Thanks for the link, but it produces a list of conditioners ranging from $43 to $1200. Can you recommend a particular unit that would work well and be easy to implement?
I saw some other posts on this forum talking about grounding mounted solar panels, but what about a small portable generator? Should that be grounded as well?
I've been told that solar has come down in price so much over the past 10 years that it makes more sense to just buy more panels instead of paying for a mounting post and sun tracker. Do you agree? But since we already have two solar trackers I might as well continue to use them. I just wish...
As far as I know, I'm only supposed to keep an eye on the battery fluid level and add distilled water when needed. But after doing this over and over for years, doesn't there come a point when I should be adding more actual acid? It seems like the original acid solution that existed when I...
I was just asking if there is a hybrid inverter that has a built in charge controller that will handle power from wind and solar. I didn't see the answer to my question on the link you sent.
I saw a YouTube video recently where a guy had a small degree finder device. He used it to adjust his solar panels at different times of the year. Where can I buy one? And what website is recommended to learn what degree I should be using based on where I live?
Thanks!
I'll be watching TV and have a lamp or two on at night. Then I hear the fridge kick on, and the LED lights in the lamps will flicker. Is this due to a fridge on its last leg? Or the fridge drawing too much power from my 3,000 watt Outback Power inverter, or something else?
Thanks!
Has anyone ever used the EDTA product, sold by Trailhead Supply in Orem, UT, to successfully remove sulfate build up? If so, this forum would love to hear about your experience. Trailhead Supply, at least at one time, was reached using 801-226-6330 or 801-225-3931.
Thank you.
I have a 5,000 gallon water tank that feeds into the water main going to 3 homes. With that much water it's not necessary that the pump kicks on at night to top off the tank. What is a good method to ensure the pump does not come on after the sun has gone down?
Thank you!
Yesterday I checked our off grid battery bank and it had dropped quite low, under 11 volts. So I cranked up the generator. I came back 3 minutes later to see on the meter the voltage was already up to 12.3. Why does the voltage jump up so quickly when charging with a generator? Seriously....3...
Will the quality of LED lights improve so they are not so sensitive? I hate using them, as they produce "dirty electricity" on the power line, but when every watt counts, living off-grid, you do what ya gotta do.
Is a load tester like the one you suggested an overall better tester than one like this?
https://www.amazon.com/E-Z-Red-SP101-Battery-Hydrometer/dp/B000JFHMRU/ref=sr_1_3
Thanks!
We have solar panels that charge our batteries using an Outback charge controller. We also have a homemade 12 volt charger that consists of a Honda engine turning a 220 amp alternator. The power it produces is tied directly to the battery bank.
After many years of neglect and ignorance, we...
The dump load is setup to come right off the power being generated on the turbine. Okay, I'll dig into the user manual and see what's going on. Thanks.
I have a Speed Queen brand washer and dryer. I emailed the company asking how many watts their washer uses at peak times, like when the agitator begins to rotate for example. Here is their reply:
"For motors, you cannot calculate wattage by simply multiplying volts x amperage because of the...
Our power sometimes shuts down by 8PM in the dark winter months when solar panels aren't enough to keep the system charged. So whatever water in the pressure tank at the time is all that is available if I want a shower. Is there a manual switch I could install that will force the pressure tank...
Our 12 volt battery bank has about 20 batteries, can't remember the exact number. Now that there is less daylight, I've been charging the bank using our propane generator. One night recently I turned off the generator when the battery voltage was 13.0 and went to bed. All major power...
I'm not looking to get started with wind, I've had a wind generator for over ten years. I bought one from Southwest Wind before they got bought out. The original charge controller went out, so we replaced it with this wind charge controller...
Has anyone had any experience using this particular charge controller for their wind turbine?
C440-HVAD HVA Digital C440-440 A Amp/Volt Wind/Solar Battery Charge Controller
http://www.colemanair.us/vp_asp/scripts/shopexd.asp?id=723
It came in a kit that was made by Missouri Wind & Solar and...
I've done some more research and apparently a double conversion UPS would also be a possibility. These kind constantly provide clean pure sine wave power 100% through its internal battery. My current UPS uses supplied AC first, and then switches to the battery if voltage drops too low or there...
I have a 12 volt system and can see the amount of volts and amps that the panels on our solar tracker are generating. Because it's a 12 volt system, I've always been calculating the watts by multiplying the amps by 12. But the thought occurred to me that maybe I should be multiplying the...
I was in our battery shed the other day while the wind turbine was spinning really fast. The LCD screen said the battery bank as was 12.8, but I could feel the heat being dumped into the resisters. Should it really be dumping at such a voltage? I was under the impression it wouldn't start...
We just got another dual fuel generator and I was reading through the instructions. It said damage could result if you run it with no load. Can someone explain why this is the case?
Thank you.