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GerhardK83

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Everything posted by GerhardK83

  1. If I were you I would keep the Greenrich batteries - new those batteries are about R30k each, set the 5 Kw inverter up to use voltage settings, the inverter will most probably have a user defined setting for voltage use that and make sure that the equalization is turned off, if you do not want to use the 5 kW inverter with the Greenrich batteries, buy batteries for the 3 kW inverter unless the 3 kW inverter can use the 48V as provided by the batteries and save for a inverter which can communicate with the Greenrich batteries. The newer Axpert type inverters (MKS 2, VM 3, VM 4, King I & II, Max I & II) can communicate with the Greenrich batteries and if no parallel inverter ability is needed then the price for the VM 3 and VM 4 are really good, I had a quick look at the prices on the Powerforum store on the Kodak products and the prices including vat are R 7,659.93 for the 5 kW Kodak VM 3, R 10,644.01 for the 5 kW Kodak MKS 2, R 8,549.35 for the 5 kW Kodak King and R 14,612.12 for the 7.2 kW Kodak Max. The Kodak MKS 2, 5 kW King and 7.2 kW Max can be paralleled so that leaves the VM 3 as the cheapest option. With the 5 kW inverters you also save on battery cable because the cable does not need to be as thick as the cable for the 7.2 kW or more powerful inverters.
  2. Hallo @JohnDM that is wonderful news. If the steps in the manual are followed for the parallel commissioning then the chances of "burning and blowing stuff up" are almost zero. On the Axpert type inverters the Output Neutral And Earth is bonded so even if the Output Live and Neutral goes through an isolator the Neutral remains connected because the Output Neutral And Earth is bonded, so there is no need to use a separate breaker for the neutral. So far I know only an isolator or a switch dis-connector may be used to disrupt the current flow of a neutral conductor. In the inverter installation that are installed at our residence where I am using 3 Kodak Max 7.2 kW inverters in parallel I used isolators and circuit breakers on the AC input as well as the AC output and I did not have any problems with the commissioning of the parallel setup whatsoever, I followed the steps as laid out in the Kodak Max's manual.
  3. Hallo @Kaas and welcome to the forum. First of all I would have a look at the Eskom account and determine what tariff they use to bill you and see if there is a lower tariff then I would start to plan around the lower tariff. I found these document links on Eskom's site for the rates and tariffs, there are a lot of different tariffs so have a careful look at the documents: https://www.eskom.co.za/distribution/tariffs-and-charges/ https://www.eskom.co.za/distribution/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Schedule-of-standard-prices-2023_24-140323.pdf https://www.eskom.co.za/distribution/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023_24-Schedule-of-Standard-Fees_V1__-01-April-2023.pdf https://www.eskom.co.za/distribution/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/9454J-Eskom-Tariff-booklet-Interactive-final.pdf https://www.eskom.co.za/distribution/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023_24-Tariff-Book_01042023.pdf The cheapest 3 phase Hybrid inverter that I could find from a reputable seller is this one: https://solarwarehousesa.com/products/chisage-ess-12kw-three-phase-hybrid-inverter?_pos=2&_sid=7a8268493&_ss=r if you decide that you want to keep the 3 phase connection. Here is the link to the manual for the inverter: https://chisagess.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/【User-Manual】Mars-10-14G1-LE_V4.2_EN.pdf
  4. Hallo @jason compo In the photo that you posted with the specs of the solar panel the max power is indicated as 545W and in the text that you typed you mentioned 645W so which power rating are you referring to 545W or 645W?
