I am trying to determine the best location for having a Victron Multiplus II installed.  Unfortunately my garage has quite a few cupboards / shelves etc. already installed, and I am not keen on moving them around.

There is space below one of the cupboards, but I am not sure if there are any regulations around how high an inverter should be installed from the floor?

There may be a bit of space next to a tumble dryer, but that is hardly a friendly environment - unless I put e.g. some "fire board" next to the tumble dryer?  (Fire board is the stuff used inside wood stoves and so on to keep the fire from burning directly against the metal.

15 hours ago, admiral said:

There is space below one of the cupboards, but I am not sure if there are any regulations around how high an inverter should be installed from the floor?

It must be so installed that it can never ever pose a risk for anyone with small fingers, or touching large fingers, to cause drama.

Best person to speak to is a sparky, who needs to give the CoC.

And you don't have to have the inverter at a specific place. 10mm2 cable from inverter to DB can make it fit anywhere you want. I have a few meters of 10mm2 cable lying here.

And personally, the cooler the ambient temp is, the better, even though Victron is designed to work under harsh conditions.

Edited March 31, 20197 yr by Guest

2 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Best person to speak to is a sparky, who needs to give the CoC.

Best option. My experience: Put it high enough that small children can't easily reach it. Otherwise put it in a cupboard (and arrange good ventilation).

2 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

And personally, the cooler the ambient temp is, the better, even though Victron is designed to work under harsh conditions.

The inverters start to derate above 25°C, so lower ambient is definitely better. The solar chargers only derate above 40°C so it is less important for those.

@plonkster you know, the way we tag-team sometimes, I give the non-tech answers you jump in giving the hard facts ... I like. 👍

Best of both worlds.

54 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Best of both worlds.

Dude. I just made a 12-hour flight (over night) followed by a 2.5 hour train trip, and sleeping in cattle class is something I haven't quite got down. So be glad my answers make sense 🙂

If I go to bed now (17:44) it's just going to be weird. Also, it's friggin 8°C outside and the wind is blowing a bit. This Africa-boy is not impressed.

25 minutes ago, plonkster said:

Dude. I just made a 12-hour flight (over night) followed by a 2.5 hour train trip, and sleeping in cattle class is something I haven't quite got down. So be glad my answers make sense 🙂

If I go to bed now (17:44) it's just going to be weird. Also, it's friggin 8°C outside and the wind is blowing a bit. This Africa-boy is not impressed.

Sounds like you're in Blighty.  You'll get through it!

2 hours ago, plonkster said:

So be glad my answers make sense 🙂

Just shows you how good you are ... and ag shame, you are seeing the world ... toughen up buttercup! 🤣

 

Edited March 31, 20197 yr by Guest

2 hours ago, plonkster said:

This Africa-boy is not impressed.

You'll make it. 

12 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

seeing the world

Haha, the same bit over and over 🙂 Slept 12 hours straight, all is good this morning 🙂

On 2019/03/30 at 10:49 PM, admiral said:

I am trying to determine the best location for having a Victron Multiplus II installed.  Unfortunately my garage has quite a few cupboards / shelves etc. already installed, and I am not keen on moving them around.

There is space below one of the cupboards, but I am not sure if there are any regulations around how high an inverter should be installed from the floor?

There may be a bit of space next to a tumble dryer, but that is hardly a friendly environment - unless I put e.g. some "fire board" next to the tumble dryer?  (Fire board is the stuff used inside wood stoves and so on to keep the fire from burning directly against the metal.

Electrical installations have a minimum height off the floor, of 400mm if memory serves me right. 

Anything lower and it's a flood risk. 

And it's going to be a pain in the neck, and back, to work on. 

Apart from that, it should be out of reach of children and unauthorized personal. So if it can't go higher, it needs to be locked in. 

Ok, so it will be mounted at eye level, and then probably next to the tumble dryer.  We don't use the tumble very often, and definitely won't be using it when the mains are down!  I don't think therefore it will be such a big issue?  I'll still add some insulation between the dryer and the inverter - at least it is a condenser dryer to it collects the water.

In future, when I can feed back - for zero metering, not into the grid - then perhaps the tumble dryer will run when the inverter is running?

The other option is to move cupboards around in my garage, but then the inverter ends up above the 8 AGM batteries - and that is also a no-no?

56 minutes ago, admiral said:

... but then the inverter ends up above the 8 AGM batteries - and that is also a no-no?

The issue with lead acid ventilating batteries is with anything above batteries, or batteries in a garage, is the hydrogen which tends to rise.

And allegedly - have not tried it yet - the buildup of hydrogen gas tends to explode ... so they say. 🙂

BUT, AGM's, I'm not too sure how much they can ventilate. Best is to ask the manufacturer, for they can ventilate a bit.

Edited April 1, 20197 yr by Guest

Or Google Ventilated Battery Box

I have measured the temperatures around the tumble dryer while it is running -

• Right next to the tumble dryer - as in millimeters away - the temperature is 36 degrees Celcius.
• 100mm away - the installation instructions from Victron - it is around 26 degrees Celcius.

I'm pretty sure the inverter should be fine there.  I'll install some isolation right next to the dryer, just in case.  At least it will be nice and high in this position.

4 hours ago, admiral said:

Right next to the tumble dryer

Is it a condenser drier, or does it at least have a proper lint filter? I ran one in the garage for a few years with the exhaust just straight out the back, and boy did it cover the world in lint.

We now have a condenser drier with the lint filter in the front. Much cleaner 🙂

Yes, a very expensive 😮 condenser dryer.  Because I started complaining about stuff rusting in the garage.

And here I thought TTT or Plonkster was going to say that Victron is such beautiful kit that it should be mounted in the main bedroom.

35 minutes ago, Jaws said:

And here I thought TTT or Plonkster was going to say that Victron is such beautiful kit that it should be mounted in the main bedroom.

We both tried. Even the living room, the dining room, the lounge ...it is a work of art as you say.

One word why not: SWAMBO. 😋