the warranty runs out. If that ends up being completely wrong they might just close the company and leave the customers holding the bag.

I believe in buying the best unit that I can from a reputable manufacturer right at the start. Having low end spares adds up and if the model is a lemon you now have two lemons.

Buying quality device for my needs is how I do things.
I just don’t have time to dick around with problematic equipment.

The old kenmore and whirlpool ones in avocado green and harvest gold that still work today. The street lights dim a little when they come on but they still work. The washing machines that you didn't have to wash twice or flush the tolite multiple times...the good ole days. I blame disposable diapers and lighters ..they started it all.

 

[robby]

Do capacitors wear out in 5 years as a general rule?!? - every piece of equipment has caps. I don't know what to think - is it bad support not having replacement parts or were cheap components used during manufacture or was I just unlucky in this one circuit board?

No, good Capacitors like Rubicon, Nichicon or Panasonic plus a few others can last for well over 10-15 years in an Inverter type design. It all depends on the amount of heat they are exposed to.

 

[robby]

The old kenmore and whirlpool ones in avocado green and harvest gold that still work today. The street lights dim a little when they come on but they still work. The washing machines that you didn't have to wash twice or flush the tolite multiple times...the good ole days. I blame disposable diapers and lighters ..they started it all.

I remember those avocado green ones when I was really young.
In college my roommate and myself picked up our first fridge from off the sidewalk. I think it was an old 1970's Kenmore with the rounded heavy steel front door and latching front Handle. We cleaned it up and it worked fine until we got a newer one and dumped it back on the sidewalk. I remember that it was gone by the next morning Nothing useful use to stay put for long on the sidewalks near a university.