  5. An acquaintance of mine had two showers and the one also had the same problem and I advised him to clean the shower head overnight in a container with some vinegar and that worked, what he also noticed is that the flow switch that they used in that specific model would not close completely because of sediment in the water and then the burner would stay on so I advised him to fit a filter before the geyser. In the long run I would also install a 3 stage 20 inch Big Blue filter with a 5 micron pleated filter a granular activated carbon filter and a siliphos cartridge. The 5 micron filter, filter out sediment in the water the granular activated carbon filter, filter out chlorine and organic molecules from the water and the siliphos cartridge prevents limescale from forming in the water pipes. If all else fails contact Totai, there are a couple of manuals on their website but the pages are in a weird order - by the look of it most probably scanned from printed manuals. https://totai.co.za/contact/ [email protected] https://totai.co.za/service/after-sales/ [email protected]
  6. Thanks for the answer, ok the reason why I asked how many solar panels you have is because some of the users of the installed solar system does not understand that there is a power limit on the solar input and that the installed panels are below the input limit because the installer of the system did not explain to the user that you can add a couple of solar panels to the system if the need arises. To me it is clear that your installation is already over the power limit by 13.75% but I do not think that your solar panels generate over the inverter power limit otherwise you would have added a couple of solar panels to the existing strings. You want to utilize a MPPT so that you can add additional solar panels to the MPPT at a different part of your roof in order to generate more power without changing the solar panels already installed. I found this calculator: https://footprinthero.com/solar-irradiance-calculator with a couple of links to other calculators where the optimal angles can be calculated according to the address provided for optimal solar power production in case that you want to make the angles of the new solar panels adjustable or optimize the angle of the new solar panels so that it favors a certain season.
  7. Good afternoon @Hanks77 and welcome to the forum. I did not know the inverter that you mentioned so I googled and had a quick look and I see that the inverter is similar to the 7.2kW / 8kW Axpert Max and Kodak Max which have a dual 4kW 500Voc 18A solar inputs and I have the following questions: A] What is the amount of solar panels, power rating and the Voc of the east facing solar panel array? B] What is the amount of solar panels, power rating and the Voc of the west facing solar panel array? C] Is it possible to post a photo or two from google earth that shows the roof of the property where you indicate where the new panels are going to be installed? Kind Regards GerhardK83
  8. One of the crimpers that I use also leaves an ear and I just file the ear down so that it does not damage the heat shrink when the heat shrink is shrunk.
  9. If only three inverters are used in a three phase installation there is no master or slaves because the units are not connected in parallel. If more than one unit is connected in parallel on the same phase then the two units will work together but I do not see that there are any indication that one will be master and the other will be slave. If more than one unit are used in parallel on the same phase please make sure that all the wiring to and from the units are correct and that the current sharing cables are only used on units in parallel which are on the same phase. The communications cables are used on all the units irrespective of phase but the current sharing cables are not. Any of the inverters in a three phase installation can be used to communicate with the battery if supported by the inverter, the unit communicating with the battery must be set to the correct setting (PYL, UEC, SOL, LIb, SEG) and the other inverters which are not communicating with the battery must be set to USE.
  10. I saw these charger studs on Maverick Sales https://www.mavericksales.co.za/products/1-pair-car-battery-charger-studs-battery-terminal-connectors?_pos=1&_sid=b45772526&_ss=r the seller does not specify the tread size so contact the seller and ask, these will also work https://www.mavericksales.co.za/products/1-pair-car-20mm-stud-battery-charger-binding-post?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc&pr_rec_id=0612efc31&pr_rec_pid=8122315178290&pr_ref_pid=8122296729906&pr_seq=uniform
  11. In Pretoria when I need foam I buy from Sondor at their outlet not far from me, here are their contact details for the Durban branch I usually contact them via email and ask if they have stock and if they don't I ask them to order: 35 Lanner Road Falcon Park New Germany, Durban, 3610 Hours: Closed ⋅ Opens 7:30 am Tue Phone: 031 705 4220 [email protected] Measure the size and work out how much foam you will need and buy accordingly. To crimp the lugs I would suggest a welding shop which does repairs, auto electrician or a battery shop, to finish the crimp off use a piece of heat shrink over the crimped part of the lug and over the cable end so that the crimp looks like these two crimps. It is better to strip the insulation off just before the lug is crimped on to avoid that the cable end fray and you struggle to put the lug over the stripped cable end which is frayed, so I suggest that you cut the cables beforehand or take all the components with and measure, cut , strip and put the heat shrink on the cables at the crimping facility before the crimp is made.
  12. Thanks for the feedback @Derek3 now we know that Solar Warehouse SA are legit and that one can safely order from them.
