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Friday

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Everything posted by Friday

  1. I aplogise for my absence fro this thread - a rather nasty fire went through the Knysna Plett area last week and my focus was elsewhere. We are just thankful to still have our home and farm untouched when there is such devastation around us. The decision was made to have two separate systems. so all the hardware I have is now sorted into these two systems. I can't change the batteries as they are already purchased. I now have a different problem. Is there anyone here that has already installed their system themselves, or knows how to wire the system properly, someone who is in the Knysna Plett area who could kindly either come and give advice onsite or that can talk to us real time on the phone. I know what needs to be done, but my husband needs to hear the technical stuff from someone else. Please. If anyone can help me with regards to switches and fuses. Please.
  2. errr... that went so far over my head I didn't even see the contrail....
  3. I think I am making some headway with the two system set-up.....
  4. Yes, that was their only response to me - I could not afford to be without power for 3 months (their stated time it would take to repair). SO a woman with a screwdriver is a dangerous thing, eh.... I just took the covers off, oh the blasphemy!! I started at the first thing I could think of and replaced the inverter fan, which luckily sorted the problem LOL. then the same with the controller - process of elilmination starting with the simplest first and I replaced an isolator switch and there you go, it worked. So instead of talking to me they wanted me without power for 3 months and pay courier fees... go figure.
  5. Its an upgrade for us - the Microcare is only 1 Kw and the Axpert is 5Kw and within our dwindling budget. Also Microcare can fly a kite as far as after sales service goes - I have had a problem on both the controller and the inverter in the 18 months we have used them and I got sweet fanny adams from Microcare when I approached them for help - they refused to even talk to me as I wasn't an "approved intaller or distributer of their products". I had to sort out the issues myself, which I did manage to do. They will not see a cent of my money again and if anything goes seriously wrong, the stuff will become expensive sinkers for fishing.
  6. I thought to use the existing system as is for a separate circuit for fridges and freezers. Then use the new lot for the rest? According to Trojan the batteries should have a life span of 14 to 17 years at 80% DoD if looked after properly. This is why I ask if the 18 month difference in age is enough to be a problem.
  7. TTT - I want to do that yes, but Hubby is refusing to have two systems and says he is furious we might have 35k worth of useless batteries (the existing system)...
  8. Plonkster and TTT you just blew up my monday morning brain - I am going to try drawing out how I think you mean the wiring must be and post it later and you can tell me how wrong I am lol. Thank you so much for the help so far!! You guys are stars
  9. I understand the way the built in controller works in the axpert, but I dont know how to wire in an extra controller? there is my problem - how do I put in the extra controller?
  10. OK concept is there, but wiring wise, how would I do this - do you have a picture of how this would work - I'm seeing the words, but not "seeing" it in my head...
  11. Errrrr I just tried this and got a look and hissing sound that hinted at atomic mushrooms floating around my head.... thanks!
  12. I have no clue how to include a battery monitor thing into the system - Victron or otherwise - I did warn you this is all way above my understanding OK, thanks I get the "shallow" discharge now. Just clarifying that we were on the same definition
  13. Do you mean shallow as in using a lot or shallow as in using a little - I've seen both versions of interpreting DoD - When I say 80% DoD I mean only using 20% of capacity, but I've seen others mean 80% is using 80% of capacity??? Thanks Friday
  14. Hi Plonkster Thank you for the info - it is going to take me a while to go through that paper and absorb the info. It's my hubby that says "I don't want two systems"... It's himm I have to convince not to mix the batteries. How do I set up the microcare controller into the system? The axpert has one inbuilt and I don't know how to include the extra controller? I will check the panels today and see how they are made up and take pics of the info on them. Thanks Friday
