8 hours ago, p_i said:

I'm betting it's the "lights" breaker that's rated at 15A and not the 3 other 10A ones.

Its on a 20a breaker

9 hours ago, TaliaB said:

Hi @Oelof light curcuit breaker is normally rated for 10 amps if you saying that the spike is 3300watts that breaker should  have tripped as 3300w/230= 14.34 amp. Check the rating of that Mcb you switched off as something is fishy.

Just because it says "lights"  that doesn't mean that's what it is. One way of thinking is that it's just a cable conveying electricity.

I remember when we bought our current house, the first thing I wanted to do was tame the geyser. So I had that put on a timer. Then I found out that some plugs weren't working. Check all the breakers marked "plugs". All OK. Then I realised that they were going on and off with the timer for the geyser. Somebody had just run a cable down from the geyser to the plugs in one room. Simpler than laying cable all the way to the DB.

53 minutes ago, Oelof said:

Hi Talia, 

So I switched that breaker of last night and no further spikes. Things are starting to make sense now, I had an idea which light caused the surge. The spesific light used to always trip the power prior to the solar installation so we just always left it off.  After the installation I wanted to see what load the battery could handle during the night so I switched on all the LED flood lights around the house.  For some reason the light is not tripping the system anymore, but causing a surge I think. 

After the surge early last night is switched the spesific light off and there were no more surges, so I think I found the culprit.  That or its one of the ancient "brick" light transformers in the roof acting up. 

But I will monitor it tonight and advise.

I am also surprised that a LED light might put out close to 3500w when its faulty.

The light is on a 20a breaker. 

Good detective work! The time-honoured process of elimination still has a lot to recommend it.
 

I'm not sure the case is solved, people were not willing to accept a fridge using 3000 watts but we are ok with a light?

3 minutes ago, Buyeye said:

I'm not sure the case is solved, people were not willing to accept a fridge using 3000 watts but we are ok with a light?

Maybe 90% solved. I havent had a chance to put the flood light on during the day to see if it gives a spike. I will probably get a chance on Saturday. I am going to however leave the light off tonight to see what happens. 

56 minutes ago, Bobster. said:

Just because it says "lights"  that doesn't mean that's what it is. One way of thinking is that it's just a cable conveying electricity.

I remember when we bought our current house, the first thing I wanted to do was tame the geyser. So I had that put on a timer. Then I found out that some plugs weren't working. Check all the breakers marked "plugs". All OK. Then I realised that they were going on and off with the timer for the geyser. Somebody had just run a cable down from the geyser to the plugs in one room. Simpler than laying cable all the way to the DB.

And you won't believe how often i get that situation db labelling incorrect or wires bypassing protective devices and incorrect mcb ratings as per curcuit requirements. @Oelofi like your spirit trying to unravel the conundrum of the 3000w spike, that said light curcuits normally consist of 1.5mm² wire then max mcb rating should not exceed 15 amps. Max rating of 1.5mm² copper wire is 18 amps especially if running in conduit.

Ok, I figured out what breaker is causing the surge. Just by luck saw another spike as it started, rushed to the DB board and the inverter, I was able to confirm which particular breaker it is because everytime I switched the breaker off the spike stopped and when I switched it back on the spike resumed. Problem was that the breaker is not labeled. Left it off and started searching the house for appliances that aren't working... Its the oven's breaker. Here is the weird part, the installer told me that the oven is off the solar, and when we have loadshedding the oven does go off. Also, the oven wasnt being used when the surge occurred. We keep it in stanby mode, so just the timer is on. But we havent used the oven in a week or two, we mainly use the airfyer.  

I am weirded out by this...😵‍💫  Does it mean the oven is faulty? The installer did mention something about the oven not being on earth leakage or something like that...

Any advice?

