Hi all, 

I have quite a strange problem. My house is 100% off grid with no Eskom connection. 8kW Sunsynk inverter, 4 x UP5000 Pylontech batteries and 12 x 550W panels. Often when it starts to rain softly the earth leakage on the DB trips. No other CB trip and no error codes on the inverter. I can switch off all the CBs but the Earth Leakage can't be switched on. After about 10 mins I can switch on the EL, and the problem disappears, even if it carries on raining. 

Funny thing is it happens at the same time with my neighbour, with a similar installation.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

I had a nuisance EL trip and only during rain. I tracked my issue down to water ingress on a junction point outdoors for my pool pump. Perhaps your issue may prove to be something similar?

17 hours ago, Ernie said:

Hi all, 

I have quite a strange problem. My house is 100% off grid with no Eskom connection. 8kW Sunsynk inverter, 4 x UP5000 Pylontech batteries and 12 x 550W panels. Often when it starts to rain softly the earth leakage on the DB trips. No other CB trip and no error codes on the inverter. I can switch off all the CBs but the Earth Leakage can't be switched on. After about 10 mins I can switch on the EL, and the problem disappears, even if it carries on raining. 

Funny thing is it happens at the same time with my neighbour, with a similar installation.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

Let the hunt begin, it is a process of elimination, switch things off until you find what trips the power. For me it was solar panels and outside plug feeding a security camera.

22 hours ago, Ernie said:

Hi all, 

I have quite a strange problem. My house is 100% off grid with no Eskom connection. 8kW Sunsynk inverter, 4 x UP5000 Pylontech batteries and 12 x 550W panels. Often when it starts to rain softly the earth leakage on the DB trips. No other CB trip and no error codes on the inverter. I can switch off all the CBs but the Earth Leakage can't be switched on. After about 10 mins I can switch on the EL, and the problem disappears, even if it carries on raining. 

Funny thing is it happens at the same time with my neighbour, with a similar installation.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks

Do you mean if your EL trips at say 18:07, your Neighbour's EL also trip at 18:07? 

Yes, at the same time. But the houses are not connected in any way, electricity or water.

 

😜 I think your neighbour knows something that you don't know.

No I can't help.

Only thing I can think of is lightning strike in the vicinity. 

15 minutes ago, Ernie said:

Yes, at the same time. But the houses are not connected in any way, electricity or water.

 

Previously when my panels had an issue with water ingress the EL would trip within seconds of the rains starting to fall. Maybe you and your neighbor have the same issue?

Question time:

Is your EL between your inverter and the load? It must be after your inverter, it is not there to protect your inverter.

What type of EL do you use and how old is it? I found a CBi type B  EL/RCD gives zero nuisance trips, they are expensive but worth it. 

You say the EL keeps on tripping even with all the breakers are tripped? Then the fault carries through on the neutral circuit.

Do you have access to a meggar? 

Are there any elec motors on the circuit? Motors and old fluorecent ballasts have a tendancy to can become a bit of a problem.

Faultfinding: If the EL is currently tripping:

REMOVE /UNPLUG all the plugs and try to switch on. Still tripping:

Switch off the main supply and all the breakers, disconnect all the black wires on the neutral bar, switch power back on, don't switch on the individual breakers, reset EL, now push the black wires one by one against the neutral bar.

If the EL trip you have found the possible culprit circuit then you have to see what is all on that circuit.

If the EL still doesn't trip you might have a couple of small earth leakings which all then ads up to become more than the allowded total trip rating of 30mA.

NB the power is on in the db as you are pushing the black wires against the bar, do not electrocute yourself. 

If you don't feel up to it,  please get outside professional help. It is a pain in the ..... to find a dissappearing earth fault.

Happy hunting. 

8 hours ago, Vaal said:

Question time:

Is your EL between your inverter and the load? It must be after your inverter, it is not there to protect your inverter.

If the E/L is between the inverter and load does it not mean it is after the inverter? 

22 hours ago, Scorp007 said:

If the E/L is between the inverter and load does it not mean it is after the inverter? 

And what is your point?