VE.BUS 288 LOW battery alarm

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patrick-d asked May 30, '22

VE.BUS 288 LOW battery alarm

Hello,

I set up my ESS System but keep on getting "LOW Battery alarms" and the system only works for charging the battery but the inverter doesn't turn on. I suppose this is due to the "LOW Battery alarm".

Even after reading lots of similar questions and their answers on this forum I could not find a solution to my problem.

My System (Multiplus 48/800, Raspberry Pi, Pylontech US2000C, Shelly 3EM):

The Voltage on the VE.Bus doesn't seem to drop during the attempt of the inverter to start as shown here in the graphics, so I don't understand where this error comes from?

also the battery voltage stays the same and doesn't drop during the same time and did'nt show any alarms or warnings during the start of a "LOW Voltage Alarm":

My errors:

- When I turn the MULTIPLUS on : the green "Inverter-light" turns on, shortly after it turns OFF and the the red "alarm-light" turns on, shortly after the yellow "charger-led" also turns on.. and the inverter newer starts working.

My configuration:

Wiring:

Often it is stated that some wiring problems could be the issue. The Multiplus is connected with a 25m2 cable with a lenght of approximate 1 meter to the battery and a fuse is on the plus pole wire. Is this OK?

So charging of the battery works perfekt, but the multiplus doesn't go in inverter mode.

Does anyone have an idea what could be the problem? Is the inverter or the battery eventually broken? Do I have to change any configuration in VE.Configure ? Thanks in advance for any help or proposition.

ESS Pylontech VE.Bus low battery warning

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Matthias Lange - DE answered · Jun 03, 2022 at 03:56 AM

Is the MultiPlus switched to ON and not to charger-only (CHR)?

What are the settings in VE.config at inverter?

Try to reset all to the factory settings and try it just like that and without the Cerbo, only the MultiPlus and the battery.

That are my last ideas.

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patrick-d commented · Jun 04, 2022 at 09:03 AM

@Matthias Lange - DE thanks a lot for the advice ... I did a factory reset using "grid code password" reinstalled the VE.config and afterwards it worked just fine ... It could be possible that there were some wrong settings in the "inverter" Ve.config ...

But to be honest I am not sure what really was the problem because I also resintalled the Venus OS on the Raspberry P and the CANHAT and did some minor changes, verified the connections and did the cabling again ... I was near to the point just to give up and return it to the sender and then it worked :)

My conclusion: VICTRON is really a great system once you get it to work and this forum was a big help :-)

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Paul Test patrick-d commented · Jun 05, 2022 at 07:37 AM

Hi,

can you give me pls a little bit more details to „I did a factory reset using "grid code password" reinstalled the VE.config and afterwards it worked just fine ... It could be possible that there were some wrong settings in the "inverter" Ve.config“

i have the maby same issue red alarm with all run fine.

regards

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patrick-d Paul Test commented · Jun 05, 2022 at 02:53 PM

Hello, in the "VEConfigure 3" application you can on the top menu select "Defaults/Set all settings to default". You will be asked a password, this password you can eventually get from your supplier. Afterwards I configured it the same as the fist time I installed everything ... so I don't know what was the problem but am happy it works now ... I hope this helps you ...

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Paul Test patrick-d commented · Jun 05, 2022 at 04:16 PM

Regards

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Modifications Space

Node Red Space

Answer 1 · 2022-05-31T03:55:45Z

Matthias Lange - DE answered · May 31, 2022 at 03:55 AM

For me it looks like there is a problem with the connection to the battery. Check the fuse.

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patrick-d commented · May 31, 2022 at 07:40 AM

Hello,

Thanks for your suggestion.

Yesterday I tried to connect the inverter directly without a fuse, this didn't make any difference. The fuse is a Offgridtec® MIDI 125 A 48V that seems OK.

The multiplus still charges the battery even now at this moment.

What I dont' understand is that if the the wiring would be the problem as I have read in different post, how would it be possible that the charger can charge the battery but is it not able to discharge it? What am I missing?

Could it be the cable from the battery to the inverter? It is hard to get right now an original cabel under 50 Euro so I cut the cable that should normally interconnect two batteries in half and added a one meter 25cm2 wire to it to connect it to the inverter.

