rustyrod
Senior Member
Joined: 08/11/2014
Location: AustraliaPosts: 121 |
| Posted: 01:31am 04 Mar 2015 |
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Hi There,
Is it just me and my place or do you all have these little annoying faults that keep coming up?
Winning and loosing meters
The meter on the right was giving conflicting readings, some days a few units and some days none at all, although the disc was turning.
I pulled it apart and observed the fine worm pinion was no longer in contact with it’s mating gear.
A little twist of the frame and it now is working.
Originally I had them mounted pressed together and was getting strange results.
If our consumption was up for a day so was the production from the grid ties.
If we were away hardly any power was delivered at all.
I spaced them apart and the results were more like I would expect.
Except if we were away for a day not many units were produced.
So lets leave this peculiarity for now.
Here is Big Happy Jack with his bros
From the top on the window ledge,
Meters on the left and regulator is for the 12 volts of the internet/phone, then weather station monitor, humidity/clock/temp, another weather station monitor and my childhood old bedside clock (stopped at 10 – coffee time)
Next row – Solar 20, Big China’s Wind controller, Dual battery controller, dead Bios weather monitor.(Another story)
3rd row – Solar 60, 600w Grid tie inverter
4th row - 2500 watt inverter, Big Jack
Below that is the 600w wind controller and at the bottom is a spare china wind rectifier.
Explanation –
The Solar 20 is connected to the outputs of both wind controllers and to the 600 watt Grid tie inverter.
When the batteries reach a determined voltage the Solar 20 switches off and the gennys drive the grid tie.
I should mention that I need a wind of at the minimum of 20 kph to make any useable power.
(I am thinking about voltage doubling caps)
The Solar 60 is connected to the solar panels and Big Jack, when the batteries reach 26 volts the ’60 switches off allowing the panels to power the inverter.
The 2500 inverter runs the house when the grid is down.
This Power Jack 1200 watt Grid tie has been working away with 1200 watts of panel for some months.
I thought it was all working like it is supposed too, but I have noticed that the best I have seen it converting is around 760 watts.
I expect as it has to have 28 volts to start up this reduces the amount available from the panels.
A few weeks ago I noticed Big Jack flashing the red led (twice) then back to the pulsing green.
This began to get more regular, eventually, always when the output went over 510 watts
The unit began to buzz and click each time the red led flashed.
I have put up with it for 2 weeks; it seemed to be getting worse.
So on a patchy cloudy day I settled in with a cup of coffee to watch.
I noticed the red neon in the power point under the winning meter flickered when the red led in Jack flickered.
I grabbed a double adaptor and connected a 40watt clear bulb with the inverter.
A micro second before the red led flickered the bulb pulsed brighter. (So higher voltage?)
Then it would go back to working until the output crossed the 510 watt point.
What the heck does that mean?
I went out to the power box and looked at all the wires, they told me nothing, I shut the box.
I went back inside, Huh, what did I just hear? Now I am a bit deaf so I waited.
Definitely an ARCKING sound. Sort of buzz then quiet
Where is that coming from? Wait it is in the other room.
The power point? I grabbed another light and whacked it in this other power point and waited.
Why do clouds move so slow?
What? Every time the light by the Big Jack flashes and the red led flashes this light in the other room goes OUT?
I pulled the power point off the wall and both black wires came out of the back.
They were burnt and the insulation was melted.
Turned off the power outside (Don’t want any Llamas in hoodies here thanks)
I stripped the wires and twisted them together, reinserted them into the point and wrenched the screw up real tight!
Switched the power back on and “HAPPY JACK”
This explains the other peculiarity I mentioned earlier. Why when we used more did it make more?
When we were away it made little?
Because the wires were not connecting properly, so 2 faults in one fixed.
Now we are gaining 4 or 5 units a day and using 1 to 2 units a day.
This 1 to 2 units is for our “Entertainment” only eg the TV a fan and the computers. Nothing else.
Not much goes back to the grid because the fridges and freezer, microwave, oven, pressure pump and washing machine suck it up.
Lights are totally on the batteries.
During my life I have noticed the screws in power points loose, add extension leads too.
I was concerned about it enough that some time ago when I had a caravan with hard annex I had actually soldered every wire before putting them into the switches.
The sparky that inspected it and I told about the soldering was sure that when the solder melted the wires would be loose and cause a fire. I wondered how the solder was going to melt? …..(He passed it)
I have believed for some time that when I see on the TV news that some new tenants/home owner had only been in the property a few weeks when the place burns down “due to an electrical fault” it is because the exited tenants had their big power users in different place in the house to what the new tenants do.
The draw is different causing the loose screws to let the wires heat up and burn.
Especially in winter with big heaters connected.
What awaits me next?
Always Thinking |
rustyrod
Senior Member
Joined: 08/11/2014
Location: AustraliaPosts: 121 |
| Posted: 04:10am 18 Jun 2015 |
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Update.
All that arcing did some damage to the inverter.
After many tests suggested by the Chinese E-bay supplier, they sent me a little board, (under warranty) which I replaced into the power jack. This set it working well again.
The last two power bills have come in under $60 dollars.
If the power supply company did not charge $80 something for a SERVICE FEE I would get a cheque.
Not bad for a couple of old pensioners considering I had to skimp and save for a home made whacky system!
The bill will be up a bit next time as I have turned on the boost to the hot water, although it rarely switches on.
Always Thinking |
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