Inversol question for the Pros

Expat13 · Nov 24, 2012

Last night power went out and inversol kicked in, but of course no A/C.

By morning I realized the lights were back but AC would not turn on and Inversol keeps clicking, currently in "invertor mode" even though lights are back.

I keep hearing the invertor clicking and and lights flicker like a power surge, and still no A/C.

windeguy · Nov 24, 2012

It could be that the voltage is too low for the inverter to recognize or the inverter needs repair.
Clicking and flickering lights are almost always a sign that repair is needed, but it could be that voltage setting.

Some inverters have a voltage threshold setting that can be adjusted. Mine is always set to pass the lowest voltage possible.

Expat13 · Nov 24, 2012

windeguy said:
It could be that the voltage is too low for the inverter to recognize or the inverter needs repair.
Clicking and flickering lights are almost always a sign that repair is needed, but it could be that voltage setting.

Some inverters have a voltage threshold setting that can be adjusted. Mine is always set to pass the lowest voltage possible.

there is only three adjustable spots, 1) Battery charger rate witha min and max dial... 2) Over charge protection(AC Transfer voltage) with dial with min/max and off min on min. 3) Battery capacity which has a dial listing Amp Hours.

Any suggestions appreciated!

Ringo · Nov 24, 2012

Your inverter for 110 V and your 220v, for your AC should be separate. Your inverter clicking and AC not working MAY be telling you that you are not getting any or enough power from the street.... one leg? OR with flickering lights you are about to kill your batteries total.

Try... resetting your MAIN street breaker and then the one to the inverter.

If that does not work.... I'd shut EVERYTHING DOWN TO SAVE WHAT IS LEFT OF THE BATTS.

Good lucK

I had an inverter fail once and I learned to install a simple knife switch to bypass the inverter to get street power with a dead inverter.

windeguy · Nov 24, 2012

Expat13 said:
there is only three adjustable spots, 1) Battery charger rate witha min and max dial... 2) Over charge protection(AC Transfer voltage) with dial with min/max and off min on min. 3) Battery capacity which has a dial listing Amp Hours.

Any suggestions appreciated!

Those are typical TRACER DR inverter settings. Wave Platinum inverters also have those settings.

The relevant setting is the one the transfer voltage that I set all the way to min/on.

At min the minimum possible voltage is passed from the utlility.
On means over discharge protection is turned on which keeps your batteries from going below 20% of their capacity.

If that setting doesn't help, then the voltage is below the minimum or you have a problem with the inverter.

Ringo · Nov 24, 2012

You asked for the best person for inverter problems. Windeguy IS the best. I just assist.

IF your AC is 220 and does not work AND your inverter is failing BUT you THINK that you have street power then it may or may not be a street power problem. I had my main 2 pole 220V/200 amp breaker have ONE side fail and screwed everything up. I had some power but not all power and what I had was... not good.

Shut down at your main point and re-set. FEEL the breaker as you re-set it. Move down the line until all have been re-set.

Again... save what is left of your batteries since I THINK that you have drained them with the lights flickering.

Also??? check the main breaker line lug bolts; where the cable enters into the breaker. IF the cable is loose meaning that the lug bolt has backed out... it will cause a flickering type action. Been there and had that too.

IF YOU ARE NOT AN EXPERT WITH ELECTRIC..... DON'T YOU DARE GET NEAR IT. OK. PLEASE.

Expat13 · Nov 24, 2012

Ok I adjusted the min/on dial and so far the clicking has definitely reduce will see over next little while. I still of cousre still do not have the 220 side of things A/C.

I appreciate all the valuable input and will have someone come in tomorrow to try the other "loose bolt" suggestions

Expat13 · Nov 24, 2012

Nope, flicking has come back

Ringo · Nov 24, 2012

Expat13 said:
Nope, flicking has come back

Windeguy may have another tip or two that you could try.

You CAN try to re-set breakers. That should not be a problem.