  13. Good evening @Dal2000 I would look at one of these 3 inverters. The Kodak and Ecco have a 4kW solar input and the Conderenergy has a 6.2kW solar input. The MPPT range for the Kodak and Ecco is between 120V and 450V and the maximum PV input voltage is 500V. The Conderenergy has a PV input range of 60V to 450V and for full load they recommend 240V to 450V and the maximum PV input voltage is 500V. The Kodak VMIII 3kW is available at a couple of online shops and I have seen the Conderenergy and Ecco only available at Solar Warehouse SA and the price is really good - I am not sure if they are scammers, a while ago @Derek3 asked advise regarding a battery that they advertised I do not know if he purchased the battery from them maybe @Derek3 can advise if the battery was purchased at their online store. 1 X KODAK Solar Off-Grid Inverter VMIII 3kW 24V 1 X HYBRID INVERTER 3.5 KVA 3500 WATT MPPT 24V- CONDERENERGY (S-2435) 1 X HYBRID INVERTER 24V 3.5 KVA 3500W MPPT 100A INVERTER PURE SINE WAVE - ECCO Most of the batteries listed below are also available at Solar Warehouse SA and a couple of the batteries are available at other online stores The one S-Volt battery can communicate with the inverter and the one which they say WITHOUT BMS does have a BMS but the BMS does not communicate with an inverter. 2 X HALO S100 12.8V 1.2KWh 1 X Lemoen Battery Lithium Ion ECO 2.56KWH 25.6V 100Ah 1 X SVOLT 24V 106AH 2.71 KWH A-GRADE LITHIUM BATTERY WITH BMS CNN2510 (XEA15A) 1 X ESENER 2.56KWH 24V LIFEPO4 BATTERY MODULE 1 X SUNGOD 24V 2.4KWH LITHIUM ION BATTERY LIFEP04 BATTERY PACK 1 X FIVESTAR 25.6V 150AH 3.8KWH LITHIUM BATTERY LIFEPO4 1 X ECCO 2.56 KWH 25.6V 100AH LITHIUM LIFEPO4 BATTERY 24100 2 X VESTWOODS SMART 12V 100AH LIFEPO4 LITHIUM RECHARGEABLE BATTERY BLUETOOTH 1 X SVOLT 24V 106AH 2.71 KWH A-GRADE LITHIUM BATTERY WITHOUT BMS CNN2511 (XEA25A) 1 X ESENER 25.6V120AH 3.1KWH WALLMOUNTED LITHIUM BATTERY 1 X MUST LIFEPO4 24V 100AH LITHIUM ION BATTERY MS-LFP24100 If solar panels are installed then the output voltage of the solar panels connected in series must be above the minimum MPPT voltage of 120V for the Kodak and Ecco or 240V for the Conderenergy and below 500V for all three otherwise the MPPT will be damaged. According to the datasheet of the Conderenergy the inverter can work from 60V but that is not at full load so if solar panels are to be connected to the inverter then I would recommend a minimum of three for the Kodak and Ecco and a minimum of two for the Conderenergy, I would avoid buying the solar panels at long intervals because if you wait too long the same solar panel would not be available anymore and then the newer panels would be affected by the older panels, e.g. lets say you purchase 2 450W solar panels with a Imp of 10.84A and a year later you want to buy another 450W but the 450W is not available anymore only 550W are available and the 550W has a Imp of 13.11A then you would lose the difference between the 13.11A and 10.84A and the physical size of the panels are also different. I would also recommend that a pressure tank or a couple of pressure tanks are installed after the high pressure pump so that the pump does not start too often. Kind Regards GerhardK83 P.S. if you need any help with the calculations or advise just PM me I will gladly help.
  14. Good evening @Glasshopperus The battery communications cable (blue cable that is connected to the CAN / RS485 connector on the battery) must be connected to the BMS connector on the inverter not to the RS232 connector on the inverter. Make sure that the battery communications cable has the correct connector pin-out on both connectors otherwise the communications between the BMS and the inverter will not work. If the battery communications between the inverter and the battery cannot be established then the inverter must be set to USE for program 5 and the voltages must be set for program 26, 27 and 29. Kind Regards GerhardK83
  15. Good evening @Janosh I have read what you have posted and I have the following questions: A] Is the sketch that you posted the only DB currently installed? B] Do you have the SPD or must the SPD be purchased? Kind Regards GerhardK83
  16. Yes most definitely. It is not advisable to use one breaker for both inverters. In our installation where I am running 3 inverters in parallel I divided the incoming cable up into three cables by crimping 3 thinner cables onto the incoming cable with a ferrule and from there I go to 3 isolators and 3 trip switches and from there to the inverters. On the output I have done the same. I do not think that would work because the output of the one inverter might be high and the other inverter output low and that to me is trouble - that is why the utility provider announces that this unit has successfully been synchronized to the grid, the units must be in phase otherwise there will be big trouble.
