I have an installation consisting of an Axpert MKS 5KVA 48V connected to 4 OmniPower 12V 260ah batteries. A little while ago I had to have the inverter bypassed due to it misbehaving with a fault, I was away from home so I cannot recall the exact issue. I had the inverter reconnected yesterday and much to my surprise everything works. The batteries are charging and now show a voltage of 53.6 measured at the breaker between the inverter and the battery bank. Everything functions as expected.

When testing the system and killing grid power however the inverter comes up with an Error Code 56 (Battery Connection is Open), followed by a Warning Code 04 (Low Battery) and then an Error Code 58 (Output Voltage is Too Low). 

The inverter only powers the lights and plugs. 

My configuration is as follows :-

01 Output Source Priority                       - Uti
02 Maximum Charging Current             - 60A (Default)
03 AC Input Voltage Range                    - UPS
05 Battery Type                                        - AGn AGM (Default)
11 Maximum Utility Charging Current  - 30A (Default)
16 Charger Source Priority                     - SnU Solar and Utility
26 Bulk Charging Voltage                       - 56.4V (Default)
27 Floating Charging Voltage                - 54.0V (Default)
28 AC Output Mode                                - SIG 
29 Low DC Cut-Off Voltage                   - 42.0V (Default)

The inverter shows a battery bank voltage of 54.0V or 54.1V. 

Any and all thoughts will be appreciated. 

Regards.

 

1 hour ago, VisN said:

I have an installation consisting of an Axpert MKS 5KVA 48V

Is it a fairly old model? It sounds like you have an issue with the battery connection, the internal fuse, or the battery-side MOSFETs, or the battery to bus DC-DC section. The older models have a power supply that can power the processor and display from the AC input; later models lack this feature. But if you're still getting say 36 VDC at the battery terminals, then it could still run the processor and display from that, with errors such as you describe.

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Everything functions as expected.

How comprehensive is that "everything"? :-)

For example, when you measure say 53.6 V at the battery breaker (is it the same at the inverter end as at the battery end?), what does the LC Display say is the battery voltage?

Can you get the inverter into battery mode, or is it powering the loads from the AC input?
 

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My configuration is as follows :-

02 Maximum Charging Current             - 60A (Default)

 

I don't know AGMs all that well, but it seems to me that you should not use more than 40 A (perhaps 50 A) as the maximum total charge current for a 260 Ah AGM battery. But that's not likely to be your main problem at present.

If you can get the inverter into battery mode, how well does the battery voltage hold up under load?

If you've been using factory (non patched) firmware, then the battery will have been chronically undercharged (assuming most charging via PV). [ Edit: I see from other posts that you likely don't have PV connected; with the settings you have, you will have dodged the premature-float bugs, so that's one less reason for your battery to be ruined. However, if the battery is three years old, it may simply have died of old age.] It may be that they have very high internal resistance now. How similar are the individual 12 V batteries in their voltage, especially under load? It might be useful to use an automotive globe with decent sized clip-leads (across only one 12 V module at a time, of course), to get an idea about this.

[ Edit: added sentence about on-grid use; added "decent sized" to "clip-leads. ]

Edited December 28, 20187 yr by Coulomb

21 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

Is it a fairly old model? It sounds like you have an issue with the battery connection, the internal fuse, or the battery-side MOSFETs, or the battery to bus DC-DC section. The older models have a power supply that can power the processor and display from the AC input; later models lack this feature. But if you're still getting say 36 VDC at the battery terminals, then it could still run the processor and display from that, with errors such as you describe.

It was purchased around June/July 2015, so it is an older model.

22 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

How comprehensive is that "everything"? 🙂

😁 The plug points and lights work. The battery seems to be charging. The indicator lights all look fine. There are no errors or warnings.

23 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

For example, when you measure say 53.6 V at the battery breaker (is it the same at the inverter end as at the battery end?), what does the LC Display say is the battery voltage?

Yes it measures exactly the same at both ends of the breaker. The inverter LCD displays 54.0V. 

25 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

Can you get the inverter into battery mode, or is it powering the loads from the AC input?

How do I get it into battery mode?

27 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

I don't know AGMs all that well, but it seems to me that you should not use more than 40 A (perhaps 50 A) as the maximum total charge current for a 260 Ah AGM battery. But that's not likely to be your main problem at present.

I have changed this to 20A.

28 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

How similar are the individual 12 V batteries in their voltage, especially under load?

I have measured the individual batteries as 13.35, 13.36, 13.46 and 13.58 though they were not under load.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Appreciated.

 

1 hour ago, VisN said:

The plug points and lights work. The battery seems to be charging.

Yes, but (assuming you have no panels connected), when the battery is charging, the loads are supplied by the grid.

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How do I get it into battery mode?

The easiest way is to remove the AC input. I assume you have a breaker there. I suggest you save your work on your computer first, just in case   If it handles a light load, boil the kettle (or similar, make some toast) and see how the battery voltages hold up. Perhaps wait till the battery is somewhat more charged, e.g. when they have at least reached 56 V or so (even briefly). They won't be fully charged until they stay over 56 V for some hours. But check that one of them isn't over 14.4 V (the gassing voltage) when the others are far behind.

