diy solar

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  • Post in thread: Get a big battery

    Great thread for this newbie ..... consumption & production info is golden. My 'phase 1' has been to reduce consumption as much as practicable. Switched to a variable speed pool pump, induction cook top and scored a clearance isle last-year's model 80g heat pump water heater for less than the...
  • Post in thread: Heat Pump water Heaters

    I 'found' an AO Smith 80g unit in the clearance section of our local blue big box store. Was a previous year model advertised as 3x as efficient - the new ones advertise 4x efficiency. Anyway, orig price $2600 +/-, fir st saw it marked down to $1,600 and offered them $1,000. No dice. Went back 3...
  • Post in thread: Solar for Pool Equipment

    I've been evaluating this also Growatt 2.2kW 3HP Solar Pump Inverter l Water Pump Inverter | Grid-Assisted | SPI 2200TL2-HV
  • Post in thread: Want to purchase Solar Panels from China and import to USA...

    Am a beginner myself but why deal with import/export crap when a supplier close by (or at least close enough for a long day trip) offers 'brand name' UL listed bifacial panels for .40 / watt? My little utility trailer will be headed that way before long ...
  • Post in thread: LiFePO4 'Starter' Batteries ???

    Patrick it seems to me that the issue is not the starting function of your LFP battery - you did not identify any problems with it handling the surge current of starting your outboard. The issues you describe are all on the charging side of the equation, and it sounds like your alternator is...
  • Post in thread: How Can a Tier 1 System Make Financial Sense?

    The Tiers for solar are defined in the Florida Administrative Code 25-6.065 - not applicable to those outside of FL. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/RuleNo.asp?ID=25-6.065 Tier 1 = 10kw AC or less. Requires $100K liability insurance Tier 2 = 10kw to 100kw AC. Requires $1M liability insurance...
  • Post in thread: Thanks,Dad, For Teaching Me to DIY Stuff

    I went to Trade High School for a year in my hometown of Springfield MA. The school was setup so that you had one week of 'book study' classes then one week of your shop trade class. I was in the heating & air conditioning group. I loved the shop week but usually skipped the other.... Later...
  • Post in thread: Heat Pump water Heaters

    Yea I saw the reviews also. But at this price I can just run it in straight electric mode if I lose the heat pump. 10 year parts warranty but I figure since it was a DIY installation they would find a way to not honor it.
  • Post in thread: Dump Load Needed For PV?

    Growatt makes a unit specifically for this: Growatt 2.2kW 3HP Solar Pump Inverter l Water Pump Inverter | Grid-Assisted | SPI 2200TL2-HV
  • Post in thread: How Can a Tier 1 System Make Financial Sense?

    Agreed - or at least I hope so. My estimated production used the 75% 'rule of thumb' and due to shading, roof shape / position, I used only 4 hours of sunlight per day. Neighbors have some really tall trees that are nice for everything except solar production....
  • Post in thread: Boat Batteries – Help me Make a Final Decision

    A better than average chance that if you do not use a UL listed battery, your insurance would not cover your claim should something happen. The new ABYC standard also requires an audible alert from the BMS prior to reaching low voltage cutoff, etc. FWIW if this is a concern for you.
  • Post in thread: Is victron a great company with great products or are they just like microsoft and the defacto brand leaders?

    Too bad the Renogy unit has a Frequently Returned Item warning on Amazon. Scared me off along with other experience reports on this forum.
  • Post in thread: How Can a Tier 1 System Make Financial Sense?

    I've been soaking up as much information as I can on this forum - many thanks to the community! I live where it costs me $0.17 per kwh (thank you Duke Energy...) and I am trying to get a handle on the financials involved. A Tier 1 system can be no more than 10kw (or 12kw of panels using the 120%...
  • Post in thread: Pool Heating Array - Correct?

    New to us house has 10 solar pool heater panels on the roof as shown in the drawing. They all have to come down so the new roof can go on. No better time than now to correct any errors in the system. I already know that there are no back flow preventers in the supply riser so I plan to add one...
  • Post in thread: Solar "Kit" - Realistic Installation Cost?

    One of the main factors (to me) in the solar equation is the cost of installation for a grid-tied system. Since FL requires these systems to be installed by a licensed contractor, is it realistic to think I can save money purchasing a kit system and hiring the installation? For example - this...
  • Post in thread: Split Phase Terminology?

    this is for a pool pump. motor has l1, l2 and nuetral. both legs are 110v, reading across l1 & l2 you get 220v. either leg to neutral is 110v. the very definition of US split-phase 220v service if i'm not mistaken....
  • Post in thread: Split Phase Terminology?

    Not to get waaay off topic here but... from the utility pole secondary transformer to your service come 3 wires. Two are 120v and one is neutral, isn't that right? The main breaker box alternates its circuit breaker blade connections between these 2 'phase' legs, so that using a double (two...
  • Post in thread: How Can a Tier 1 System Make Financial Sense?

    How large is your PV array?
  • Post in thread: $175 for 100AH LiFeP04 with Bluetooth!

    Looking at the amazon listing I saw that one of their picture panels said "Do not mix ELEFAST batteries with other brands...." so I did a quick search on 'ELEFAST' within Amazon. That brought up a listing for the same 12v 100Ah battery under a different brand name. In fact the bluetooth optioned...
  • Post in thread: Mixed AGM / LIFEPO Charging

    Reading further into the Xantrex manual, it shows that the absorb phase last until either: a) the charging current drops to 2% of the battery capacity; or b) the absorb timer lapses (default is 3 hours). Since the LFP batteries will accept all the current that the charger can supply until they...
  • Post in thread: Flash Foot2 Mount Question

    yeah I guess that's the only way. was thinking that you don't want a hole in the flashing but that's what roofing sealant is for I guess....
  • Post in thread: Solar Pool Pump System Questions

    I figure that I'll have to measure actual starting current once I get my variable speed pump. Then I can spec the PV & inverter.
  • Post in thread: Dump Load Needed For PV?

    No batteries planned for this system. Even though not part of my original question, the comments about pool solar water heater panels are interesting. The system my pump will supply does have the vacuum valve at the high point and thus water drains back down into the pool once the pump shuts down.
  • Post in thread: What Hardware For Flat Roof Mounting?

    I have a flat section of roof that is plain old hot mopped roll roofing. I want to install the panels at a 26 deg angle. I've found a few mounting systems that look to be very expensive and hope that there's something else out there? This will be an off-grid system just to run a pool pump so I...
  • Post in thread: Split Phase Terminology?

    Looking at the Growatt 2200TL2-HV solar pump inverter manual they refer to 220v 1 Phase and 3 Phase. Is this just different terminology? I will be running a US split phase 220v pump. Do I need to find another box?
  • Post in thread: Help In Land O Lakes, FL

    Watching... planning a similar Marion County / Duke Energy DIY build....
  • Post in thread: Roof Measurement Tool?

    thanks for the replies
  • Post in thread: Split Phase Terminology?

    You are correct - I used neutral instead of equipment ground terminology. Pump manual shows two 110v terminal blocks and the pump equipment ground terminal.
  • Post in thread: Heat Pump water Heaters

    If yours is a salt based softener system it will actually speed up deterioration of the anodes, etc. The HO Smith HP unit manual specifically calls this out for increased frequency anode inspections.
  • Post in thread: Solar Pool Pump System Questions

    thanks for the replies - all very helpful
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