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Traviss224

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Joined
Jun 25, 2022
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295
This has got to be the worst company I have dealt with.

I received my batteries around the 18th of December. I couldn’t get them to work on my Growatt. I contact SS for them to tell me that the 48v EG4 waterproof batteries are dangerous, doesn’t recommend using them with my Growatt system. Tech support tells me to contact customer support to get a return started etc. I deal with them about sending me new batteries. On the 21st or 22nd I speak to someone and they tell me new batteries are on the way and to return my old one. I speak to someone else and they tell me that they can’t send new batteries until the old one are returned. I then find out that I need to deal with the resolution department. The resolution department doesn’t talk on the phone and only communicates via email. This is ridiculous. I speak to another person on the phone for an update and told that they need a picture of the batteries. On the 27th I get a return form to fill out. 1/5 my batteries get picked up.

1/8 I contact to pay for the difference between my return batteries cost and the eg4 power wall. I was told last week or so by Weston that it was going to be a $300 difference. Now today I get a quote that is about a $900 difference. I am currently waiting for a call back. In addition today I get told that it takes about a week to get the return process done after they get to the dock. And then another few days to process to get a new battery sent out. We are looking at close to February before I get a new battery.

@SignatureSolarJess returned my email very quickly. I wish the rest of SS was the same way.

Luckily the person I sold my old batteries to was ok with me using them to have power.

Never again will I do business with them.

AND WHY WOULD YOU SELL A BATTERY THAT SAYS FOR OFFGRID USE IF TECH SUPPORT SAYS ITS DANGEROUS AND YOU SHOULD NOT USE IT FOR THAT.


@SignatureSolarJames @SignatureSolarPeyton
 
I'm so sorry @Traviss224, I'm not sure what has happened to get you here but I would like to do everything I can to understand and find a resolution. If you're open to it, I can look into this and follow up with you after I get some answers? Our deepest apologies for your frustrations, we would truly like to make this right.
 
I'm so sorry @Traviss224, I'm not sure what has happened to get you here but I would like to do everything I can to understand and find a resolution. If you're open to it, I can look into this and follow up with you after I get some answers? Our deepest apologies for your frustrations, we would truly like to make this right.
You are more than welcome to. I had an issue with my Growatt a year ago and y’all were so helpful. That’s why I returned to you all.
 
You are more than welcome to. I had an issue with my Growatt a year ago and y’all were so helpful. That’s why I returned to you all.
Thank you. I appreciate your willingness to repair this. I will speak with you tomorrow!
 
Can you tell us more why these batteries are considered dangerous for your application?

To be clear, Signature Solar told you this via tech support??? Tech support typically has nothing to gain at this point, most are trying to help since the sale already happened. Assuming their intentions were good, i would hope there is some tech data to back up their determination.

I am curious if this is mentioned anywhere in a manual or their website.
Or was this a case of sizing, batteries too small and there was a concern for charging/discharging the battery too fast???
 
Tech support told me this. They would arc anytime you hooked them up. If you just touched the terminal with a cable that wasn’t connected to anything on the other end, it would arc. They told me that they couldn’t even tell me to touch the batteries at all due to liability basically. The waterproof eg4 doesn’t have a cut off / breaker on it. My wife helped me pick one up into place the day we got them and it arc to her ring 4” away.

I spoke to EG4 and they said it was normal for them to arc.

It was nothing to do with sizing. Just the arc. However one of the other issues I was having was one battery may charge and the others wouldn’t. Or 2 might discharge and the other wouldn’t. And it continued to do this. @timselectric was nice enough to try and help me but I couldn’t get them all to discharge at once. The BMS went into “protecting dsc” mode and batteries wouldn’t do anything. I individually charged the batteries fully.


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You get these emails asking you to respond but there is no questions or anything asked. What are you supposed to respond with?IMG_1163.jpegIMG_1162.jpeg
 
Good afternoon @Traviss224

I can assure you that we have tested the batteries here in house and I have connected several of them myself. I don't know the context of the conversation and what all was said, but the waterproof batteries are NOT dangerous. Would you want to series two of them together? No. But we discourage putting ALL of our batteries in series.

