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Question [Solved] 6000XP no solar, used as backup generator only, AC Charge will not work

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(@mylesj)
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I am completely new to this and have just had this set up installed by certified electricians. They wired it up and I thought it would be a user friendly inverter that was plug and play.  I purchased this from SSK and only had a solar based set up schematic which did not provide the appropriate instructions for my application. So have just been trying to get the batteries charged to full charge so when the grid power is off I can plug in the 6000xp to my transfer switch and have power for a day or two.  I am not sure how to resolve this issue.  I have included some settings and would like to see if anyone can help with this?  Everything seems to be reading properly but it just wont charge.  Even with I put the SOC way above the current state of charge.  And when I press the "quick charge button", the button changes to "charging" but it isn't charging.

What am I doing wrong?  It seems like it shouldn't be this difficult.  

Set up is one 6000xp inverter with two EG4-LL batteries.  AC 50amp input.  50amp plug for transfer switch output.  Used as a generator.

Will power my home as a generator only so I would like to charge the batteries to 100 percent from the grid.  The batteries are currently at 55percent.  

 

 

 

install image 3
install image 5
Monitor page
AC Charge settings2 1 27
AC Charge settings1 1 27
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Joel Brodeur
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Have you tried setting you AC charge times to - 

00:00 to 23:59

 

JB

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Joel Brodeur
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From the "E G 4 ® 6 0 0 0 X P M O N I T O R
S Y S T E M W O R K I N G M O D E S" on page 4.  

EG4®-6000XP-Monitoring-System-Working-Modes.pdf

image
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(@mylesj)
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@joel-brodeur

Thank you Joel! I just tried your suggestion.  Still nothing.  I hit the quick charge button again and it says its charging but it is not.  I am not sure if there is a setting that just not seeing on the desktop monitor?  I have been trying to get this to work for about 3 weeks. SSK customer support has not been much help.  I would think I could charge the batteries to 100 percent fairly easily but here I am.  If the battery were charging at all it would show up on the monitor page?  Everything seems to be okay except I cant charge the batteries.  I am hoping when I connect to the transfer switch when the power goes down that it will work...  One step at a time I guess.

UPDATED CHARGE TIME
QUICK CHARGE
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Joel Brodeur
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@mylesj I notice that you have the Gen settings also set.  Are you using a gen to charge as well?  If not you might try disabling the gen charge settings.

Also, instead of trying the Quick charge you might try adjusting you start SOC to above your current bat SOC.  Say 60%.

One last thing is your "AC Charge Based ON" set to SOC or SOC and Time?

Try changing it from one to the other.

I would suggest trying these one at a time a see the results, then try the next.

JB

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Joel Brodeur
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One other question - what firmware are you at?

JB

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(@mylesj)
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@joel-brodeur

Hello Joel, I tried you suggestions and it did not work. 

I have tried to disable the generator setting and it wont allow me to do it thru the remote settings maintenance. Is there another way to do that?

Also, on the inverter, the dialog screen for the generator does not have a disable option?  it shows it in the user guide.

Can I reset all of the settings on the inverter?  I see there is an option on the PC  remote settings maintenance tab at the bottom.  

Thank you!

firmware
GENERATOR SETTTING 2
GENERATOR SETTTING
generator screen
initial screen

 

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Topic starter
(@mylesj)
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@joel-brodeur

Hello Joel, I tried you suggestions and it did not work. 

I have tried to disable the generator setting and it wont allow me to do it thru the remote settings maintenance. Is there another way to do that?

Also, on the inverter, the dialog screen for the generator does not have a disable option?  it shows it in the user guide.

Can I reset all of the settings on the inverter?  I see there is an option on the PC  remote settings maintenance tab at the bottom.  

Thank you!

firmware

 

GENERATOR SETTTING
GENERATOR SETTTING 2
initial screen
generator screen

 

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Joel Brodeur
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@mylesj I am guessing you can't disable it.  Maybe just set your gen start SOC to something like 20%.

Also, if you haven't already, you might try, restating the inverter.  Some settings do require a restart it appears.

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(@jlankford)
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@joel-brodeur 

On the 18Kpv, there is a setting "AC Charge Enable" which I do not see in the above screen shots. Is that not a setting applicable to the 6000? I had to enable this on the 18K in order to get charging from grid to work.

@mylesj

I see your start charging SOC value is set to 55, the same as your current battery SOC. Have you tried to change this setting to something much higher? Perhaps 80 or 90%?

Also, once you do finally get this working, be aware that you will have trouble keeping your batteries full using the SOC charging control. It will be better in the future for your to switch to Volt charging control. My system is also being used as a simple battery backup in standby, so I know you will have this issue with this use case. I'll wait until later to explain the detailed reason for this - it's due to an effect being called "SOC drift." Let's get you working first...

