This subject was discuss before can't find it . Batteries earth to cabinet . Must the cabinets be earthed to the system . Thanks for your input .

7 minutes ago, Chris Louw said:

Batteries earth to cabinet . Must the cabinets be earthed to the system

Your batteries are not earthed, they are only connected to the frame. (on rubber wheels)  In this case I will connect that common point to the supply earth as well. 

hmm my battery isn't earthed either, so it is fine to earth it say to the db box?

Connected earth to DB  and now running and checking operation and setting up ICC . Batterys well balanced .

I could not find that information either, so I ended up earthing my batteries just to be on the safe side...

15 hours ago, Jaco de Jongh said:

Your batteries are not earthed, they are only connected to the frame. (on rubber wheels)  In this case I will connect that common point to the supply earth as well. 

Question: IF that frame was not on rubber wheels, frame direct onto the  concrete / tiles (not wood, linoleum, carpet etc), would that have sufficed as earthed?

Hi Chris,

Apart from the earthing, please ensure that you have the Pylontech cable going into the CONSOLE port on the top battery, with all of your DIP switches to the bottom, and then (more importantly), take out the cable that says Inverter on the one side and Battery on the other side.  If you are using Voltronics inverters (which I suppose you are because you are using ICC), then you cannot use that cable, and it will interrupt all your communication with the Pylontech cable and ICC. 

Hope this helps you a little?

7 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

would that have sufficed as earthed?

Not really. Concrete's conductivity only really exist while its wet due to its water content, but as it dries out, the resistance increases to a point where it will not pass any test like a Loop Impedance test. Although touching a live wire while standing barefoot on concrete can normally result in current passing through you (electrical shock), concrete can not be seen as part of the electrical earthing network.   

Hi All,

I have just opt to upgrade my normal batteries bank to pylontech US3000 x 2 with Axpert 5Kva x 2 (Parallel connection with master/slave setting) I currently facing two show stoppers with my settings 

#  How do I connect my two inverters (Experts ) to the batteries bank without altering  the factory cables on the pylontech ( Appreciate diagram) :) . 

#  I have lost comms with my ICC monitoring software  (currently misbehaving) .  

Your assistance will be highly appreciated. 

 

Regards,

Newbie :)

 

 

Thank you Sammy . Did the installation yesterday . Everything fine , charging communication battery balance . Test run last night and happy although I did use that cable from battery to inverter , normal USB cable from inverter to Pi . Pylontech battery cable from console port to Pi

5 hours ago, Newbie said:

Hi All,

I have just opt to upgrade my normal batteries bank to pylontech US3000 x 2 with Axpert 5Kva x 2 (Parallel connection with master/slave setting) I currently facing two show stoppers with my settings 

#  How do I connect my two inverters (Experts ) to the batteries bank without altering  the factory cables on the pylontech ( Appreciate diagram) . 

#  I have lost comms with my ICC monitoring software  (currently misbehaving) .  

Your assistance will be highly appreciated. 

 

Regards,

Newbie

I am no expert but will take the pylontech battery cable to a busbar and then split to the inverters

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 20196 yr by Chris Louw
Sentence correction

14 hours ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

Question: IF that frame was not on rubber wheels, frame direct onto the  concrete / tiles (not wood, linoleum, carpet etc), would that have sufficed as earthed?

What I understand from SANS regulations is when you are grid tied your utility earth is sufficient, But when utility power is off and you are fed from your inverter you need a  inverter earth spike that is bonded to your main earth bar.

New installation of 3 x US3000 . The batteries are well balanced coc , amp but there is a difference in temperature  Master Bat 30 C  Bat 2  22 C  Bat 3 22 C should I be worried or just monitor . Thanks for any info .

1 hour ago, Chris Louw said:

difference in temperature

It's a new installation. If the difference only shows up at higher voltages (above 52V), then it's simply the balancer working. It usually goes away after a few days (my batteries, a different make, took two weeks before they started showing the same temperature).

35 minutes ago, plonkster said:

my batteries, a different make, took two weeks before they started showing the same temperature

Talking about temps ... having two banks and two temp sensors ... using lead acid batts, this is quite interesting to see.

I know why it is so and it is being "fixed". It is a temporary setup till the new cabinet arrives - 20C is the right one on this cold Cpt day.

One thing I have seen. Batts (even lithium ones) and their temps, man it is a challenge!

 

Have you taken the T 105 bank through a cycle . What do they look like .

55 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

having two banks and two temp sensors

Remember also that the temperature sensors aren't uber-accurate. It's an LM355 stuffed in a metal can 🙂

1 hour ago, Chris Louw said:

Have you taken the T 105 bank through a cycle . What do they look like .

Yes I have ... you really looked after your batts, respect Chris! 

Turns out that mine was in perfect condition too, hydrometer and load tested. Was so wrong on the 4000 cycles ... my bad, sorry Trojan! (facepalm)
In my defense, the dealer told me using so much water is a sure sign. Yea, if the batts work hard!
The water I was given had stuff growing in it - use distilled water, NOT that other type - forgot the term.
And then the low voltage alarms ... ESS running grid tied, you get spikes, the inverter takes a second or so to react and promptly gives a low voltage alarm before stepping back.
It is ok with ESS to see that on smaller banks.

But NOW I have a serious 5 year old bank!!! Thanks to you.
And 3.5kw of panels, thanks to EV tube system replacement.

So at 1am I set the SOC for 80%, limited the inverter to 500w, want the average load down, not the peaks, and went to bed.
Just before 10am this morning the SOC was reached. As you can see, CoCT is having a wet nappy day. 🙂 
Farmers can plant we have water ... Farmer can plant we have water ... deep breath, sun is back on Wed/Thurs.
10am and array facing a wee bit west of north, this time of the year, is when the array start preforming better.  On the flip side, I get power way past 5pm in winter.
Summer, o boy ... it is going to be good. 🙂 

Here is what  got from  the 2 banks.
 

2 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

But NOW I have a serious 5 year old bank!!! Thanks to you.

Yeah you now have more storage than I do. Depending on the overall state of the batteries of course, but I have only 300Ah at 24V, or around 6.5kWh at a 90% DoD. The thing is, this is more than enough to get through even 4 hours of load shedding (nevermind 2), and in an emergency it is enough to run all the important things even if we have days of no power (though a cold bath will become a problem really quickly and lead to a good old pot on an outside fire in due course).

1 hour ago, plonkster said:

Remember also that the temperature sensors aren't uber-accurate. It's an LM355 stuffed in a metal can 🙂

True ... but above pics are perfectly normal ... for the moment. 20C one is the Multigid and the 17C the Venus temp sensor.

1 minute ago, plonkster said:

Yeah you now have more storage than I do.

And a larger array. 🙂 

You guys here know me, I ain't spending shitte on batts! Small bank works perfect if you "Keep Batteries Charged", all the power the array can bring, into the house.

But @Chris Louw selling his in near perfect condition after 5 years, both banks being more or less same age AND you can mix T105 and T105RE's, with @Jaco de Jongh shipping them down at that price, I would have been stupidly dumb not to take the chance. The universe aligned see.

If they last 1-3 years, I would be happy. Then 24v lithiums will be at MY pricing matrix.