I am speaking with some of our representatives at Signature Solar now to make sure that this does not get passed around because that is a misrepresentation of the safety of our batteries. The BMS have protocols in place to make sure that it doesn't discharge or charge in the event of an issue.

I am sorry that you had a bad experience, and I am sorry that you were misinformed. I can assure you that we are going to make sure that the correct information is available to the tech team.
 
Tech support told me this. They would arc anytime you hooked them up. If you just touched the terminal with a cable that wasn’t connected to anything on the other end, it would arc. They told me that they couldn’t even tell me to touch the batteries at all due to liability basically. The waterproof eg4 doesn’t have a cut off / breaker on it.
For anywhere else that comes along, this is where a pre charge resistor comes in handy. I'd also wire a Class T and disconnect inline.
My wife helped me pick one up into place the day we got them and it arc to her ring 4” away.
What arced to her ring? Was she connecting something at the time?
I spoke to EG4 and they said it was normal for them to arc.
I'd agree unless a pre charge resistor and/or a disconnect comes in to play.

Sorry you're still having issues.
 
Good afternoon @Traviss224

I can assure you that we have tested the batteries here in house and I have connected several of them myself. I don't know the context of the conversation and what all was said, but the waterproof batteries are NOT dangerous. Would you want to series two of them together? No. But we discourage putting ALL of our batteries in series.

I am speaking with some of our representatives at Signature Solar now to make sure that this does not get passed around because that is a misrepresentation of the safety of our batteries. The BMS have protocols in place to make sure that it doesn't discharge or charge in the event of an issue.

I am sorry that you had a bad experience, and I am sorry that you were misinformed. I can assure you that we are going to make sure that the correct information is available to the tech team.
Jarret I’m not sure if you are with eg4 or SS.

It was a 48v WP eg4. Not in series but parallel. However it would arc without it being connected to another battery.
 
For anywhere else that comes along, this is where a pre charge resistor comes in handy. I'd also wire a Class T and disconnect inline.

What arced to her ring? Was she connecting something at the time?

I'd agree unless a pre charge resistor and/or a disconnect comes in to play.

Sorry you're still having issues.
She was holding the handle, carrying it to put into place. She never touched the post and it shot an arc.
 
Tech support told me this. They would arc anytime you hooked them up. If you just touched the terminal with a cable that wasn’t connected to anything on the other end, it would arc. They told me that they couldn’t even tell me to touch the batteries at all due to liability basically. The waterproof eg4 doesn’t have a cut off / breaker on it. My wife helped me pick one up into place the day we got them and it arc to her ring 4” away.

Jarret I’m not sure if you are with eg4 or SS.

It was a 48v WP eg4. Not in series but parallel. However it would arc without it being connected to another battery.
I work for EG4.

So, you don't want to put anything metal on the posts. It's the same as with a car battery. I dropped a combination wrench on both posts of a car battery when I was 12 and spit and spat sparks everywhere. Now, I remove my watch, rings, and anything metal on my hands when I work on these inverter because you don't want to have anything conductive on your hands when you make connections or do repairs.

I'd agree unless a pre charge resistor and/or a disconnect comes in to play.
This^ This will help with the sparking.
 
I work for EG4.

So, you don't want to put anything metal on the posts. It's the same as with a car battery. I dropped a combination wrench on both posts of a car battery when I was 12 and spit and spat sparks everywhere. Now, I remove my watch, rings, and anything metal on my hands when I work on these inverter because you don't want to have anything conductive on your hands when you make connections or do repairs.


This^ This will help with the sparking.
I want to be clear that the safety thing came from SS not EG4. EG4 engineer said it was a safe and good battery.


Nothing hooked up to a battery, touching a metal terminal arcing. Negative not connected. Positive wire not connected to anyth and it arcs when touching the positive to put The screw in.
 
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I want to be clear that the safety thing came from SS not EG4. EG4 engineer said it was a safe and good battery.


Nothing hooked up to a battery, touching a metal terminal arcing. Negative not connected. Positive wire not connected to anyth and it arcs when touching the positive to put The screw in.
Could you clarify that last part? With nothing connected there was an arc to the screw of the battery terminal?
 
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