  15. Hi TTT and Chris Thank you for the answers!! TTT - yeah, our planning took a year - Needs and Wants - one of my little soap box subjects! ... It is something that others have asked me about often - Öoooh you're on solar, I want to go solar, how did you do it? So I tell them to take a few months and forget about panels/batteries/inverters for now and the very first exercise is to work out exactly what their power needs are and what they Need as opposed to what is just convenience. And you know what, mostly their eyes glaze over and they wander away with a bemused look in their eyes LOL We ditched anything with an element - Gas for cooking; gas hot water geysers; no tumble dryer; no hairdryer; non-electric kettle for gas stove etc We do have a toaster, but almost never use it as I now make toast in a cast iron pan on the stove, I have a hand blender I use occasionally but mostly use a good old knife and chopping board for food prep. We sold our old stuff and bought the defy eco chest freezer which uses 86W, a Hisense fridge which uses 75W, a samsung top loader that uses max 300W, a 700W microwave (which we still can't use on a 1 KW inverter because of start-up surge hehe), a telefunken LED TV. I think the salesman at Game thought I was touched as I hauled everything out of it's display to read the info on the back to find the most power efficient for our needs - he kept saying "what does the Mama want?" I do laundry when the sun shines enough power into our system, and line dry everything - if you turn your clothes inside out for drying then the sun doesn't fade it (a concern I saw someone else on these forums voice). No ironing - I fold everything as I take it from the line as opposed to dumping it into the basket. Shirts and pants go strait onto a hanger. If you do that, there is very little that "needs" ironing - for an emergency pressing I got one of those small travel irons that uses 90W, which I haven't had to use yet just by being careful nothing gets crumpled and creased. I got rid of stupid creasy clothes that wrinkle just looking at them skew. We don't have DSTV - a total waste of money in our opinion. We stream movies on our laptops if we want to see something. We also got rid of our power hungry gaming desktops and got good enough laptops that we can also game on. My old desktop PC drew 600 - 800W when gaming, my laptop uses max 65W. We play music on our laptops too. We have a charging station for phones, tablets and tools. It is also easier for us as it's just two of us - no kids in the mix. That being said, the grand kids come and spend their holidays with us and they are amazingly adaptable - They know that this is a "tech free" house - no phones, tablets or TV and they get to be real kids for their time here - they get dirty, they play outside, they get rained on, they play in the river, they build forts and play Hunger Games... Oh they get their "tech time", but it is a reward for imagination, working together and good attitude. Ai, there I started on the needs and wants thing ****kicks soap-box back under the bed**** Thanks Friday
  16. Hi there Having lurked around here for years while researching and planning and finally going solar I now find my silence is punishing me. I have to have 15 posts before I can download the file on Axpert settings. So here goes: We are eskom free, gave them the middle finger 2 years ago. Steep learning curve with so much BS out there that it's like wading through treacle trying to find answers and reliable info. Our first system (Mark I) was a beginners true mashup of mistakes and our current system (Mark II) works fine, we just want the new system (Mark III) capable of dealing with the full needs of our completed house. We have been slowly working on building our house, getting the components of our new system together and now finally at the point of installing it. Problem is I am still a beginner and all this is doing my head in, I may be slightly technically minded for a female, but this is all still way beyond my current knowledge and maths ability. I have questions coming out my ears and I need help - I don't want to mess up this whole expensive pile of stuff. I have the following to put together into one functional system: Microcare 1 KW inverter (being used in our current system and def not going into our new system) Microcare 60A charge controller (being used in our current system) Axpert 5KW inverter (new) and remote panel 4 x 260W panels (being used in our current system) 8 x 300W panels (new) 8 x Trojan L16REB 6v 370ah batteries (18 months old, being used in our current system) 16 x Trojan L16REB 6v 370ah batteries (new) So here are some questions I have: 1. We used 70mm cable for the batteries and connections in the current system, Hubby says 35mm will do fine for new system - is this OK? 2. I want to make 3 strings of 48V. Can I still use the batteries from my existing system together with the new batteries? If not,why not? I must say we barely sipped from the batteries as we were limited by the 1KW inverter - If we dipped below 80 - 85% of battery charge it was minimal and maybe only a couple of times through winter. We ditched the wants for needs right at the start. 3. The panels - so I figure that 3 x 300W panels in series will be ok for the volts limit for the axpert controller, so I can get 2 stings of 3 x 300W panels. Can the existing 260W panels be used at all? Can I make a string with 2 x 300W + 1 x 260W panels thus giving me 4 strings of panels? Please explain the maths here to me. 4. Please could you explain why the system needs to be grounded properly and what parts of it need to be grounded and how to do this - we are an island - no grid tie. 5. We want to use the genny when power tools need to be used and to charge the batteries if needed. Can this be done with the axpert and how do we make it so that it is not automatic and only when we want it to do this. 6. Where do I put isolator switches and fuses and what kind are they and where do I get them? I have more questions, but I need 15 posts see Thanks in advance Friday
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