DeepBass9
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Everything posted by DeepBass9
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Has anyone ever had a solar panel stop working?
DeepBass9 replied to DeepBass9's topic in Solar Power
I replaced all 3 diodes, but still no joy. What I can see now though is that one of the 3 cell arrays is completely dead, and producing zero volts even in bright sunlight. I believe the problem is therefore a defect on the panel, either in manufacturing, or a microcrack from a hailstone or something like that. So it looks like I will have to replace the panel. I will keep the old panel though, and just rewire it to be a 200W 24V panel, which I'm sure I'll find a use for somewhere else. I have a cottage that runs on an ancient 50W panel to drive some 12V LED lights which I'm sure could make better use of a 200W panel. -
Has anyone ever had a solar panel stop working?
DeepBass9 replied to DeepBass9's topic in Solar Power
Is this the right thing? : https://www.communica.co.za/pages/search-results-page?q=10sq050 -
Has anyone ever had a solar panel stop working?
DeepBass9 replied to DeepBass9's topic in Solar Power
Thanks! I'll see if I can find some on the West Rand or Rustenburg. -
Has anyone ever had a solar panel stop working?
DeepBass9 replied to DeepBass9's topic in Solar Power
So I broke open the back of the panel junction boxes and tested the diodes. I had to saw open the box with a hacksaw, and it was full of some spongy gloop which had to be scraped away. I tested the diodes with the multimeter diode setting and got 1 , 1 and blank in the one direction, and then 134, 128 and -599 in the other direction. I'm not sure what these numbers mean, but I guess it means the 3rd diode's smoke has escaped. I don't see any identifying numbers or marks on the diodes, maybe it is on the back of the diode. Now to buy a soldering iron and get the diodes off and try and find replacements. -
Has anyone ever had a solar panel stop working?
DeepBass9 replied to DeepBass9's topic in Solar Power
I'll give that a try. The box on the back of the panel is glued on so I am going to have to break that off before I can see inside. Here's a video on how to test : I think probably the easiest is to just replace the panel. Its only one panel and they are not too expensive. -
Has anyone ever had a solar panel stop working?
DeepBass9 replied to DeepBass9's topic in Solar Power
PS, the other two panels in the string produce 40V at the same time of day. -
Has anyone ever had a solar panel expire? I have an array of Enersol 300W panels and one string was giving intermittent issues (not charging), so I isolated it to one panel that seems to be producing half voltage. The open circuit voltage is <30V. I measured just now (although the sun was low) and it was 23V. Is there anything that I can test and fix, or is this just a dud and needs replacing? Specs: Electric performance at STC * Maximum Power 300 Wp Power Tolerance 0/+5 Wp Module efficiency 15.4% Maximum Power Voltage 36.6V Maximum Power Current 8.20A Open Circuit Voltage 44.8V Short Circuit Current 8.69
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Scary stuff.
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Maybe validated is not the word, but after 6 years off grid, with the cost and hassle of installing the system long forgotten, I am quite happy! Eskom seems to be going from bad to worse, so I think the prospect of a grid collapse where the whole country is off for a week is on the cards. Imagine that chaos. A week of highveld thunderstorms with wet coal might be the straw that breaks the camels back.
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Remote Raspberry pi monitoring of Geyser temp - ideas?
DeepBass9 replied to mikeblackburn's topic in The Internet of Things
You are wanting to measure relative temperature which it the actual temperature relative to Mrs Scoobs expectations, so that should be fine! -
DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
So how does that explain more power used with more load on the suction side, with a creepy? And also just about every pool website says, dirty filters use more power. -
DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
Exactly, so a blocked filter will increase load not decrease it, and a quick google to get some other opinions gives a variety of sources giving the same answer which is: "Although sand and D.E. filters function more effectively as dirt accumulates, a dirty filter can increase the pump’s workload. In fact, the difference between a clean and dirty filter can nearly double the pump’s energy use." As you add longer pipes, narrower pipes, more bends, more constrictions in the pipe you increase the effective head, reduce the flow rate and increase the load on the pump. This relationship is not linear and there is a peak efficiency where the flow rate is maximised. If you effectively create infinite head by closing the outlet valve, I would put my money on a burned out pump, but you are welcome to test that on your own pool pump. -
DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
I didn't mean to come across as sarcastic or whatever, so I hope no offence was taken. The reality is the more work needs to be done, the more power is drawn. There are formulas to work out the friction losses in long pipes, and losses due to turbulent flow in valves and elbows. If you block up the outlet on a pump, the impeller will be doing no useful work, just working against friction and water turbulence and that energy will need to be dispersed as heat. So in a worst case your pump will overheat. -
DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
Eventually the pump will burn out. -
Not much has happened lately, I put a much larger rear sprocket on, but one of the cheap recycled LA batteries I have is dead and I haven't sorted out the charging system as yet, but it is there on my list of things to get to.......
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No never got any further than an idea. You can buy electric tractors new these days though.
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DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
Most pool pumps are air cooled, the water doesn't flow around the motor, only through the impeller which is driven with a shaft from the motor. -
DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
The motor turns at a fixed rpm and drives an impeller. If there are no constrictions in the system, the impeller will have less resistance and will pump the water through the system will less work done. If the filter is blocked then more work needs to be done, and more power will be drawn. I have measured my pump which is rated 800w and it usually uses 450W but 650W with the creepy attached. The power consumption increases with the work done. As the filter blocks up it will take more work to force the water through the filter. Conservation of energy, its the law so I hear. -
DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
You guys are joking right? -
I would pay careful attention to balancing the blades/rotor assembly. Vibration at high RPM will quickly shake things to pieces. Great project!
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DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
There was also the risk that one of the pipe fittings would pop off under the full pressure of the pump and my swimming pool would be pumped away into the veld! -
DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
Because the pipe was a lot of different diameters, with the smallest being 25mm, and because I didn't want to load the pump with pushing the water through a few 100m of pipe. Even if the pipe is all the same diameter as your pump outlet, there is still extra work to be done to overcome the friction in such a long pipe. The way it is I can control the amount of water going through the pipe. I generally adjust it so the water is being warmed to about 30 odd degrees (finger thermometer) as it exits the pipe. -
DIY Solar water heating for the pool
DeepBass9 replied to MKRandburg's topic in Water Heating & Pumping
The way I have done it is on the outlet that goes back to the pool, after going through the pump and filer, I have a T piece with a valve that I can partially close and direct some of the water flow through a loop of black pipe (various sizes, just joined all the odd pieces I have into a long one). So most of the water goes directly back to the pool, but an amount of it goes through the black pipe and is heated.