Another Generator question

@zeppelin Have you tried charging the batteries with only the chargeverter, no PV? If so, do you get the same results?

@zeppelin Are you using a 120V or 240V generator and are you charging the batteries at 70A with the chargeverter?

@eric 

will do as soon as I figure that out. Never sent a PM

@pawnee

Click on the little arrow below eric's badge, then click on the little mail icon.

JB

@joel-brodeur 

thanks 

@ron Perhaps, but Signature Solar and EG4 marketed these systems to people with the understanding that a generator would work directly wired to the generator port of the inverter.  I have lived off-grid for 25 years and had two previous inverters: a trace and and an outback. Both worked flawlessly as soon as the generator power was connected to them. If the chargeverter is the solution to rhese problems it should be integrated into the inverter and provided gratis to those customers who are experiencing financial damages as a result of faulty inverter to generator integration issues.

@brokenpointjoe The history of generators and inverters charging batteries is an old problematic issue. Inverters seem to have a hard time "walking and chewing gum at the same time".

Issues:

Dirty power from Gen can damage inverter

No 2 wire start small generators

Battery balancing with voltage

Handover issues

$500 seems like a cheap fix to solve the issues and protect the inverter

@ron 

My generator like most does produce dirty power. I use Line and Load reactors on 30-40 VFD’s here the farm.  I’ve been thinking about putting a line reactor between the Gen and inverter. 

Does anyone have thoughts on this??

@eric I sent you a PM

Eric asked me about Gen cooldown but didn’t elaborate. I’m going to put my system on the monitoring website this weekend and look for that setting. Where is it and what do I set it to?? 

@pawnee The gen cool down for the 18K should be under the gen settings:

As far as what to set it for, you might look into your Gen manual.  Different manufacturers have different requirements.  My old Generac said 10-minute no load cool down.  I think my new Kohler is a 5 min no load cooldown. My back-back up Harbor Freight generator do even say that I have been able to find so I usually let them cool down for about 10 minutes.  Different folks have different opinions though.  I know a lot of people that simply run 1 to 2 min cool down.

JB

@joel-brodeur 

thanks. I’m wondering if that is my problem because it doesn’t cooldown it just kills the gen as shown in my brownout video. 

@pawnee were you able to enable cool down?  Did it help any?

@joel-brodeur I shut the panels off Tuesday night and the gen should about be ready to start, so I’ll let you know in a few hours. 

@joel-brodeur it didn’t switch back and forth from batteries to generator during shutdown. Generator stopped charging then switched to the batteries but after cooldown I heard a contact switch and it killed power from the batteries to the house for a second then reconnected🤬🤢 at least it let my generator cool off for minute. Small steps but getting there

@pawnee Yikes.  Any errors in the inverter logs?