Victron 3kw multigrid 2 system help

[Fazil]

Hi Guys

I have a friend who had a system installed late last year. This is what his "installer" did. System doesn't work for some odd reason.

I have not been for Victron training so dont want to waste his and my time fiddling when most of the guys here are Victron pros based on comments and advice.

Can anybody assist him get this working?

Location of install:

Inside ESwatini via Malelane through Jeppes Reef border / Matsamo border post only 10km from the boarder post.

Thanks guys and all the best for 2020.

Fazil

[Jaco De Jongh]

 

1 hour ago, Fazil said:

Hi Guys

I have a friend who had a system installed late last year. This is what his "installer" did. System doesn't work for some odd reason.

Can anybody assist him get this working

I might be able to. PM me his contact details please.... 

[Fazil]

Would you be able to go out this week @Jaco de Jongh 

And are you close to that side? 

[Jaco De Jongh]

18 minutes ago, Fazil said:

And are you close to that side?

330Km from him, but this week I am installing in Bloem.. I see there is no venus or Color control, so remote support wont work, have to be on site to see whats cooking. Wonder how they plan to communicate with the Revov's though?

EDIT: Just look at the interesting Loop to the Surge arrestor. The negative (And positive for that matter) goes through a fuse to the - & + connector on the MPPT, then again from that same connector, back through a second fuse to the surge arrestor. Never seen it done like that..

[Fazil]

The installer fitted 12 gel batteries and 2 exploded when he put power. I dont know how.

This is what the market needs protection from.

It grates me this is what is being done.

[Jaco De Jongh]

From the lights on the front panel, although we dont know if they are flashing or solidly lit, it looks like an error 11. Relay test fail. but its difficult to be sure. 

If both on solid, its error 10, System Time Error

I bottom on and top flashing its error 11. 

And strangely, The AC in is connected but not the AC out (Or it seems like it). I would expect that if its an off-grid installation, that at least the AC out should be connected.      

Please ask him to take a clear picture of the AC connection, if I am not making a parallax error, I think i see the problem. 

[___]

21 hours ago, Fazil said:

This is what his "installer" did.

Goodness gracious... what a rats nest!

 

[Fazil]

These are the installs adversely affecting the market and must be punished for this.

[___]

21 hours ago, Jaco de Jongh said:

If both on solid, its error 10, System Time Error

That would be unlikely in a non-parallel system, so I concur, probably error-11.

[Fazil]

HI to revive this post, client has decided to sell this inverter and mppt as his installer cannot get it to work. There is no Colour control (possibly the cause of the system not working and compatibility with REVOV batteries????)

So its a new unit that has not been used.

Make me an offer as I am installing a Goodwee to pump this system to avoid further costs.

I will deliver the inverter and mppt across GP to the buyer.

PS: Admin if this post is inappropriate please let me know so I can remove it.

 

Edited February 6, 2020 by Fazil

[Shockin]

14 minutes ago, Fazil said:

HI to revive this post, client has decided to sell this inverter and mppt as his installer cannot get it to work. There is no Colour control (possibly the cause of the system not working and compatibility with REVOV batteries????)

So its a new unit that has not been used.

Make me an offer as I am installing a Goodwee to pump this system to avoid further costs.

I will deliver the inverter and mppt across GP to the buyer.

PS: Admin if this post is inappropriate please let me know so I can remove it.

 

Price please

 

 

[PaBz0r]

Would also like to know what you are looking at price wise?

[Fazil]

send me inbox offers please?

3kva Victron Multigrid 48/3000/35 with 2x MPPT 150/35 shown in the images of this post.

Client wants to sell all together only.

[P1000]

Hang on, is this the inverter that was connected to the batteries that exploded? And you cannot get it to work?

How do you know it is not damaged?

[PJJ]

17 hours ago, Fazil said:

Make me an offer as I am installing a Goodwee to pump this system to avoid further costs.

I also don't see how installing a Goodwe instead of just fixing the current setup would save costs?

If all the components are in working order (and I assume so since you are willing to sell them to PF members)

I would say brush up on your Victron lingo and just fix what is already there. @Jaco de Jongh can help you set the charging parameters on the Multi for the Revov's

I see in the picture there is a BMV in the top right, you can use that BMV to get a SOC reading. Its seems that is in fact a MPPT Control not a BMV.

I got a email this week from Revov, they now sell a Victron communication unit for R1.7K excl on the installer price.

Then just add a Venus GX R4K? This will allow for proper monitoring and remote configuration, and of course ESS.

