Hello all. I posted a while back asking for advice on a failing (free-like-puppies) solar system and received a lot of great advice. After a few long nights and some days without power, I managed to test/clean/discard/charge the corroded or dead batteries and assembled a reduced but functioning battery bank and enclosed it (with venting). I've been saving up for a replacement battery bank and using the house on and off.
The system has been 100% fine since December, except last night the Trace SW4024 inverter tripped off at around 18:30 with a few appliances running. After looking around in the house for anything amiss, I found nothing (no tripped breakers or anything burning smelling). On inspecting the inverter, I found that it was on but not inverting, with the AC circuit breaker not tripped. The battery voltage reported by the inverter was 24.6 volts. I tried to turn on the inverter search mode, and that caused the inverter to die suddenly and restart with a little click sound. After some experimentation I found that the inverter trips every time it is in inverter mode and an AC load is applied (it can be in inverter mode with the AC breaker OFF, but as soon as you turn on the AC load from the house it dies suddenly and restarts). The inverter reports no errors, and the error light isn't on.
Everything appears normal with the batteries and connections. I left the inverter on for about 10 minutes and again this morning, and it is reporting battery voltage 24+ volts (rising as the morning sun came out). I turned the DC breaker and AC breaker off, and currently there is no power.
I am asking if anyone has any suggestions on further trouble-shooting tips. My plan is still to replace the batteries in the next months, but I had not planned to replace the inverter and hope to not have to. I remain a complete newbie besides the basics I have learned in the past few months. The house being without power is fine for some time, but would like to determine if I need to just have the inverter replaced or fix it if I can as soon as I can.
As always any and all insight is super appreciated. Hope you guys have a great day!
(the pictures are the old ones, the spider webs are gone now.)
The system has been 100% fine since December, except last night the Trace SW4024 inverter tripped off at around 18:30 with a few appliances running. After looking around in the house for anything amiss, I found nothing (no tripped breakers or anything burning smelling). On inspecting the inverter, I found that it was on but not inverting, with the AC circuit breaker not tripped. The battery voltage reported by the inverter was 24.6 volts. I tried to turn on the inverter search mode, and that caused the inverter to die suddenly and restart with a little click sound. After some experimentation I found that the inverter trips every time it is in inverter mode and an AC load is applied (it can be in inverter mode with the AC breaker OFF, but as soon as you turn on the AC load from the house it dies suddenly and restarts). The inverter reports no errors, and the error light isn't on.
Everything appears normal with the batteries and connections. I left the inverter on for about 10 minutes and again this morning, and it is reporting battery voltage 24+ volts (rising as the morning sun came out). I turned the DC breaker and AC breaker off, and currently there is no power.
I am asking if anyone has any suggestions on further trouble-shooting tips. My plan is still to replace the batteries in the next months, but I had not planned to replace the inverter and hope to not have to. I remain a complete newbie besides the basics I have learned in the past few months. The house being without power is fine for some time, but would like to determine if I need to just have the inverter replaced or fix it if I can as soon as I can.
As always any and all insight is super appreciated. Hope you guys have a great day!
(the pictures are the old ones, the spider webs are gone now.)