 

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Joel Brodeur
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@jlankford On the 6000 the "AC Charge Enable" is not an option.  I am assuming that since there is no sell back that the option is always on. (just an assumption on my part though)

JB

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(@jlankford)
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@joel-brodeur 

I looked at the manual... it appears that function is just incorporated into the single "AC Charge Based On" setting for the 6000.

@mylesj

one more question... has there been a system reboot after any settings changes?

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(@mylesj)
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@jlankford Hello and yes there was a system reboot after the settings change.  I have also lost my power now.  And I connected the inverter to my transfer switch, turned off all unnecessary breakers and turned on the inverter.  It powered everything up but the power was a constant flicker.  So now I know it does do power output.  I am guessing that there is another setting to control the flickering.  

And it was still not charging from the grid

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(@mylesj)
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@joel-brodeur

Hello and yes there was a system reboot after the settings change.  I have also lost my power now.  And I connected the inverter to my transfer switch, turned off all unnecessary breakers and turned on the inverter.  It powered everything up but the power was a constant flicker.  So now I know it does do power output.  I am guessing that there is another setting to control the flickering.  

And it was still not charging from the grid

 I guess it is another setting issue

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(@jlankford)
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@mylesj 

The flickering may be because your batteries are very low now. 45.9V in that video is about 5%. See the voltage chart I posted in a different comment...

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Joel Brodeur
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@mylesj Based on the audio, that sounds like a relay is switching something. Maybe some setting conflict but I don't see which it is.

I would suggest reaching out to tech support:

Fill out the form here - 

EG4 Technical Support - EG4 Electronics

 

I believe they will either reply with a number to call or call you.

 

Please keep us posted though.

JB

 

PS, I will think about this some more as well.

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(@jlankford)
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@joel-brodeur 

Will the 6000 boot up and run on just battery power? I assume it will, just like the 18K...

I scanned through the thread but don't see this covered anywhere... does @mylesj have a meter and has he verified there is good grid power coming into the inverter when trying to get charging to work? I do see "239.4"VAC on one monitor screen shot, but I don't see good grid input on ANY of the photos of the front panel - I only see "119V" on one panel shot, which is actually the same as "120V" in the video that was made during a power outage.

@mylesj - are you certain that you have good power at the inverter grid input, or has the inverter possibly been running only on battery power all the time? Do you have a voltmeter to check (once your power comes back on)?

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Joel Brodeur
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@jlankford

It will. 

That is pretty much how mine runs since I have no grid.

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(@mylesj)
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@jlankford Thank you for your help! I am going to work with the EG4 support team on this.  The SSK sales support said I could do this set up with an AC connection to charge only without solar or a generator. The electrician did check the voltage which was 220 and was only reading 120.  I have been working for weeks to try to resolve and most likely should have originally reached out on this forum.

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(@jlankford)
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@mylesj 

Sounds good. If you don't own a meter yourself, you should invest in an inexpensive one that will measure AC and DC volts, and resistance (ohms). A meter that includes a built-in clamp meter that lets you measure current in a wire without disconnecting the wire would be useful, but that's not as important, and not needed for the simple troubleshooting you are doing right now.

It's good that your electrician checked the grid input voltage before he left, but something is suspect. The 120V that your inverter is displaying is too much of a coincidence to ignore - you have to figure out why the inverter isn't seeing 240VAC as the first priority. Hopefully as soon as you resolve that then battery charging will start working for you. Good Luck!

Come back here once things are working to get an understanding of why your SOC accuracy is going to be a very big problem on your system, and neither EG4 nor your vendor are going to give you a good explanation/resolution for that, based on many other posts here.

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(@mylesj)
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@jlankford I will do that!  I ordered an inexpensive clamp ac/dc voltage meter so I can confirm voltage as needed. Another tool in the toolbox!

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Joel Brodeur
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@jlankford and @mylesj 

The 6000XP only shows one leg of the AC input and EPS output at a time. you can tap the enter button to cycle through the legs.  (I do wish that it had an addition "cycle" that showed combined. 🙂

If you want to see them both you have to use the web monitor.

Based on the image above you are getting ~240Vac on your input.

 

image

 

Or am I misunderstanding what you are seeing jlankford?

JB

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(@jlankford)
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@joel-brodeur 

Well, OK. That's weird but if that's how the product works, so be it. What you just explained is consistent with all the photos & screenshots provided here for a working system except...

The last video that @mylesj posted that was apparently taken during a power outage still shows 120V. Something's odd there. How long is the data lag between grid status change and the panel display?

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Joel Brodeur
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@jlankford Your absolutely right.  The lag on the LCD is not very far behind It should have been showing no AC voltage in a power outage. Now I am wondering about the transfer switch.

