I've had problems with several manufacturers' onboard relays, and 12 v
outputs. For instance I now always use a 2nd relay controlled by the
onboard relay, even for little things like Zephyr Power Vents. If you
look at the new relays compared to say the old Trace SW relays, they're
just not near the same.
That's concerning that over current would fry the whole Radian control
board. On Midnite Classics, if you exceeded the 200mA 12v output, it
just shut the output off.
Ray Walters
Remote Solar
303 505-8760
On 12/14/18 6:58 AM, d...@foxfire-energy.com wrote:
OBTW. the FNDC is a dry contact.
db
Dan Brown
Foxfire Energy Corp.
Renewable Energy Systems
(802)-483-2564
www.Foxfire-Energy.com <http://www.Foxfire-Energy.com>
NABCEP #092907-44
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Interesting gen start problem
From: William Miller <will...@millersolar.com
<mailto:will...@millersolar.com>>
Date: Thu, December 13, 2018 3:11 pm
To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
<mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>>
Friends:
While I’d like to think I have seen everything, I came across this
scenario recently that surprised me:
We replace an existing FX system that had a generator component.
Since the
FX inverter can only provide 12 volts for generator start, and we
did not see a relay in the power room, we assumed there was a 12
volt coil relay in the generator room. Turns out this was not the
case.
Generators use the cranking battery voltage (B+) to power control
circuits. The B+ to start control relays is completed by a
contact closure. In this case, there was no relay. Instead the
original installer use the 12 volts from the FX inverters to
provide substitute B+ to the generator control circuitry.
The end result is we burned up the Radian control board.
Apparently the FX inverter had enough 12 volt capability to make
this work, but the Radians did not.
When we began troubleshooting, our first clue something was wrong
was that there was no relay. Our second clue was that one of
the12 volt start leads was grounded. We also burned up a relay in
the generator.
I hope this little cautionary tale helps one of you avoid a burned
up control board someday, somewhere. This problem was a big headache.
William
PS: Here is a web page
<http://www.millersolar.com/MillerSolar/Portfolio/Inverters/battery_iinverters/TT-Radian/TT_Radian.html>
on this particular installation. On this project we incorporated
some of the GSLC wiring innovations discussed in this forum.
Wm
Gradient Cap_mini
Lic 773985
millersolar.com <http://www.millersolar.com/>
805-438-5600
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
<mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org>
Change listserver email address & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
List-Archive:
http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html
List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
<http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm>
Check out or update participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org <http://www.members.re-wrenches.org>
_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Change listserver email address & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
List-Archive:
http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html
List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
Check out or update participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org
_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Redwood Alliance
List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
Change listserver email address & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
List-Archive:
http://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/maillist.html
List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
Check out or update participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org