Edited August 23, 20232 yr by Oelof
Spelling

40 minutes ago, Oelof said:

Ok, I figured out what breaker is causing the surge. Just by luck saw another spike as it started, rushed to the DB board and the inverter, I was able to confirm which particular breaker it is because everytime I switched the breaker off the spike stopped and when I switched it back on the spike resumed. Problem was that the breaker is not labeled. Left it off and started searching the house for appliances that aren't working... Its the oven's breaker. Here is the weird part, the installer told me that the oven is off the solar, and when we have loadshedding the oven does go off. 

We were talking about this earlier. When there is grid your system tries to back up essential and non-essential loads. This is not unusual. 

2 minutes ago, Bobster. said:

We were talking about this earlier. When there is grid your system tries to back up essential and non-essential loads. This is not unusual. 

Ok, why would the oven give random spikes of 3600w for 20-30 minutes during the evening when its not being used? Also only in the evenings, a bit weird I think. 

55 minutes ago, Oelof said:

Ok, why would the oven give random spikes of 3600w for 20-30 minutes during the evening when its not being used? Also only in the evenings, a bit weird I think. 

Well leave that breaker off and see if the problem goes away. If it does then it is something to do with the oven, or something else on that circuit. You mentioned the oven being in standby mode.

And when was there load shedding? The oven can't do anything during a load shed. 

You're homing in on the source of those spikes. 

1 minute ago, Bobster. said:

Well leave that breaker off and see if the problem goes away. If it does then it is something to do with the oven, or something else on that circuit. You mentioned the oven being in standby mode.

And when was there load shedding? The oven can't do anything during a load shed. 

You're homing in on the source of those spikes. 

I have switched it off and will advise in a day or two. The oven is completely off during loadshedding. 

@Oelof I am still waiting for the pics from your other thread. (complete DB and inverter connections) 

10 hours ago, Oelof said:

Ok, why would the oven give random spikes of 3600w for 20-30 minutes during the evening when its not being used? Also only in the evenings, a bit weird I think. 

It's probably on a timer setting that somebody accidentally set at some point.

To see if it is the oven and not something else on that circuit, leave the breaker on but switch off the isolator which should be within arms reach of the oven.

Also, most ovens have a timer function to switch the oven on and or off at preset times. Perhaps you have one that is faulty and does it's own thing, but why only at night?? Could be temperature related.

Just my thoughts

 

Edited August 24, 20232 yr by Thunderdolt
added....and not something else on that circu

13 hours ago, Virwat said:

@Oelof I am still waiting for the pics from your other thread. (complete DB and inverter connections) 

5 hours ago, Thunderdolt said:

To see if it is the oven and not something else on that circuit, leave the breaker on but switch off the isolator which should be within arms reach of the oven.

Also, most ovens have a timer function to switch the oven on and or off at preset times. Perhaps you have one that is faulty and does it's own thing, but why only at night?? Could be temperature related.

Just my thoughts

 

I was also wondering why only at night. But I am going to do what you suggest. The guys fro. AEG are also coming to have a look this week.

3 hours ago, Oelof said:

I was also wondering why only at night. But I am going to do what you suggest. The guys fro. AEG are also coming to have a look this week.

Do you have a separate db for your essentials? There is a lot of mcb's in the Eskom db( picture) but i don't see any wires removed at the bottom of any mcb indicating that loads was split between non essential and essential. The 3 blue wires as live at bottom of mcb is a compliance problem.

Edited August 24, 20232 yr by TaliaB

9 hours ago, TaliaB said:

Do you have a separate db for your essentials? There is a lot of mcb's in the Eskom db( picture) but i don't see any wires removed at the bottom of any mcb indicating that loads was split between non essential and essential. The 3 blue wires as live at bottom of mcb is a compliance problem.

I dont have a separate db for the essentials, but the installer did split it somehow because the oven and geyser do go off during loadshedding.  Not sure about the blue wires, its a very old house, so alot of different electricians must have worked on that db over the years. 

It seems I solved the issue with the spikes in power also, its not the oven as I thought. There is a unlabeled breaker in the db that is causing the surges, we have switched it off and everything in the house still works 100%. So I am not at all sure what the breaker is for, I have a sneaky suspension that its the breaker for the ancient geyser in the roof. I think it might have burst and they they just disconnected the water and  never disconnected the power, and that the element inside the geyser is still working. I am just speculating, but I cant think of any other appliance that can pull 3600w. So for now I am just leaving the breaker off, the mystery remains untill I can one day get a electrician to trace that cable. 