Is the 6000xp somehow supplying voltage to the panel and then back to itself through the transfer switch?

I think the test could be:

Turn off power at the main

Turn off the grid breaker at the inverter

the system should supply power to the EPS from the battery - if the flicker goes away then something might be whacky in the transfer switch. 

I am not overly familiar with transfer switches so not sure what could be there.

 

What do think?

 

 

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(@jlankford)
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@joel-brodeur 

Honestly, I have no idea. I had assumed that the transfer switch that generator cord is plugged into is just a manual double pole double throw switch. But no details on the switch were given. But this isn't a hybrid inverter - I don't see how the output on the load terminals could feed back into the grid terminals. Perhaps I'm missing the point you are making...

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Joel Brodeur
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@jlankford I was just thinking that if it is an ATS and the EPS output was somehow feeding back onto the "Grid" connection then basically the inverter is feeding 240 back to itself.  

But looking at the image above of the inverter wiring.

The transfer switch plug is on the loads breaker? Why would you feed a transfer switch?

Where are the Grid wires going?

JB

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(@jlankford)
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@joel-brodeur 

He's using this inverter like it was a backup generator - he's plugging the output into a TS where a generator input would go. I presume the grid input is only for charging the batteries.

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Joel Brodeur
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@jlankford That makes sense, but if the power goes out, he plugs into the transfer switch, there shouldn't be any power on the grid side at all, correct?

Unless the grid breaker was on, in which case the inverter was supplying power to the loads panels and feeding back into the inverter?

The inverter then "sees" grid power, comes off of battery, then "loses" grid since the inverter is no longer supplying loads and switches back to battery.

cycling back and forth.

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(@jlankford)
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@joel-brodeur 

That theory makes sense, if his system is wired that way. Would need to see a wiring diagram of his system to know. Don't know if he has a critical loads panel, or simply driving his main panel with the inverter.

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(@mylesj)
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@joel-brodeur Okay, thank you

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Joel Brodeur
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@mylesj A few questions for you:

1 - What kind of transfer switch do you have installed?

2 - The wires connected to the "Grid" breaker on the 600xp - where do they terminate on the other end? (I am assuming it is the transfer switch?)

3 - Can you safely take a pic of the connections at the transfer switch?

4 - Also, can you provide a pic of the transfer switch in whole?  Just where and how it is installed?

5 - can you provide the schematic that your supplier provided?

Thanks,

JB

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(@mylesj)
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@joel-brodeur I will post the info when I get a minute.  And yes.  The grid is to charge the batteries only.  I worked with Shop Solar Kit sales on the exact configuration and the specified the package that I have. The schematic that they provided included solar, a battery bank, lead acid settings, etc.  I thought it would be customized to my particular kit but I guess I was wrong.  I was working with a phone tech at first but he sent me a link and the phone number for Signature Solar.  And here I am.

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@mylesj

One more thing... your batteries are NOT at 55% SOC or anywhere close to it. They are near dead. 47.6V is less than 10% SOC. This is related to the "SOC drift" phenomenon I mentioned earlier. Also related to the batteries' self-discharge while stored. Your inverter is draining about 11 Ah per day from each battery due to its idle/standby consumption. At this point you need to keep your batteries powered OFF except when you are troubleshooting / trying to fix this charging problem, or the inverter consumption is going to drive these batteries into over-discharge protection mode soon (if it hasn't happened already).

One thing you may want to consider - go ahead and buy a separate 48V battery charger for your setup. You can use it now to get these batteries fully charged. You can use it in the future as an emergency charging source to use with a small generator if you have a grid outage that lasts longer than 1~2 days. That's what I have set up. I have about 2 days of battery standby and a small generator to recharge if it goes longer. The EG4 Chargeverter is a good solution for this. It will let you use a small 120VAC generator instead of a bigger 240VAC needed for the inverter's gen input.

 

LFP Voltage Chart (DIY Solar)
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(@mylesj)
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@jlankford Thank you! It looks like that definitely a factor! I was going to invest in a charger. 

Do you have any suggestions on the 48v battery charger brand? 

Do I have to disconnect each battery and charge each separately?  

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Joel Brodeur
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@mylesj 

From what I have seen the EG4 chargeverter is a great solution:

EG4 Chargeverter - GC | 48V 100A Battery Charger | Signature Solar

 

BTW, are your batteries showing any faults?

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(@mylesj)
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@jlankford I do have a large gas generator but would prefer to use one I can plug into a standard outlet. I dont want to do any additional installation.

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@mylesj 

I think this is a good solution:

https://eg4electronics.com/categories/chargers/eg4-chargeverter-gc/

It comes with a 240VAC power cord that should plug directly into a 240VAC generator. It will also run on 120VAC input, but you'd have to make an adapter cable for that, which is what I did.

