Noob questions on existing installation

[mjruser]

Hello All,

I've downloaded the manuals and have been doing a lot of reading about the system that came pre-installed in the home we purchased this summer. But it seems I cannot really answer a few basic questions and was hoping for a bit of help. TIA!

First image is the two systems, the one on the right appears to be operational. The one on the left doesn't seem to be doing anything, perhaps it's just an auxiliary as it's always sleeping.

screen of the active system:

The screen of the sleeping system

Does this look normal, that the left unit always sleeping?

I cannot seem to locate a manual for the box under the left outback with the 'drop East' and 'drop West' labels. What's it for and is it an outback product which I can locate a manual for?

Kind Regards,
Mike

[Mike Curran]

That box under the lefthand MX60 (not Flexmax 60) looks like a custom non-Outback design, maybe for disconnecting your east or west PV array. Do you have 2 arrays, one facing east, the other west? Or maybe those are the PV input breakers, and the labeling is just misleading.

If that's not the case, I don't know why your previous system owner would want to drop the PV input from either of 2 independent arrays. They should be able to operate simultaneously to charge your battery, even though (if my assumption is correct) they're connected to arrays that don't get sun at the same time very often.

As far as one sleeping all the time, try pressing one of the red buttons on the mystery box to see if you can shut off the active MX60 and wakeup the sleeping one. If that works you know the sleeping charge controller is functional.

Looks like you have a Mate2 (under the righthand MX60). Newer Mate3 and Mate3s controllers have a float coordination function that makes multiple charge controllers operate in tandem so one doesn't sleep while the other is active. I don't know if your Mate2 has this function, but if not, before purchasing a Mate3 to replace it be aware the float coordination function only works with MX60s with firmware version 5.11, and you must ship your MX60s back to OB to have them upgraded if they have an earlier version. Since these are considered "legacy" equipment, may not be worth it - not sure if OB still does the fw upgrade or what they would charge.

One last thought - check each MX60 battery voltage calibration to insure they're "agreeing" on what the battery voltage is. And make sure they're set up with the same charging parameters.

I know, a lot to think about...

FWIW- Mike

[mjruser]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for taking the time to give us such a detailed post and clarification on our OB models. We do not have 2 arrays, there is just one up on the South side of the roof. I'll be sure to download the correct manual and play around with the mystery. Will report back what I find.

Thanks again for your time!
Mike

[fcwlp]

My first guess was also what Mike thought.

Since you have only a south facing array, it could be the east and west portions of that array. To start understanding your system:
1) take a look under the panels and see if you can read the label or if you phone camera can capture it,
2) provide a count of the total number of modules
3) look on the roof to see if you have combiner box(es) where the PV wires come into. Open the cover and take a picture of what are probably breakers.

Do you have a voltmeter and are you comfortable measuring voltages.

[SandyP]

./..
The screen of the sleeping system

IMG_0275.JPG

Does this look normal, that the left unit always sleeping?
../..

The left unit is always sleeping as there is no incoming voltage (or amps) from the solar array ie it shows IN 000 V.
The OUT V is the battery bank voltage.

So, as others have suggested, it is either the switch box below the left MX has disconnected the array for the left MX or there is a breaker on the incoming solar array line that has tripped.

[mjruser]

Thanks to both of you for the additional information!

I've printed it out and will over the weekend start to hopefully unravel the mysteries of the system.

Best Regards,
Mike

[mjruser]

Hi All,

Katie took the time to put a spreadsheet together with the settings of the two units side by side.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nXk ... sp=sharing

She's concerned about the stop sell code 8, the internal fan failure (temperatures) on the active unit (right column), and the sunrise on the other unit.

Anything in red text is different so hopefully, that will make it a bit easier to look at all the information.

Please let us know if you see anything 'Strange'.

Thanks again for all your help, I've reached out to Outback for a dealer referral in our area (Bend Oregon) but have yet to hear back.

Kind Regards,
Mike

[Mike Curran]

She's concerned about the stop sell code 8, the internal fan failure (temperatures) on the active unit (right column), and the sunrise on the other unit.

Unfortunately OB doesn't spell out the meaning of stop sell codes in the GFX manual (excerpt below).

As far as sunrise on the non-operating unit, it's probably off because that charge controller hasn't seen daylight for awhile, based on the 000 PV input voltage shown in your earlier photo.

[fcwlp]

She's concerned about the stop sell code 8, the internal fan failure (temperatures) on the active unit (right column), and the sunrise on the other unit.

The internal fan error on the one inverter needs to be checked first. A fan failure indication and high temps are not good. Remove the four screws holding the cover on. You will see a polymer fiber filter that can be removed and cleaned. Behind the filter, the fan is visible and can be checked if it is working. While you are at it, clean the other filter as well.

Provide some details on your batteries. In Katie's listing, I do not see info on absorb voltage and time for either the inverters or the CCs. The inverter's Float set pt is 25.8V. Most lead-acid batteries are ~27V. In general you will want the settings for absorb and float to be 0.2V higher on the CCs as compared to the inverters, to force the CCs to be the primary supplier when PV is adequate.

Let us know when you get some PV voltage to the left CC. Have you tried pushing the red button for "drop east". It looks to be extending out slightly more than the other button.

[mjruser]

Thanks again for the information.

I pushed the red east button (non-functioning unit) and released it, where it springs back to it's (open?) position. So the red buttons are not two-position switches.

The question we have right now.. if we push the drop west button, to see if that triggers the east into functioning. How would you re-connect west after the drop?

Best Regards,
Mike

[mjruser]

Hello All,

Thank you again for all the feedback. After taking off the covers to check the filters, it was found that the PV array on the east unit is not even connected. Though the battery leads are so it appears active... Firmware on the left unit is showing 1.4 and on the right unit 5.1. So it appears that the previous owner likely connected the east/west pv into just the right unit (west). Or perhaps the PV east is faulty and was disconnected?

Kind Regards,
Mike

[raysun]

Looking at the display of the left unit, I'd guess it's damaged. The battery (OUT) voltage should charge the power capacitor to about 19V (IN) with the solar panels disconnected.