Thanks for everyones help on this, much appreciated. 

8 minutes ago, Oelof said:

I dont have a separate db for the essentials, but the installer did split it somehow because the oven and geyser do go off during loadshedding.  Not sure about the blue wires, its a very old house, so alot of different electricians must have worked on that db over the years. 

It seems I solved the issue with the spikes in power also, its not the oven as I thought. There is a unlabeled breaker in the db that is causing the surges, we have switched it off and everything in the house still works 100%. So I am not at all sure what the breaker is for, I have a sneaky suspension that its the breaker for the ancient geyser in the roof. I think it might have burst and they they just disconnected the water and  never disconnected the power, and that the element inside the geyser is still working. I am just speculating, but I cant think of any other appliance that can pull 3600w. So for now I am just leaving the breaker off, the mystery remains untill I can one day get a electrician to trace that cable. 

Thanks for everyones help on this, much appreciated. 

My first point i would like to make and it may be speculation due to limited information. 1. There needs to be a seperation between non essential and essential when using 1 db board when doing the split. I can't see 2 separate neutral bars 1 for non essential and 1 for essential. The labelling needs to indicate Eskom mains and inverter supply. Did the installer wire in a transfer switch. I can only see 1 earth leakage unit. Is the ct coil wire to the bottom of the earth leakage? Is there led indication? Was a COC issued for this install.

Unfortunately, DB pic not clear, but the way I see it from pic in other thread.

 

Oelof DB.pdf

2 hours ago, Virwat said:

Unfortunately, DB pic not clear, but the way I see it from pic in other thread.

 

Oelof DB.pdf 347.74 kB · 6 downloads

From the picture you shared i could conclude the inverter output is not protected by an earth leakage. There is only 1 earth leakage the Eskom side(non essentials)There is not proper segregation between inverter output supply mcb's and non essential mcb's. Risk where busbar was cut between inverter essentials mcb's and non essential mcb's ( very small gap on busbar between 2 different supplies. Take a picture of the db front cover want to check the labeling. Did the installer supplied you with a coc?

Do the installation have a transfer switch?

 

Edited August 25, 20232 yr by TaliaB

14 minutes ago, TaliaB said:

From the picture you shared i could conclude the inverter output is not protected by an earth leakage. There is only 1 earth leakage the Eskom side(non essentials)There is not proper segregation between inverter output supply mcb's and non essential mcb's. Risk where busbar was cut between inverter essentials mcb's and non essential mcb's ( very small gap on busbar between 2 different supplies. Take a picture of the db front cover want to check the labeling. Did the installer supplied you with a coc?

Do the installation have a transfer switch?

 

500g Potato salad would sure be better than this DB. Hehehe he. 

23 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

500g Potato salad would sure be better than this DB. Hehehe he. 

Yeah yeah the screenshot had potato salad ready for the braai😜

2 hours ago, TaliaB said:

From the picture you shared i could conclude the inverter output is not protected by an earth leakage. There is only 1 earth leakage the Eskom side(non essentials)There is not proper segregation between inverter output supply mcb's and non essential mcb's. Risk where busbar was cut between inverter essentials mcb's and non essential mcb's ( very small gap on busbar between 2 different supplies. Take a picture of the db front cover want to check the labeling. Did the installer supplied you with a coc?

Do the installation have a transfer switch?

 

Look at my pdf.

The Essentials are on E/L.

The 3 Non-essentials are not.

Portuguese salad?😃

3 minutes ago, Virwat said:

Look at my pdf.

The Essentials are on E/L.

The 3 Non-essentials are not.

Portuguese salad?😃

You need 2 earth leakages one for inverter output and one for Eskom if you power any socket outlet you need EL protection any class 1 appliance must on EL. 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 20232 yr by TaliaB