You would not need to disconnect the batteries. I leave my Chargeverter permanently connected to my battery bus bars. It charges my entire battery bank at once (this is preferred - it keeps all your batteries' voltages equal).

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(@mylesj)
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@jlankford

BIG BATTERY CHARGER

Hello Joel. I know the EG4 chargeverter is the top suggestion for charging but will the BigBattery charger I have attached work as well?  I do not want to do any more "installation" or modifications.  Just want to keep costs down for now and want to just plug in a charger to a standard outlet located close to the batteries.

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Joel Brodeur
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@mylesj I am not certain about that charger.  I would think that it would work. You won't have close loop communications, and I am not sure if you could charge both batteries without disconnecting from system.  Keep in mind that the 6000XP should be able to charge your batteries.

@jlankford might be able to answer better.

 

JB

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(@jlankford)
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@mylesj 

That cheaper charger should work just fine. But note that it's only a 1,000 watt charger. It will take approximately 10 hours to charge your batteries, vs. the Chargeverter running on 120VAC taking about 2.5 hours. Regarding plug-in simplicity, I just noticed on the EG4 website that they now offer a 120VAC power cord for the Chargeverter, so you don't need to mess with 240VAC wiring or making a 120V adapter.

https://eg4electronics.com/chargeverter-gc-power-cord-120v/

As Joel mentioned, you won't be able to operate the Big Battery charger as closed loop, but that's true of the Chargeverter as well - you cannot have your battery comms connected to the inverter and Chargeverter at the same time. So operating either charger will be a manual thing. That's not a problem. Closed loop will only help with automating a generator startup and is not applicable for charging from a plug-in socket.

Despite what Joel mentioned, with either of these chargers it will be best to leave your parallel battery connections in place and charge the entire battery bank as one rather than charging each battery separately. This will keep the individual battery voltages equal. I leave my Chargeverter permanently connected to my battery bus bars and it charges all six units simultaneously.

Bottom line is these two chargers are functionally equal with plug-in to a 120VAC receptacle. It just comes down to price vs. charging time, and maybe better support for the EG4 product.

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Joel Brodeur
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@jlankford Thanks for the info about using the charger with the system connected.  I just wasn't sure on that, I knew you ran a chargeverter and that it would charge while connected, didn't know if a standard charger would be the same.

As a side note it is almost a shame that the chargeverter doesn't connect to the web monitor as well.

I am hesitant to install one as my gen produces clean power at the loads needed and I don't gain much with one.

But as an emergency solution for a charge from a less efficient gen I might start looking at it.

Maybe you can answer:

If the chargverter is hooked up and close loop with batteries to control gen, does the inverter still see at least voltage from batteries?  Or am I thinking wrong?

JB

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(@jlankford)
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@joel-brodeur 

Yes, if you run the inverter open loop with voltage control, then you could run the Chargeverter with closed loop and SOC setpoints to control a gen start/stop. Or, leave your inverter comm as is and you can use the Chargeverter open loop with voltage set points to start/stop a gen.

Note that with either open loop or closed loop, the Chargeverter is dependent on starting/stopping a generator to control its input and output. If you connect the Chargeverter to a permanent AC source it will not use setpoints to control the charging cycle - instead it will simply output a constant DC output at the voltage and current limit you put in the settings. So it operates more like a constant DC RV converter in this case, hence the name I suppose.

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Joel Brodeur
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@jlankford Good to know Thank you.

Update on @mylesj we got the flickering lights figured out.  But cannot seem to get the inverter to charge the batteries.

I suggested to him that he try to figure out what version his battery firmware (the monitor app says 2.18 but I am not sure if that is the latest for the LL batteries) is at and maybe update them if appropriate.  I am about out of ides.

The batteries will power the house but not take a charge. 

JB

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(@jlankford)
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@joel-brodeur 

My LL-S batteries are all v2.18. Working fine.

What was the cause of the flickering? Did I miss it in this thread? Does he have a loop through his main panel as you theorized?

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Joel Brodeur
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@jlankford that was it.  Missed flipping s breaker.

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@mylesj 

FYI, be aware that your SOC is not going to be accurate now until you get a full 100% charge on these batteries. Your SOC is currently about 50% too high, and it will stay that way as you charge them up. i.e. when they first rise up to 100, they will only be at about 50% actual SOC. You need to continue charging them until voltage rises to 55.5 ~ 56 VDC. At that point, they'll be truly full and the BMS will be reset to the new actual 100% SOC reference.

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(@mylesj)
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@jlankford Thank  you!  I shut it down for now until I get the batteries charged up.  I put in a support request also to get some additional direction from EG4.

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(@jlankford)
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@mylesj 

Let us know here what you finally resolve as the charging problem.

Have you measured the grid input at the inverter with a meter?

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