Owen, ah there you go, the book is full of this sort of "I've done it so I know" stuff. experimenting by the curious collector of non functioning items, (now there's phrase worth remembering) cheers
Really good advice Andy. Many people don't know these realities. I'm about to embark on my first Solar project -- for my Amateur Radio 'shack' As I run QRP (10 watts max) I'm starting with a 1Kw Inverter -- like the one you almost repaired (left the relay problem) the AFORE 1000TL -- so it was great seeing the inside of that :-) I've found a new one so hopefully it will work -- and yes, passive cooling never realy convices me Best wishes Bruce G4ABX
Good video. Have to say I am impressed with how much abuse some of these grid tie inverters take though. Here in Australia it gets bloody hot and they're often bolted on an external wall, and get direct sunlight.
So many things run super hot now, it's ridiculous. I bought a small Black'n'Decker battery charger a while back and when I first used it several days ago it got significantly warmer than a typical laptop PSU (and they run a bit too warm too). In fact it's so warm I think I'll end up re-casing it with a fan or lager heatsink. Also, the fan in my Xantrex Pro-Sine 1800 inverter finally crapped out the other day. I don't want to shut it down and take it all apart at present, as it runs our fridge and freezer. Plus other small "always on" loads. So I just strapped an old CPU fan onto the intake vent. And that keeps it cooler than the internal one ever did, although one day I'll get around to replacing it.
Good advice I think I will stick a fan on to blow air on my grid tie. This was a commercial install a couple of years ago 16 x 250 watt panels in two strings of 8 panels the inverter has 2 PV inputs one for each string but the inverter is 3.6 kw so probably being over driven occasionally.
Very helpful advice, Andy. I'm now a subscriber. Can you provide some info on the type of 'snail' fan and where to source from? I've made a few searches, but none seem suitable so far. Many thanks.
Paul, Hi, I reclaimed this from a fan assisted oven, but you could use a computer fan and a 12v plug in power supply. I collect this sort of thing just in case, cheers
Hello Andy, I have a commercially installed system with 16x250W panels in two arrays feeding into an Aurora 3.6 kw inverter, grid tied. The system is about 8 years old, the original inverter blew up spectacularly, taking out the relay board, the logic/control board and blowing a mosfet on the inverter. I replaced with a second hand unit, same model and have since acquired a couple of very cheap failed inverters, same model, which I have since repaired, so I now have three working inverters. Question, Am I ok installing one of the spare inverters running in parallel with the original inverter so I split the load between the two, as per this video, with both feeding into the FIT export meter? Presumably the two inverters will sync with the mains and not cause any problems either with each other or the export meter, but I'm not absolutely sure, lol. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks for all your helpful videos.
Hi, 4KW into a 3.6Kw inverter is a bad idea. I would split your array in half and use a separate inverter on each half. Mounting the inverters in a cool well ventilated place. Cheers
@@TheInfoworks Hello, I fitted the extra inverter this morning, all running well, as a bonus during a brief period of hazy sunshine, I noticed they were each generating slightly over 2 kw, so I'm generating more than before, running nice and cool too at just over 30C. You help is much appreciated. Thanks.
Loving your knowledge through trial and error👏👏👏 Have just paid tiny money on a SB2500 with fault 6408, it's not that I don't want to investigate but am new to inverters, so any advice will be helpful🤞
@@stevepr100 Inverters from this country are a bit tricky and the fact that they use sunclix plugs does not help. I'm uncertain what that code means, cheers
Just working through the back catalogue for solar! If only someone had written a book about this kind of thing!?
Owen, ah there you go, the book is full of this sort of "I've done it so I know" stuff. experimenting by the curious collector of non functioning items, (now there's phrase worth remembering) cheers
Thanks for the info. I'll try a fan ... Regards Joe.
Really good advice Andy.
Many people don't know these realities.
I'm about to embark on my first Solar project -- for my Amateur Radio 'shack'
As I run QRP (10 watts max) I'm starting with a 1Kw Inverter -- like the one you almost repaired (left the relay problem) the AFORE 1000TL -- so it was great seeing the inside of that :-)
I've found a new one so hopefully it will work -- and yes, passive cooling never realy convices me
Best wishes
Bruce G4ABX
Sounds like you are on your way, TH-cam is great for those snippets of first hand info, cheers
@@TheInfoworks Thanks Andy.
Best wishes
Bruce
Good video. Have to say I am impressed with how much abuse some of these grid tie inverters take though. Here in Australia it gets bloody hot and they're often bolted on an external wall, and get direct sunlight.
