Hello All
To all you fellow HF solar system owners and possible purchasers!!
I need to let you know about a problem that I have found in 3 of the 4 units that I have helped to install, there is a potential problem with their controller. :-(
While working on my neighbor's that was working so much better than mine; then suddenly one day the output of the controller went to less than 2.5Vdc Measured at the battery terminals
Scared me just a little , I began by disconnecting the battery, just in case there was a miss-soldered wire or something and didn't want to smoke the battery.
The batery a 12V 7.5Ah SLA was okay although low. Low= 12.2Vdc
I put a meter on each of the panels after disconnecting them one at a time, and they were just fine. Connected the panels to the controller , and measured the output that is supposed to go to charge the batteries.
The first time we did this the power was way up there (13.5Vdc) this time , no such luck. It read 2.5Vdc!!
Popped open the controller and could not see anything obvious so it was time to get deap into the system, meaning I got out the glasses :-D
What we found was on the extra out put taps ( the 3,6,9Vdc taps) there are what seems to be cold solder joints and there was on this one a very poor job of soldering plain and simple, as the solder was touching the metal body of the controller!!
We disconnected everthing , I resoldered ALL the joints and hooked eveything back up. Now it works perfect.
The other units that we were about to return, showed the very same problem!!
SO for those who own these , you might want to take a moment and while you have it open to stuff cotton into the sreamer , take a good close look down at the front panels connectors and make sure they aren't even close to sending whatever power you have to ground.
We got lucky, if this had been a full short, the battery would've smoked or worse.
I've already contacted HF and the company that seems to be either the importer or manufacturer and they have yet to answer back.
Cheers ALL & Stay Safe!!
Bruce S