flashing green

[Ervin R Dilly]

Have a power one inverter that I have used from 2012.TYPE OUTD SN627372.The last few days it has started to flash the green light stating grid power low.Finale check at the unit and the DC in is where it has always been.Keeps trying to recycle,and sometimes it starts working.Any ideas as to what is going on,Rob if you are still on here you might know.

[Rob Beckers]

Ervin, any message on the display? There should be some type of error or warning code if the grid is outside the parameters that it should be.

-RoB-

[Ervin R Dilly]

Rob,it is not doing it at this time,if and when it does I will give you what it says.I think it said something about lack of grid power,but when I checked the solar input,they were well in range,will keep you posted.Thanks

[Dave Schwartz]

Its probably low grid voltage. If so, its doing as required and the voltage on the utility side is below the inverter's minimum. Measure your line voltage. Edit: grid voltage should be one of the things the display cycles through]

If it is low, you are either being browned-out intentionally (in which case they know about it) or there is an equipment problem (in which case they may not know about it and have something to be fixed before it turns into a bigger problem). In either case, it you have low line voltage, you need to give them a call.

[Ervin R Dilly]

Thanks Dave,sounds like it may be the problem as I have checked the input and all seem to be ok.Might be that the power co. was doing shady stuff.Hasnt done it in a couple of days,will keep checking.

[Ervin R Dilly]

Ok,this flashing happened again today,no notice,just kept trying to go thru the Rizzo?whatever that is .Took the covers off of my breakers and was so hot ,you could not touch it.Shut down everything and started to retork all off the wires,back off and crank them down.Let the breaker cool down some and repowered up.Checked the breaker again and it was cool to the touch,will wait and see.Light was no longer flashing 2 hrs later,solid green.Maybe

[Ervin R Dilly]

Just a follow up on this,seams that 1 of the breakers had worked loose and wasnt making good contact.That is also what made the breaker getting hot,Pulled it out and reseated it and for 5 days things have been back to normal.Fingers crossed

[Ervin R Dilly]

Dave,you were correct on the low grid,but it was on my end,thanks to all for the comments.

[Dave Schwartz]

Yes, a high-resistance connection due to a loose contact can certainly produce a lot of heat. It can also erode the contacts quite easily with even a small amount of arcing so I'd keep a close eye on that breaker for a while. You may even want to get in a spare now, or even replace it. Surprising that the 'too hot to touch' did not cause the breaker to trip.

If your inverter is outdoor rated, curious if it is mounted indoors or outdoors?

My own system hits its 10th anniversary in 4 months and I've never done a single thing to it. My inverter is mounted on the inside wall of the garage so its only exposed to the temperature swings but I've heard that you should plan on a replacement after 10 years. Although the original manufacturer's name is still in use, it appears they've been bought out (perhaps several times) and no longer make such small scale, homeowner inverters. So much for the modular design where the active electronics part could be easily replaced.

[Ervin R Dilly]

Dave the inverter is inside my garage also,the summer heat is the major problem,I leave the garage door open,helps.As far as the breaker goes it was not pushed all the way into its slot,you know the kind that has 2 tongs that push into the circuit.Dont know how they worked loose but I guess over time.Maybe it didnt trip as it has a 50 amp breaker,came with the setup.Will wait and see.

[Dave Schwartz]

The peak summer temperature in my garage went way down. Of course, that's because it went from being covered by black shingles to 6" air-spaced solar panels. I used to have to open the doors for about a half-hour before I could work in there.

[Ervin R Dilly]

Dave,I only have 12 panels left on the garage roof,moved most of them to ground mount,around 40 panels.Did most of the work myself,except for the inspection,which some thongs I had to upgrade.So now I have to pay $16.00 a month for them to send me a bill,tried to argue this ,but the power to be won.Built one set (12) with a tracker,dont think it is worth the trouble,cost wise.