Hi, thanks for the comment, that's madness to fit them there, I like to keep my inverters running for years on end. thanks for the sub, cheers
Excellent as always Andy 👍🏻
Jim, thanks for the confidence, cheers
Thanks a lot Andy. As usual great content.
Thanks for the confidence, cheers
Excellent video, really appreciate your efforts
Hi, thanks for the comment and I see you have subscribed, please see my books on my channel page, cheers
So many things run super hot now, it's ridiculous. I bought a small Black'n'Decker battery charger a while back and when I first used it several days ago it got significantly warmer than a typical laptop PSU (and they run a bit too warm too). In fact it's so warm I think I'll end up re-casing it with a fan or lager heatsink.
Also, the fan in my Xantrex Pro-Sine 1800 inverter finally crapped out the other day. I don't want to shut it down and take it all apart at present, as it runs our fridge and freezer. Plus other small "always on" loads. So I just strapped an old CPU fan onto the intake vent. And that keeps it cooler than the internal one ever did, although one day I'll get around to replacing it.
Yes, they run hot so they pack up, running at half load and attending to cooling makes things last, cheers
Top work, Andy. My Aurora has gone kaput. I'm going to replace it but try and fix the old one following your other video so I have a spare.
I have fixed several E031 faults like this. This trick afterwards is to improve the cooling, cheers
Good advice I think I will stick a fan on to blow air on my grid tie. This was a commercial install a couple of years ago 16 x 250 watt panels in two strings of 8 panels the inverter has 2 PV inputs one for each string but the inverter is 3.6 kw so probably being over driven occasionally.
Mark, definately fit an extrnal fan as your analysis sounds correct, Subscribed? cheers
@@TheInfoworks I know I might be asking a silly question. But I want to know if you can convert a sunny boy. to run off grid With a battery bank.
Hi, grid inverters need to mains for frequency and voltage signals, without which they will not run, cheers
@@TheInfoworks thanks King Andy
Good advice
Cheers
Very helpful advice, Andy. I'm now a subscriber. Can you provide some info on the type of 'snail' fan and where to source from? I've made a few searches, but none seem suitable so far. Many thanks.
Paul, Hi, I reclaimed this from a fan assisted oven, but you could use a computer fan and a 12v plug in power supply. I collect this sort of thing just in case, cheers
Okay, thanks Andy.
Hello Andy, I have a commercially installed system with 16x250W panels in two arrays feeding into an Aurora 3.6 kw inverter, grid tied. The system is about 8 years old, the original inverter blew up spectacularly, taking out the relay board, the logic/control board and blowing a mosfet on the inverter. I replaced with a second hand unit, same model and have since acquired a couple of very cheap failed inverters, same model, which I have since repaired, so I now have three working inverters.
Question, Am I ok installing one of the spare inverters running in parallel with the original inverter so I split the load between the two, as per this video, with both feeding into the FIT export meter? Presumably the two inverters will sync with the mains and not cause any problems either with each other or the export meter, but I'm not absolutely sure, lol. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks for all your helpful videos.
Hi, 4KW into a 3.6Kw inverter is a bad idea. I would split your array in half and use a separate inverter on each half. Mounting the inverters in a cool well ventilated place. Cheers
@@TheInfoworks Hello, I fitted the extra inverter this morning, all running well, as a bonus during a brief period of hazy sunshine, I noticed they were each generating slightly over 2 kw, so I'm generating more than before, running nice and cool too at just over 30C. You help is much appreciated. Thanks.
@@andypdq Brilliant that you got on with it so quickly, I hope you are a subscriber as there's some great news due out soon, cheers
Loving your knowledge through trial and error👏👏👏
Have just paid tiny money on a SB2500 with fault 6408, it's not that I don't want to investigate but am new to inverters, so any advice will be helpful🤞
@@stevepr100 Inverters from this country are a bit tricky and the fact that they use sunclix plugs does not help. I'm uncertain what that code means, cheers
How hot is too hot? My inverter was running at around 50c today.
Philip, that's too hot. You need an extrnal fan blowing cool air, cheers
Thanks for the reply, I've found a fan on line, so will get on and make a box for it. Really useful information.
@@philiponsolent7232 mine runs on a time switch from 10am to 5 pm in the summer months and is a fan robbed from a scrap fan assist oven, cheers
Made a fan assembly like yours and now the temperature never goes over 30 degrees. Thanks for the tip.
@@philiponsolent7232 Splendid news, that will make things last much longer, cheers