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patrick-d commented · May 31, 2022 at 10:30 AM

Hello, thanks for your suggestion.

By "wiring" do you think the wiring from the battery to the inverter, or also perhaps the communication wiring between the battery the raspberry Pi and the Multiplus?

If I take away the isolation from the DIY connection "Pylontech connecter" and the added 25 mm2 wire it looks like this. Could this be the problem? If yes what could I have done wrong in this connection?

Also what I don't understand if it can charge the battery why is it not possible to discharge, the current goes throu the same wires. Every help is appeciated.

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Matthias Lange - DE ♦ patrick-d commented · May 31, 2022 at 02:52 PM

It is not beautiful/professional but it should work.

If you say it is charging, do the Pylontech shows a current going in or do you think it is charging because of the yellow LED at the MultiPlus?
(Your first screenshot shows the MultiPlus in "Bulk" but there is no current going into the battery)

Can you measure the battery voltage at the MultiPlus terminals with the Multi turned off?

There should also be a fuse inside of the Multi, maybe that fuse is blown for some reason?

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patrick-d commented · May 31, 2022 at 07:50 PM

@Matthias Lange - DE Thanks a lot for your help, I really appreciate.

I know it is charging because:

- It does its job very well by charging my AC PV over-production into the battery, I see it on the Venus "Homescreen" that it regulates very well the power that goes into the battery so that I don't (or less) feed back into the grid. So half of its job it really does very very well.

- the battery lights show the state of charge going up when the multi is charging (the rest of the time the battery showes no sign of life)

- here you can see my two testings today where the battery was charged by my PV over-production

The voltage at the termimals of the battery after switching off the Multi is 50V. (When everything is off first and afterwards I only turn on the Raspberry and the battery, the voltage is only 2,5 V, I suppose the battery needs the Multi to "wake up" ) ?

Can I open the Multi myself without losing the warranty to have a look at the intern fuse?

Perhaps stupid question: But to be sure, do I eventually have to first charge the battery at its full capacity before the BMS allows the discharge? So far I didn't allow the system to charge the battery at full capacity because I am not able to discharge it and if I am right the battery should not stay for a longer time fully charged...

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Answer 2 · 2022-05-31T08:48:23Z

debra-lee answered · May 31, 2022 at 08:48 AM

I also think that it looks like there is a problem with the connection to the battery drift boss

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Answer 3 · 2022-06-02T10:43:19Z

patrick-d answered · Jun 02, 2022 at 10:43 AM

Hello,

Here a screenshot from my last test of today, as can be seen it is still charging the battery without a problem.

When the system works perfectly for charging: can it be a wiring problem (data or current) or a problem of the intern fuse of the Multi? Or has it to be an other problem in that case?

I bought the Multi on Amazon so I have some few days left to get the inverter to work as it should ... afterward. when I don't get it to work I will have to return it ... but the system is exactly what I want so I really want to keep it ....

Has someone an idea how i can move forward in the debugging?

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Answer 4 · 2022-06-02T11:39:09Z

patrick-d answered · Jun 02, 2022 at 11:39 AM

Hello,

I also verified as proposed by @Matthias Lange - DE the battery voltage at the MultiPlus terminals with the Multi turned off ... it is 50,1 V.

Can anybody help me to understand why I get a "Low Battery alarm" .. the voltage seems OK.

Does this mean that the battery is OK and that there is a problem with the Multiplus?

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Answer 5 · 2022-06-05T07:47:08Z

Did you use these settings too:

Charger tab

Parameter	Setting
Battery type	Lithium
Charge curve	Fixed
Absorption voltage	52.0 V
Float voltage	51.0 V
Absorption time	1 Hr

Note: make sure to double check the float voltage after completing Assistants, and if necessary set it back to 51.0 V.

Note For off-grid use: ignore the 'bms assistant required' warning.

5.3 Inverter Settings

In the Inverter tab of VEConfigure

VEConfigure Inverter Parameter	Setting
DC input low shut-down	44V
DC input low restart	48V
DC input low pre-alarm*	48V

Victron Pylontech manual

Mine were reset after setting my ESS assistant and I got errors like you too.

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