 

Edited February 7, 2020 by PJJ

[stoic]

On 2020/01/12 at 10:19 AM, plonkster said:

Goodness gracious... what a rats nest!

 

Wow... almost as bad as my wiring  i got as far as cutting the channels to the right size this week ... #1yearlater

[___]

21 hours ago, Fazil said:

HI to revive this post, client has decided to sell this inverter and mppt as his installer cannot get it to work. There is no Colour control (possibly the cause of the system not working and compatibility with REVOV batteries????)

It really p*sses me off when installers don't go for training and/or don't do the homework, and then bad-mouths the product. Then they switch to another brand, get it right, and sing the praises of that other product (it was never the product you dimwit, it was you).

There has been a few cases of Revovs not working in Victron systems, because Revov is only now starting to (or so I hear) standardise on some kind of BMS. In the past it was hit and miss. I also heard they have a converter box that converts the BMS comms into VE.Direct, so you snap that into your color-control and it looks like a BMV. You get  accurate SOC, voltage, current and power values, and maybe a few alarms (I do not know). No charge and discharge current control of course. This is already a big step forward.

Besides, I have no idea how you expect to get it working correctly without a gx device (aka color-control). Yes, it can be done, but this is likely what tripped up the installer (as Fazil said) and the mere fact that he didn't know that proves my point re not having the required knowledge to install the product.

[Tacet]

11 minutes ago, plonkster said:

It really p*sses me off when installers don't go for training and/or don't do the homework, and then bad-mouths the product. Then they switch to another brand, get it right, and sing the praises of that other product (it was never the product you dimwit, it was you).

.....

Agreed.  I'm not an installer, and for me my installation was mostly a fun DIY project.  But my Victron installation looks neater, is certainly safer, and has been working for months now.  It doesn't cost much homework to realize that you really do want a GX. 

 

As for battery compatibility - as long as the battery can put out 48 V there's no reason for it not to work.  I'm using Narada lithiums that can't speak to Victron at all, and it works.  The drawback of not having communication is that you have very dodgy SoC readings (Victron think that mine is at 85% when it is fully charged), but that doesn't stop the inverter from inverting.

[___]

3 minutes ago, Tacet said:

As for battery compatibility - as long as the battery can put out 48 V there's no reason for it not to work.  I'm using Narada lithiums that can't speak to Victron at all, and it works.  The drawback of not having communication is that you have very dodgy SoC readings (Victron think that mine is at 85% when it is fully charged), but that doesn't stop the inverter from inverting.

Absolutely correct. But again, you kinda sorta have to understand how these things fit together to understand when it can and cannot work.

You can always run a 48V inverter on a 48V battery. Even if the smart communications stuff isn't there. Worst case scenario... the BMS pulls the plug and you sit in the dark. Of course, the manufacturer might also not honour the warranty... but other than that... it will work fine.

I'm not convinced that the lack of a GX device was the only issue in that install. It looked horrible.

[Fazil]

5 hours ago, P1000 said:

Hang on, is this the inverter that was connected to the batteries that exploded? And you cannot get it to work?

How do you know it is not damaged?

I am driving to MP tomorrow morning with the client to assess.

AS I said, I am not a Victron installer and perhaps will go for training sometime this year.
@Jaco de Jongh I will take as many pictures tomorrow and send to you as you requested. Goodwee was my recommendation because I am comfortable with it and I fear fiddling with Victron.

[Tacet]

11 minutes ago, plonkster said:

...

I'm not convinced that the lack of a GX device was the only issue in that install. It looked horrible.

Oh, the diagnosis is pretty easy.  The key issue in that installation is the installer.  

[___]

4 minutes ago, Fazil said:

Goodwee was my recommendation because I am comfortable with it and I fear fiddling with Victron.

Good on you! It's for the same reason I don't badmouth the Goodwe. I don't know it well enough. I mean, I have my concerns (see the other thread about bonding while islanding), but it remains a good inverter (that I just don't know well).

I don't have the same reservations about the Axpert though... sorry

 

[Fazil]

Ëxpert" is a decent inverter for the general application and market.  I have installed plenty with 1 09 Error to date on gel batteries only.

[Fazil]

HI All

Drove to this site yesterday in Swaziland (10km from border in Swaziland).

New 3kw Multigrid inverter was issued and system was totally disconnected.

Some advice:

there was no Colour control. The installer says his supplier says the 2x 150/35 and 3kva Multigrid don't need colour control to work with Revov batteries? I cannot confirm as I have not used REVOV batteries nor Victron products.

Some advise please?