The checking of the main lugs for loose wires gets a little more of a problem and tightening more so...

When you find the real answer, please let us know. I learned from others and from experience. I'm still learning.

Expat13 · Nov 25, 2012

So far nop solutions so last night i shut down the breaker killing all electricity. Today same problem but now the inversol clicks between the
"Battery High Red/ Battery Low Green with a "green" light.
and the;
Inverter Mode. When it switches back and forth it cuts out all power during those brief seconds. Saturday night/Sunday Morning, very difficult to find a suitable inverter tech.... If any suggestions of any I am in the Bella Vista area.
More to come....

windeguy · Nov 25, 2012

As was mentioned, a loose connection or a failing circuit card are the most likely issues with your inverter since you have now adjusted the setting to pass the lowest voltage possible. It looks like changing that setting may have helped, but since the problem is still there there is something else as well.

It is still possible that the street power does go below the minimum level that the inverter will pass. Have a technician check the voltage coming in from EdeSur. Do you have one of the new digital power meters that shows the voltage level you are receiving from EdeSur? If you do, that will also give you a quick way to check the voltage right at the meter.

Ringo · Nov 25, 2012

Expat13 said:
So far nop solutions so last night i shut down the breaker killing all electricity. Today same problem but now the inversol clicks between the
"Battery High Red/ Battery Low Green with a "green" light.
and the;
Inverter Mode. When it switches back and forth it cuts out all power during those brief seconds. Saturday night/Sunday Morning, very difficult to find a suitable inverter tech.... If any suggestions of any I am in the Bella Vista area.
More to come....

Some times when I had/have elec. problems, I found more then one problem that needed to be fixed. One item/unit failing can cause another to fail also. It would drive me nuts thinking that I only had to find the ONE problem, would correct that............ and not have things work.

I gather that your AC is 220 and is on a circuit that does not involve the inverter at all.

If your AC is not working then the problem should be (in the D.R. nothing is certain) in the breakers or connections before the inverter. Did you re-set the AC breaker(s)? Again, one side of a two pole/double breaker may have failed with only one side working AND the breaker did not trip as it should have.

A volt tester would be very helpful to see what power you are getting at both sides of your main breaker then working down the line.

It could be the power company. Your transformer? The fuse up the power pole? I've had problems with all these things at least once. Have you talked with a neighbor to see if they are having problems?

I have found in some 220 circuits that instead of having a double breaker for 220, I have two single breakers that are not even installed next to each other. So finding a double breaker may required you flipping every breaker in your box.

Your inverter, down the line, may being reacting to the elec. problem before it. A loose cable or wire could do that or just very dirty power.

You should be able to find an electrician somewhere today.... I hope.

Ringo · Nov 25, 2012

windeguy said:
As was mentioned, a loose connection or a failing circuit card are the most likely issues with your inverter since you have now adjusted the setting to pass the lowest voltage possible. It looks like changing that setting may have helped, but since the problem is still there there is something else as well.

It is still possible that the street power does go below the minimum level that the inverter will pass. Have a technician check the voltage coming in from EdeSur. Do you have one of the new digital power meters that shows the voltage level you are receiving from EdeSur? If you do, that will also give you a quick way to check the voltage right at the meter.

Windeguy has taught me well. We must have been writing at the same time... same line of thinking.

SOME split AC units have a re-set button inside the indoor air unit. Open the front and see if you have one.

windeguy · Nov 25, 2012

Ringo, it is incredible how many times there is "more than one problem".

Expat13 · Nov 25, 2012

Update! Tech came and found one of the 110volt breakers was dead and replaced it, Now the inversol seems to be functioning ok but still no AC as the tech says that there is a problem within the Edesur box relating to the 220v. Phoned in and waiting for Edesur to come and unlock and diagnose further.

windeguy · Nov 25, 2012

Expat13 said:
Update! Tech came and found one of the 110volt breakers was dead and replaced it, Now the inversol seems to be functioning ok but still no AC as the tech says that there is a problem within the Edesur box relating to the 220v. Phoned in and waiting for Edesur to come and unlock and diagnose further.

