HannesZ Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 all the lights in the house flicker when running from battery with a Sunsynk 5.5KW inverter. Is there something that can be done to smooth out the output? will an AC filter inline to the lights help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiznh Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Bad connection on the AC side? Sounds like faulty wiring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HannesZ Posted April 19, 2022 Author Share Posted April 19, 2022 Its always possible to be bad wiring but it makes no sense that it can be bad wiring as there is no flicker when the inviter switch to line mode. The wiring does not change. Im running 55mm DC wires from the batteries to the inviters. If I measure there is no notable voltage drop but the flicker is there regardless of load when the grid fails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HannesZ Posted April 19, 2022 Author Share Posted April 19, 2022 its on all lights. even the dimmable LEDs, incandescent and florescent lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiznh Posted April 20, 2022 Share Posted April 20, 2022 (edited) So all these lights are wired to essentials. Sunsync should provide a stable pure sine AC output. Check the AC voltage. It does sound like a wire that is not properly torqued and provides a poor connection. If you are not the DIY type then get a electrician to troubleshoot. Please provide feedback as this might help other people out there Edited April 20, 2022 by iiznh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HannesZ Posted April 20, 2022 Author Share Posted April 20, 2022 My fluke shows 230.9v where the lights are connected in the house DB. 50hz. I did not manage to bring the scope. Will get that next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta9 Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 On 2022/04/20 at 6:36 PM, HannesZ said: My fluke shows 230.9v where the lights are connected in the house DB. 50hz. I did not manage to bring the scope. Will get that next. Sounds like the DIY type to me its troubling that the Sunsynk is giving you this problem though. Will be following your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leshen Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 On 2022/04/20 at 6:36 PM, HannesZ said: My fluke shows 230.9v where the lights are connected in the house DB. 50hz. I did not manage to bring the scope. Will get that next. Could you post a picture of your grid page on the settings menu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 On 2022/04/19 at 8:54 PM, HannesZ said: all the lights in the house flicker when running from battery with a Sunsynk 5.5KW inverter. Is there something that can be done to smooth out the output? will an AC filter inline to the lights help? Is the flicker continuous or just at the moment when AC is lost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HannesZ Posted April 24, 2022 Author Share Posted April 24, 2022 I got a oscilloscope her but for some reason I can't get the FFT to work. Time to read the manual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HannesZ Posted April 24, 2022 Author Share Posted April 24, 2022 2 hours ago, Halcyon said: Is the flicker continuous or just at the moment when AC is lost? Once loadsheding kick in it starts to flicker slightly. It's not something you notice until you do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimCam Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 When in load-shedding, trip the Main feed from Eskom (L & N) to make sure there is not some weird artifact been fed in on the mains that affects your inverter. SYC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SYC Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 Make sure neutrals are not mixed between essentials and non-essentials none to be a cause of such a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HannesZ Posted April 25, 2022 Author Share Posted April 25, 2022 2 hours ago, Quwatush Shams (Suly) said: Make sure neutrals are not mixed between essentials and non-essentials none to be a cause of such a problem I have a relay that kicks in when the grid fails. It connects the grid neutral to the output of the inventor neutral. It is there to prevent islanding as the earth spike and the neutrals aren't connected when the grid has failed. is there another way to wire the system so that earth for the essential loads still functions but I don't have throbbing lights? 11 hours ago, TimCam said: When in load-shedding, trip the Main feed from Eskom (L & N) to make sure there is not some weird artifact been fed in on the mains that affects your inverter. Good suggestions. will try. Can't believe I am holding thumps for loadshedding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sc00bs Posted April 25, 2022 Share Posted April 25, 2022 Flickering lights are usually caused by varying voltages in the supply. My guess would be that you have a floating neutral when you are load shedding and that it is not being bonded to the earth. I am not sure if you have tested it already or not. If not, I would suggest you disconnect Eskom and then check the voltage between Earth and Neutral. it should be 0. Would also check the voltage between Live and Earth which should be 230V I used to have a floating neutral and my LED's used to flicker, they stopped doing it when my neutral was sorted out by my installer. The floating neutral was also stopping my generator from connecting to the inverter. SYC, Pumba and system32 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SYC Posted April 26, 2022 Share Posted April 26, 2022 On 2022/04/25 at 7:51 AM, HannesZ said: It connects the grid neutral to the output of the inventor neutral. It is there to prevent islanding as the earth spike and the neutrals aren't connected when the grid has failed. This relay should not be connected to grid neutral at all. Only inverter output and earth spike, so that when grid is off, your output neutral of inverter is earthed. Input and output neutrals as far as I know must be separated Exactly what @Sc00bs said floating neutral Karl Daschner, Sc00bs and Leshen 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adagio Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 Hey! I recently swopped out my Axpert for a Sunsynk and I started noticing this. The axpert certainly didn't do this. It's not a continuous flicker. It's like once every few random seconds. Cant even say it's when a load is applied. Could you figure it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorp007 Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 22 hours ago, Adagio said: Hey! I recently swopped out my Axpert for a Sunsynk and I started noticing this. The axpert certainly didn't do this. It's not a continuous flicker. It's like once every few random seconds. Cant even say it's when a load is applied. Could you figure it out? Does it flicker when the grid is on or only when supplied by the inverter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacoG Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 (edited) I have the same but only when there is load shedding. And this only happens with my downlights non dimmable. Edited February 21 by JacoG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sc00bs Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Like I said, you have a floating neutral, your earth and neutral are not bonded together when the inverter is running in Island mode (no grid) When it connects to the grid again your E/N are bound at the grid connection. Scorp007 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorp007 Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 4 hours ago, Sc00bs said: Like I said, you have a floating neutral, your earth and neutral are not bonded together when the inverter is running in Island mode (no grid) When it connects to the grid again your E/N are bound at the grid connection. Thanks for the video. As far as what is correct with N-E bonding this should clarify it. This link was provided by @TaliaB https://ecasa.co.za/technical/neutral-earth-bonding-clarified/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sc00bs Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 8 minutes ago, Scorp007 said: Thanks for the video. As far as what is correct with N-E bonding this should clarify it. This link was provided by @TaliaB https://ecasa.co.za/technical/neutral-earth-bonding-clarified/ I thought that it did but the statement seems to cause more confusion than it answers. On the DEYE Whatsapp group, Danie Esterhuizen, Vice Chairman of ECASA, said that it actually means that a hard bond is what needs to be done and linked me to a video explaining it. To me the document like they mean a contactor is the way to do it, @TaliaB would be happy , but apparently it doesn't. Scorp007 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HannesZ Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 Contacor is there. It shorts the neutrals and the earth from the input to the outputs. Also tested it with multimeter and there is dead short when grid is off between the neutral and the earth wires on the output of the inverter as well to the earth spike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adagio Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 On 2024/02/10 at 8:26 PM, Scorp007 said: Does it flicker when the grid is on or only when supplied by the inverter. I notice ot all the time. Not just when LS. But the wining also happens all the time. So I assume the inverter is always engaged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorp007 Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 36 minutes ago, Adagio said: I notice ot all the time. Not just when LS. But the wining also happens all the time. So I assume the inverter is always engaged Although we hear a lot about the flicker and earth-neutral bond. I have several different inverters and even with no bond and no earth none of my LEDs flicker. Normally they flicker due to their controllers not making sure the current stays constant. LEDs do pick up the slightest voltage change if the controller are of a cheaper nature. It would be interesting to do some tests in a workshop to find the real reason or drivers of the flicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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