Author Topic: lightning takes out inverter.  (Read 2035 times)

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gww

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lightning takes out inverter.
« on: August 27, 2014, 08:30:49 PM »
I don't know if I should put this here or in "reveiw". 

About 8 days ago I lost one of my outback inverters during a storm.  I ordered the three circuit boards from outback and installed them today and things seem to be working. 

I lost my internet for the same amount of time.  I have hughs net and don't think I am going to be impressed.   

I did learn one thing on the inverter.  I bought mine used and was mighty worried about them.

 A new one is about $1500 or more new.  The boards to repair cost $800 and something but when you send your old ones back outback refunds $300 something so the total cost is around $460. 

I like that my 9 year old inverters can still get parts and it takes some of the fear out of buying used as long as you get it cheep enough to compensate. 

I have seen 6000 watt loads on these inverters and they are impresive.  I don't like that they break but it is nice to know it didn't cost $1500 to replace and seems to be, as new, when fixed. 

The reprograming takes a bit of thinking as you usually only do it when you first install. 

The repair was pretty easy except for the weight of the stuff. almost to heavy for a wimp like me. 

I wrote this incase anyone was considering buying used or just curious.

Lightning sucks and insurance in america is only for big losses.  Even if you lost more then your deductible you would have to worry about being cancelled if you make a claim.

Cheers
gww

gizmo

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Re: lightning takes out inverter.
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2014, 10:35:58 PM »
If I'm at home, I shut down my inverter if there is a lot of lightning around. I have breakers at the windmill, solar panels, inverter, 48v battery bank, mains switch, etc. So everything is pretty much isolated from each other.  My inverter is a 6kw Latronics, and expensive, so I play it safe. The main breakers give over an inch of gap across the contacts, and there are lots of earthed spark gaps.

I do have a backup system, separate 12v battery bank with its own solar panels and a 300watt inverter that can run the water pressure pump, a couple of lights and a radio. I leave this up during storms so I'm not sitting in the dark, have water and some entertainment. If it gets zapped I have spares.

The way I see it, living off grid has advantages, like no power bills, but I need to take responsibility, which means running from the house to the shed to shut down the inverter in the middle of the night during a storm.

Glenn

phil b

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Re: lightning takes out inverter.
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2014, 12:11:17 AM »
My Outback inverter was hit by lightning last spring. I didn't think the possibilities of it happening because I have a very well grounded pipe 8 feet higher than the inverter. It was down about a week before I got the parts and installed them.

My next purchase was some cheap and good insurance...that is, a couple of lightning arresters. http://www.midnitesolar.com/pages/pages.php?article_ID=49. They are worth every penny. One is on the AC side and the second is on the DC side.

gww, your equipment on a mountain, IIRC. If I were there, I'd have breakers (or fuses) and lightning arresters on the solar panel lines, then after the charge controllers and after the inverters.
Phil

gww

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Re: lightning takes out inverter.
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2014, 08:08:35 AM »
Glenn and Phil
Thanks for the comments.  I do have a shut down "shorting" that consist of two 60 amp breakers between the turbines and the batteries.  a midnite solar combiner at the solar and the ac/dc breaker panels that outback sells.

I don,t have the surge protectors.

It did trip the 50 amp breaker on the ac side and the 125 amp dc breaker going to the inverter.  I don't know if it triped the dc before or after I went out and reset the 50 amp ac and watched the inverter fry.  I have lived here for twenty years and have been hit by lightning which did at least some damage at least 3 times, not counting losing numorous modems lost when I had dial up internet.

I should probly shut the system down during storms, although that is about the only time my turbines ever shine for a short period.

Thanks
Glenn aka gww

PS  think I will head to the backshed forum and update myself.

madlabs

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Re: lightning takes out inverter.
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2014, 09:19:53 AM »
I just installed a Magnasine dual 48V inverter stack. I got the Midnite surge protectors, from what I can tell they seem to be the weapon of choice in surge protectors. I am a "belt and suspensers" kinda guy, so after talking to Midnite installed three of them, one on the combiner box DC, one on the inverter DC and on on the inverter AC. Having two on the DC gives the best chance of survival, according to Midnite.

Jonathan

gww

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Re: lightning takes out inverter.
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2014, 10:40:17 AM »
madlabs

Thanks for the info,  I may get around to that some day, although I will probly regret not having it done the next lightning strike.  time will tell.
Thanks
gww