Check my wiring for installing an inverter

[buckeyestargazer]

I have a pop up trailer with a WFCO 8725-AD power converter, 230AH LiFePO4 battery and battery monitor with shunt. I'm not ready for solar just yet, but I want to install a 1100W inverter into the system. Ignoring the solar charge controller, does the attached diagram look correct?
Thanks in advance.

 

[DonTom]

I have a pop up trailer with a WFCO 8725-AD power converter, 230AH LiFePO4 battery and battery monitor with shunt. I'm not ready for solar just yet, but I want to install a 1100W inverter into the system. Ignoring the solar charge controller, does the attached diagram look correct?
Thanks in advance.

Welcome!

All looks good to me, other than I would want three times the battery as well as three times the inverter capacity, so I can quietly run anything I can run on the genny for at least several minutes.

This is what I have in my new RV and something similar in my Y2K RV. "Quiet hours" work fine with me when I cannot run the genny, such as when in OPCNM, AZ and need to warm up something in the MW oven.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Contributor]

Only thing missing is a solar panel disconnect. When starting up a solar system, the solar panels are the last thing connected. The charge controller gets it's power from the battery and boots up, then the it's ready for solar.

 

[buckeyestargazer]

Welcome!

All looks good to me, other than I would want three times the battery as well as three times the inverter capacity, so I can quietly run anything I can run on the genny for at least several minutes.

This is what I have in my new RV and something similar in my Y2K RV. "Quiet hours" work fine with me when I cannot run the genny, such as when in OPCNM, AZ and need to warm up something in the MW oven.

-Don- Reno, NV

Thanks. We're not serious campers (yet). Just taking out the pop-up for the occasional weekend and maybe one 2-week trip a year. And we will stay at sites with power for the most part. I just wanted the inverter for the few small things we might need it for.

Only thing missing is a solar panel disconnect. When starting up a solar system, the solar panels are the last thing connected. The charge controller gets it's power from the battery and boots up, then the it's ready for solar.

Where would the solar panel disconnect go in this diagram? As mentioned I'm not adding solar yet but I'd like to add the disconnect for future reference.

 

[solarman]

you need a disconnect for the solar panel feed and
your inverter is always hot, move the inverter to the positive bussbar

 

[buckeyestargazer]

you need a disconnect for the solar panel feed and
your inverter is always hot, move the inverter to the positive bussbar

Thanks, yeah I realized I needed to put the inverter on the positive busbar.
Coming inside from the solar panels, does the solar disconnect just go before the MPPT controller?

 

[HueyPilotVN]

Yes

 

[buckeyestargazer]

So here is the final(?) diagram.

 

[HueyPilotVN]

I used this type of circuit breaker fuse at the input of my charge controllers because it is an easy way to disconnect the panels from the controller.

Just push the button to disconnect and reset by turning the red switch.

https://www.amazon.com/Circuit-Breaker-Automotive-Overload-Protection/dp/B092YRTD9R/ref=sr_1_11?crid=3SPDSZRQ61E5C&keywords=circuit+breaker+fuse&qid=1679163819&sprefix=circuit+breaker+fuse%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-11

 

[Contributor]

I would also add an inverter disconnect. Being always hot, means it drawing current even when not in use. The numbers I've seen are around .3 to .4 Ah, just for the biasing of the electronics with no load. A simple disconnect makes it easy to save battery.

 

[DonTom]

The charge controller gets it's power from the battery and boots up, then the it's ready for solar.

What happens if that order is not followed? Say it's connected when not ready for solar? Then what happens?

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

The numbers I've seen are around .3 to .4 Ah, just for the biasing of the electronics with no load.

Both of my inverters have a remote switch to turn them on. I wonder what they draw when "off" when the "salesman switch" is on. I never checked.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Contributor]

What happens if that order is not followed? Say it's connected when not ready for solar? Then what happens?

-Don- Reno, NV

Some systems get "hung up" and nothing seems to work. Renogy warns about it, but some don't. Basically if you disconnect the battery and leave the solar on, and then connect the battery the controller gets lost.

 

[DonTom]

Some systems get "hung up" and nothing seems to work. Renogy warns about it, but some don't. Basically if you disconnect the battery and leave the solar on, and then connect the battery the controller gets lost.

OIC. First time I heard about it.

Does that only happen with the MPPT controllers? Can it also be an issue with PWM controllers?

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[HueyPilotVN]

The issue is that the charge controller gets it power to operate first from the batteries and not the panels.

 

[DonTom]

The issue is that the charge controller gets it power to operate first from the batteries and not the panels.

Sound to me like a controller poor design issue.

I don't see why it cannot be designed to require battery input to switch on the solar to begin with. Then a second or two delay before it will respond to the solar.

Not that it's a big deal to connect the solar last.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Lou Schneider]

Some MPPT controllers can be damaged if they're connected to solar before the battery. No place to dump the power the panels are delivering can cause excessive voltage on some interior components.

 

[DonTom]

Some MPPT controllers can be damaged if they're connected to solar before the battery.

So it is only an issue with MPPT and not PWM solar controllers?

No place to dump the power the panels are delivering can cause excessive voltage on some interior components.

If they can switch that solar off internally inside the controller without too much of a loss when connected up properly, that will be no power from the solar internally to damage anything.

I wonder how many MPPT controllers have been damaged by connecting them up improperly. I would think they would want to make them idiot proof as much as is perhaps most electronic stuff these days.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Lou Schneider]

So it is only an issue with MPPT and not PWM solar controllers?

If they can switch that solar off internally inside the controller without too much of a loss when connected up properly, that will be no power from the solar internally to damage anything.

I wonder how many MPPT controllers have been damaged by connecting them up improperly. I would think they would want to make them idiot proof as much as is perhaps most electronic stuff these days.

-Don- Reno, NV

I'm not familiar with every controller made. If the manufacturer says not to connect the solar panels without the controller being connected to the battery I'd follow their recommendation.

 

[DonTom]

I'm not familiar with every controller made. If the manufacturer says not to connect the solar panels without first connecting the controller to the battery I'd follow their recommendation.

So would I. At least now that I know. But I had no idea about the issue and I assume countless others also don't.

Who reads the manuals?

-Don- Reno, NV