Good that the first problem was so easy. Hopefully Edesur will also repair the problem quickly. And there was indeed more than one issue.

Expat13 · Nov 25, 2012

windeguy said:
Good that the first problem was so easy. Hopefully Edesur will also repair the problem quickly. And there was indeed more than one issue.

Yes, I will post the end results. Edesur already showed up on a Sunday no less. How impressive, BUT, this is the DR, they arrived without having a key to unlock their own Edesur Security box...
Thanks for continued support!! Ringo & Windguy

Ringo · Nov 25, 2012

Expat13 said:
Yes, I will post the end results. Edesur already showed up on a Sunday no less. How impressive, BUT, this is the DR, they arrived without having a key to unlock their own Edesur Security box...
Thanks for continued support!! Ringo & Windguy

I'm going offline but DID want to check in with you.......... and hope that your lights are on and all is well.
...................
It's my pleasure Expat13. Most of us have had electrical problems and others have helped. That's how we learn and your situation gives us not only an opportunity to pass on experience, but we try to continue to learn. First rule is: things do not function the same here as where you came from. Other then an occasional small breaker that would trip and a simple re-set. I don't know why but here electrical can be (is for me) a mystery.

Two separate problems. Where have I heard THAT before.
Was the 120V breaker the one to your inverter? Was it “tripped”?

As I've said: I've had breakers that have NOT tripped that should have and they are the problem.
IF so; then you were getting sporadic power that was going thru your inverter bypass so your lights flickered. And everything else it feeds.

Your inverter/battery charger WAS telling you something is wrong. I'm surprised that:
1. That the inverter did not shut down but in a way it probably did.
2. That the main inverter board did not fry.
3. How are your batteries?
4. That you didn't fry a T.V., puter, refrigerator. (REALLY sorry that I/we missed that one.)

How do you know that the 240 V problem is on the Street side. Did your guy test the “IN” side of your main breaker? Found one side dead, low or pulsing?

I look for your response with what happened and how you found it and the fix.

Regards, Ringo

Expat13 · Nov 25, 2012

Ringo said:
I'm going offline but DID want to check in with you.......... and hope that your lights are on and all is well.
...................
It's my pleasure Expat13. Most of us have had electrical problems and others have helped. That's how we learn and your situation gives us not only an opportunity to pass on experience, but we try to continue to learn. First rule is: things do not function the same here as where you came from. Other then an occasional small breaker that would trip and a simple re-set. I don't know why but here electrical can be (is for me) a mystery.

Two separate problems. Where have I heard THAT before.
Was the 120V breaker the one to your inverter? Was it “tripped”?

As I've said: I've had breakers that have NOT tripped that should have and they are the problem.
IF so; then you were getting sporadic power that was going thru your inverter bypass so your lights flickered. And everything else it feeds.

Your inverter/battery charger WAS telling you something is wrong. I'm surprised that:
1. That the inverter did not shut down but in a way it probably did.
2. That the main inverter board did not fry.
3. How are your batteries?
4. That you didn't fry a T.V., puter, refrigerator. (REALLY sorry that I/we missed that one.)

How do you know that the 240 V problem is on the Street side. Did your guy test the “IN” side of your main breaker? Found one side dead, low or pulsing?

I look for your response with what happened and how you found it and the fix.

Regards, Ringo

The (inside the apartment fuse box) breaker once replaced fixed the inverter problem, the clicking stopped and it started to charge the batteries. I believe this clicking(tripping) was the safety mechanism within the inverter preventing power surges that may have destroyed computer TV etc???
Edesur did return and remioved the meter head which showed a fried post on the back. This they say is owner responsibilty and I had to pay 1500RD (they showed me the new part installed) I thought these guys are here on a sunday night, so 1500 to get back to normal, no problem!! So far so good everything works!!

Thanks again guys for the wisdom!! very helpfull!!!

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