Yet another Victron query

[Phoenix_V]

I have a second hand Victron 12/2500/120 invertor charger.

 

The charger and inverter both appear to work oK as they should.

 

The problem is with the auto changeover switch from inverter to shoreline.

 

With the inverter and charger switched on this appears to function and power equipment from the shoreline.

 

With the inverter off charger on only works fine with the 2kw kettle but switch on the 1.1 kw vacuum cleaner and it dies. All lights go of - dead - until it resets itself a few minutes later and either continues as normal or re crashes if the vacuum is still plugged in.

 

presumably this is something to do with the start surge of the inductive load but it doesn't do it with the charger and inverter both on

 

 

and this is the weird part when I switch back to charger only from inverter plus charger, for a few minutes I am able to switch the vacuum on from this state then it reverts to crashing when the hoover is switched on.

 

Obviously I can just leave inverter and charger on but I have been reluctant to do this in case I forget and flatten the batteries when the shorepower is disconnected

 

Any ideas

 

I've checked the power setting and this is 16 amp, none of the various 16 amp mcbs in the circuit are tripping

[jenlyn]

I have a second hand Victron 12/2500/120 invertor charger.

 

The charger and inverter both appear to work oK as they should.

 

The problem is with the auto changeover switch from inverter to shoreline.

 

With the inverter and charger switched on this appears to function and power equipment from the shoreline.

 

With the inverter off charger on only works fine with the 2kw kettle but switch on the 1.1 kw vacuum cleaner and it dies. All lights go of - dead - until it resets itself a few minutes later and either continues as normal or re crashes if the vacuum is still plugged in.

 

presumably this is something to do with the start surge of the inductive load but it doesn't do it with the charger and inverter both on

 

 

and this is the weird part when I switch back to charger only from inverter plus charger, for a few minutes I am able to switch the vacuum on from this state then it reverts to crashing when the hoover is switched on.

 

Obviously I can just leave inverter and charger on but I have been reluctant to do this in case I forget and flatten the batteries when the shorepower is disconnected

 

Any ideas

 

I've checked the power setting and this is 16 amp, none of the various 16 amp mcbs in the circuit are tripping

 

mine does the same, i adjusted the amp knob on the remote panel, and it was ok, does not do it with the engine running, but then of course, it wouldnt now i think about it. you can stop it by turning off the assist function. you have to set the pin switches to your set up

[Phoenix_V]

mine does the same, i adjusted the amp knob on the remote panel, and it was ok, does not do it with the engine running, but then of course, it wouldnt now i think about it. you can stop it by turning off the assist function. you have to set the pin switches to your set up

 

Oh - thanks - that's a relief, it must be a feature (in the sense that microsoft has features rather than glitches if you see what I mean) rather than a fault. i will try the effect of changing the assist setting.

Edited November 2, 2010 by Phoenix_V

[WJM]

I will describe my Victron - my guess is that yours is the same.

 

There are two settings on the main toggle switch, 'inverter' and 'charger'. These have meaning when you are plugged into the mains shoreline. With 'charger' selected the following happens - your shoreline feeds the main sockets and the batteries are charged from the main supply. That is all that happens. Now, here is the interesting bit; select 'inverter' and this happens - if you try to draw more power from the mains supply than it can provide, the batteries will be allowed to kick in and top up the shortfall. The 'volume dial button' is where you tell the Victron how much supply is available from the mains, that is it tells the Victron at what load it should bring in the batteries to top up the shortfall.

[nb Innisfree]

Oh - thanks - that's a relief, it must be a feature (in the sense that microsoft has features rather than glitches if you see what I mean) rather than a fault. i will try the effect of changing the assist setting.

 

Multi disconnects SP, Multiplus assists. Setting SP limit via dipsitches is fiddly better to fit remote.

[Phoenix_V]

I will describe my Victron - my guess is that yours is the same.