It's possible that there was a wire loose from the battery, and when the electrician came to wire the inverter back to normal, he might have noticed that and thought "gee, that seems a bit loose, I'll give it a quick tighten while I'm at it". So it's possible that there may be nothing wrong now.

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I have changed this to 20A.

Again, guessing that you have no solar panels, you would have been limited to 30 A of AC charging by setting 11 anyway.

Quote

I have measured the individual batteries as 13.35, 13.36, 13.46 and 13.58 though they were not under load.

Those figures don't sound too bad for an older lead acid battery being charged slowly, but the real test is when they are under load.

It would be good to compare the battery voltages after being fully charged, and rested for several hours. The rested voltages will give an indication of state of their states of charge. Ideally, they will settle at around 12.6 - 12.8 VDC; being older, they'll probably be a bit lower.

Coulomb,

Thanks you've given me enough to work with. Let me troubleshoot a bit.

Regards

 

8 hours ago, Coulomb said:

If you've been using factory (non patched) firmware, then the battery will have been chronically undercharged

Ammazing information and capture my attention, as I have the same inverter but with Li-Ion battery, should I upgrade the frame-ware, and what is the procedure for that.

 

2 hours ago, Getskay said:

Ammazing information and capture my attention,

Yes, batteries are expensive, so the last thing you need is the inverter wasting PV energy and undercharging your battery. Amazing to me that Voltronic Power, which must surely be aware of the patched firmware by now, haven't twigged to the problem. And it's such an easy fix for them!

Quote

should I upgrade the frame-ware, and what is the procedure for that.

That's up to you, of course, but yes, I think  every Axpert user should be using patched firmware, at least until the premature floating bugs are fixed. At least read up about the problem. Unfortunately, there are many Voltronic Power models, and there aren't patched firmwares available for all of them.

All the information you need is in this AEVA (Australian Electric Vehicle Association) forum topic: PIP-4048MS and PIP-5048MS inverters (covers Axpert MKS 5K-48, PF0.8 and PF1.0), though there are smaller topics for other models, e.g. PIP-5048GE, PIP-5048GK and PIP-5048MG inverters (with unsafe SCC) (Axpert VM II and III, Axpert MKS II). These both have indexes in the first post; the first topic is very long now (passed 2500 posts recently, even with some trimming). Even the index is a bit daunting, so here are some starters for the firmware bugs and how to flash new firmware:

•   The two premature-float bugs
• One of the following three, depending on your model and whether you want to beta test the latest, or stay with more tested patched firmware:
•     The latest 73.00d patched firmware for 4 kW / 5 kVA / PF0.8 models.
•              Beta 73.00e patched firmware for 4 kW / 5 kVA / PF0.8 models.
•     The latest 72.20c patched firmware for 5 kW / 5 kVA / PF1 models with 64 V option.
• Firmware upload instructions (ignore the obsolete files for downloading)

The most popular model that doesn't have patched firmware available, and becoming more popular as time goes by, is the PF1.0 Axpert 5K-48, without the 64 V option. (So if you want the 5 kW model, and/or can't get the 4 kW model any more, go for the one with the 64 V option if possible, so there is patched firmware available).

Coulomb,

Can I upgrade from this :-

If so, what cable do I need for this :- 

Regards.

 

Edited December 29, 20187 yr by VisN

1 hour ago, VisN said:

Can I upgrade from this :-

Yes, it's safe to update firmware from a 2015 model showing 52.30, such as yours.

[ Edit: that port labelled COM in your second photo is where you need to plug in the RJ-45 to D9 cable that would have come with the inverter; hopefully you still have it. Note that it's NOT a standard cable, though one can be readily made from information on the AEVA website. That needs to plug into a suitable USB to RS232 cable; see the firmware upload instructions topic. ]

For other readers: With the occasional overlapping of firmware version numbers, I'm not 100% sure if there isn't a more modern model with that or similar firmware version numbers; models from 2017 or later with 52.XX should NOT be updated (as of very late 2018). I believe that it is always safe to update a model with 5 kVA and 4 kW ratings (NOT 5 kW, i.e. NOT PF1), when they have one MPPT SCC whose maximum input voltage is 145 V. In particular, there has been a bricking of a machine with a higher voltage (e.g. 450 V max) MPPT with firmware intended for the lower voltage MPPTs, so caution is advised.

Edited December 30, 20187 yr by Coulomb

@VisN any update, did you sort it out? Have the same case here

On 2019/06/18 at 9:46 PM, Bricoleur said:

@VisN any update, did you sort it out? Have the same case here

Sorry for the late reply.

I gave up on it and got myself a Victron MultiPlus II. There just isn't enough proper support out there for the Axperts.

Gud day sir/mam,

I have axpert mks 5kva 48v

I just newly turn it on, but its always showing error 02, continues beep/alarm, then several seconds it turns automatically off, what seems to be the prob sir, and I can I do, TIA