  17. Good evening @hvl2 Usually it is not recommended that LiFePO4 and other Lithium batteries are mixed so I would recommend not to use any other Lithium battery in parallel with the Kodak FL5.2, I have done a quick search and the Kodak FL5.2 goes for around R33K without the cable I have seen one shop where the price is R30K. Kind Regards GerhardK83
  18. I agree and share your thoughts on the Surfix directly in a wall and plastered over, do the job properly the first time and you would not have any problems afterward.
  19. @Ben Harper thanks for the feedback, it sounds interesting that the ceiling is parallel to the roof beams with the main trusses visible from the inside of the house, it would be interesting to see a photo or two of the inside with the trusses and ceiling.
  20. Good afternoon @EngineerBC Before troubleshooting I have the following questions: Does the installation have a valid COC? What is the rating of the circuit breakers on the AC supply side of the inverters? What is the rating of the circuit breakers on the AC load side of the inverters? How thick is the cable on the AC supply side of the inverters? How thick is the cable on the AC load side of the inverters? Troubleshooting: A] Check All the wiring and make sure that the wiring is correct - AC In, AC Out, Battery Power, Parallel Communications Cable, Current Sharing Cable. B] Make sure that the firmware versions on the inverters are the same. C] Make sure that the batteries are connected in parallel to both the inverters. D] Start each inverter up individually and make sure that each of the inverters produce power without displaying any errors and or warnings then follow the commission the inverters in parallel instructions in the users manual. E] Make sure that the AC Output voltage and frequency is the same for both inverters. F] Make sure that the neutral on the load side of the inverters are connected to the same busbar. G] Make sure that the neutral on the supply side and the neutral on the load side is not connected to the same busbar. H] Make sure that the parallel boards are correctly installed if the boards was not installed in the factory. I] If solar panels are installed make sure that the solar panel input is not shared between the inverters. Kind Regards GerhardK83
  21. @Ben Harper Does the ceiling run parallel to the roof or is there a space between the ceiling and the roof?
  22. Good evening @TheMac The following link is the SANS 10142 regulations https://www.theforumsa.co.za/documents/SANS10142-1_ED3TC067_SC06_DSS.pdf and on page 150 up to page 157 of the document are all the regulations pertaining to distribution boards so read up and if there are any questions ask. Cables may be joined to reach the new destination just remember that GP wire must be enclosed in conduit and joints made in a junction box with ferrules or soldered and insulated with insulation tape or heat shrink, surfix and twin and earth does not need to be enclosed in conduit but joints is the same as for GP wire. Twin and earth may not be used directly in a wall so conduit must be used if twin and earth is used in a wall where the cable will be plastered over. Surfix can be used directly in a wall and be plastered over, SANS 10142 also stipulates what is allowed so read up on it. Kind Regards GerhardK83
  23. Good evening @Stephen Miles From what I have read online at Victron's website is that the Greenrich battery has not yet been tested by Victron so they would not be able to support you if there are problems, have a look at this PDF https://portal.segensolar.co.za/reseller/docs/Victron battery_compatibility.pdf where they list the compatible batteries and also mention the 3rd party battery lack of support. Elleyhill Power is the distributor for Greenrich so contact them and ask or PM @Bruce Gu and ask. Kind Regards GerhardK83 P.S. In the datasheet for the Greenrich wall mount they mention that the battery is compatible with Victron but in the datasheet for the UP 5000 they do not mention that it is compatible.
  24. Good evening @Raps007 and welcome to the forum. I have read what you have written and it would be helpful to know how the solar charge controller and the inverter is connected to the battery? Do you have a manual for the battery and the solar charge controller? What loads do you connect to the inverter? Kind Regards GerhardK83
  25. GP wire must be protected against mechanical damage in a roof space by either conduit or trunking, joints must be properly made in a junction box with strain relief and the cables jointed together by ferrules crimped onto the cables or soldering and insulated with heat shrink or insulation tape. Surfix can be used open but must be neatly routed and clipped so that you do not snag on the cable and damage the cable or fall through the ceiling, joints as for GP wire. Twin and earth is the same as Surfix, joints as per GP wire. On construction sites and hospitals metal conduit or trunking must be used to enclose all cables.
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