 

There are two settings on the main toggle switch, 'inverter' and 'charger'. These have meaning when you are plugged into the mains shoreline. With 'charger' selected the following happens - your shoreline feeds the main sockets and the batteries are charged from the main supply. That is all that happens. Now, here is the interesting bit; select 'inverter' and this happens - if you try to draw more power from the mains supply than it can provide, the batteries will be allowed to kick in and top up the shortfall. The 'volume dial button' is where you tell the Victron how much supply is available from the mains, that is it tells the Victron at what load it should bring in the batteries to top up the shortfall.

 

Yes I understood this. i have now studied the phenomenon further.

 

With the inverter selected (or off charger only) and shorepower on the inverter light does not come the charger lights are on and shorepower is fed to the sockets kettle etc all run fine.

 

Start the hoover motor (or any other largish motor) and the charger lights go out and the inverter comes on and presumably is now running the motor rather than the shorepower, after a several seconds the inverter light goes out and the charger lights come on indicating bulk charge (confirming that the batteries have been used) and the motor continues running happily now on shore power.

 

With the inverter off on starting the motor the charger lights go out all sockets go dead and the motor doesnt start.

 

Presumably the starting current of the motor is tripping something but why, there are 2 mcbs in this circuit 16 amp ones they dont trip.

 

I have tried turning down the charge current, but doesnt make any difference.

 

I did try turning assist on and off and my recollection is that it made no difference to the above but I will recheck tomorrow and report

[Pretty Funked Up]

If you werent on shorepower I'd say the motor is tripping the charger out by drawing direct off of it.

But the shorepower puts a spanner in it. Maybe its a 'shortest route' thing, that elastictrickery is lazy stuff

Manual change over switch time??

Edited November 4, 2010 by Pretty Funked Up

[nb Innisfree]

Yes I understood this. i have now studied the phenomenon further.

 

With the inverter selected (or off charger only) and shorepower on the inverter light does not come the charger lights are on and shorepower is fed to the sockets kettle etc all run fine.

 

Start the hoover motor (or any other largish motor) and the charger lights go out and the inverter comes on and presumably is now running the motor rather than the shorepower, after a several seconds the inverter light goes out and the charger lights come on indicating bulk charge (confirming that the batteries have been used) and the motor continues running happily now on shore power.

 

With the inverter off on starting the motor the charger lights go out all sockets go dead and the motor doesnt start.

 

Presumably the starting current of the motor is tripping something but why, there are 2 mcbs in this circuit 16 amp ones they dont trip.

 

I have tried turning down the charge current, but doesnt make any difference.

 

I did try turning assist on and off and my recollection is that it made no difference to the above but I will recheck tomorrow and report

 

Hoover isn't big enough to trip 16a, sounds like something with a lower threshold is tripping and then resetting itself, perhaps a faulty relay in Victron, this relay switches shorepower through to 230v circuit in 'charger only' or inverter 'on' setting, so when motor starts, slight voltage drop causes faulty relay to disconnect, motor then runs and voltage recovers allowing relay to work. When in 'charger only' setting inverter can't run motor to allow voltage to recover. One prob with this theory is why doesn't relay cut in and out as load fluctuates. Could be iffy Hoover, you could try another one to eliminate that idea. I'll wait for someone brainier than me to comment, Gibbo I think (much brainier)

Edited November 4, 2010 by nb Innisfree

[Phoenix_V]

Hoover isn't big enough to trip 16a, sounds like something with a lower threshold is tripping and then resetting itself, perhaps a faulty relay in Victron, this relay switches shorepower through to 230v circuit in 'charger only' or inverter 'on' setting, so when motor starts, slight voltage drop causes faulty relay to disconnect, motor then runs and voltage recovers allowing relay to work. When in 'charger only' setting inverter can't run motor to allow voltage to recover. One prob with this theory is why doesn't relay cut in and out as load fluctuates. Could be iffy Hoover, you could try another one to eliminate that idea. I'll wait for someone brainier than me to comment, Gibbo I think (much brainier)

 

Thanks, that sounds along the right lines there is likely to be a momentary dip in voltage on switch on as we are at the end of a long and thin line (though with the kettle on we still have 220 volts approx) it isnt a hoover fault as the larger (but not the smaller) electric saw does it too