Dead PC inverter

[davidm06]

Advice please. I have a PowerOne Aurora 3.0 inverter for PV panels which was installed in July. On Tuesday (Jan 8th), we came home to find our electricity had tripped. Put things back on and thought no more about it. Checked the inverter in the cellar on Wednesday to find lifeless. Switched both the AC and DC to off, waited a while and switched them back on (also at consumer unit) but nothing - no flicker or any sign of life in the inverter. I have contacted the installers but with their technical guy in hospital, they don't seem to be able to get anyone out to see what we can do or even give advice. Is there anything we should do or does it look like the inverter is dead?

 

[Somecamel]

Maybe not dead, Check AC/DC isolators if competent, Do not touch the DC during daytime, your probably not generating a lot at the moment anyway.

You could always ask another company round to have a quick look, they may charge you a circa £60 fee but will be able to tell you what the problem is and if simple the other company may agree to just pay it?

Good luck and I wouldn't worry, Hope its something simple

 

[Gavin A]

Are you absolutely sure that all the MCB and RCD's for the solar circuit have been switched back on? I tend to find the RCD on the solar circuit regularly trips if there is a powercut presumably because it's seeing the fault on the DNO side of the circuit.

If so, then you could contact Power-One on monday as the inverter will be under warranty, but unless your installation company's technical guy is going to be out of action for a long time it's probably worth just waiting a few days for them to be able to sort it out. At least it's happened at this time of year when production is lowest.

If something has blown in the inverter, chances are it's just a Varistor, which is designed to protect the kit from surges etc.

 

[Somecamel]

Are you absolutely sure that all the MCB and RCD's for the solar circuit have been switched back on? I tend to find the RCD on the solar circuit regularly trips if there is a powercut presumably because it's seeing the fault on the DNO side of the circuit.

If so, then you could contact Power-One on monday as the inverter will be under warranty, but unless your installation company's technical guy is going to be out of action for a long time it's probably worth just waiting a few days for them to be able to sort it out. At least it's happened at this time of year when production is lowest.

If something has blown in the inverter, chances are it's just a Varistor, which is designed to protect the kit from surges etc.

I had one where one of my guys put a 4kW HJ on one string

 

[Gavin A]

I had one where one of my guys put a 4kW HJ on one string

the 50V panels? doh.

 

[FB.]

The weather has been so dark recently that my inverter has, at times, switched itself off during the daytime. Not a fault - just this particularly heavy cloudy spell we've had in the last several weeks, with very little sunshine even considering the short days. It doesn't usually switch on at the moment until at least 8am even on the brightest mornings, and sometimes not until 10am if it's dull.