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Dmitrij IT avatar image
Dmitrij IT asked

Orion SMART 12|12 30 gets HOT and limits to 20A - warranty replacement ?

Hi,

This is probably a question to Victron directly . I Had 18A charger for couple of years with no problems - 100% 18Amps output always, almost cold , operating very neat. Now i have 2xLiFePo4 batteries, so i bought 30Amp charger in parallel setup and got into trouble :

1. Even when cold, my 30A device only pumps 26-27Amps (3Amps missing, thats 10% !)

2. It gets REALLY HOT on the front in about 10-15 minutes . Dont have anything to measure, but you cannot touch it for longer than a second or two. The radiator is even more hot. It also smells with hot paint . (Wires as 10mm2 )

3. After it gets hot it starts limiting itself down to 20Amps (probably depends on temperature, as it jumps up and down between 20 and 25 ).

I tried testing in parallel setup as well as separate (charign only by 30A carger), with 0% empty batteries (2x 120Amps BMS , which can take 200A charging current easily)

I am very disappointed, as i have 5 devices from Victron, and only this goes crazy hot and ouputs ~60-70% of what it supposed to output.

Should i send it for replacement ?
SERIAL is HQ2303TKTHJ



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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ commented ·

Read the guide lines, this is not an official ask victron forum.

A couple of short notes.

Not great airflow there. Definitely not following the space guidlines.

The use of ferrules while neat is not advised by victron because it does not allow the cable to be squashed and fill the rising clamps (makes hot terminals)

And why upside down? They dont have the rating for that orientation. It is only ip 43 in the right way up orientation.

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2 Answers
flugs avatar image
flugs answered ·

Salut, this device is known to become very hot.

Watch this video for a heat comparison between Tr and the new XS.

STILL too hot?! Orion XS 50A test & unboxing. (youtube.com)

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Dmitrij IT avatar image Dmitrij IT commented ·
Thanks for suggestion , i really see its the design flaw of the device itself . But can i return it after 4 months as a defective for that ?
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nickdb avatar image
nickdb answered ·

As stated. Remove ferrules, they are not permitted on the chargers and are a great way to generate heat and/or fire.

Spacing is terrible for cooling and, its been said, upside down.

Won’t even mention that nasty join in the middle.

Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Rather get some professional help before you regret it.

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Dmitrij IT avatar image Dmitrij IT commented ·

@nickdb, thanks for comments, however -
1. ferrules and wires are the only place which does not get hot :) Actually 25 Amps are not something that would heat well done long ferrules on 10mm2 wires - the contact area and quality of contact that matters, which is not a problem in my case
2. "nasty join in the middle" is one of the best contact areas in my van :) soldered well, and tested on 70Amp current - so not an issue again
3. Upside-down position indeed has issues with IP43 , which only means dust and water penetration - but again , is not related to my issue i am experiencing.
4. Spacing is not an issue as well - as its a mater of air circulation around device, which is much better than i've seen on other campers - in fact they are not enclosed in any cabinet, and have the whole bus volume to chill down :) , plus a hot air retracting fan just above them making airflow much stronger.

@flugs - your answer is way more helpful - as i see now, it is most probably a design flaw . However , my question remains - if i cannot charge my batteries with advertised efficiency, can i return the item as a defective and just buy and place another 18A ? (as 30A device still does just just a bit better than 18A :) but costs almost twice as much and tries to burn my camper :) )

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ejrossouw avatar image ejrossouw Dmitrij IT commented ·

@Dmitrij IT It is known these devices can get very hot, (clearly stated if you read the manual) but not following the manufacturer's intallation guidelines e.g. upside down, plastic components touching, adequate ventilation etc. does not make for a valid warranty claim as you have to demonstrate you have adhered to these. Given it will be tested as part of the RMA process, you may just end up having it returned given it will likely work as intended when installed properly. Try as others suggested first to save yourself time and hassle, especially in light of what is a far from ideal install from picture you posted.99f4dd9f-0128-43f4-b45a-03f828544a44.jpeg

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Dmitrij IT avatar image Dmitrij IT ejrossouw commented ·

Oh, come on, nothing would change if it would be in a normal position with 2cm more space below it and no wired above it :) Yes , you can gain like 2-5 degrees difference by making this, but my concern is 40 vs 65 degrees. Plus if you search the forums you'll see that even Victron itself allows devices to be upside down (covering the wires to avoid dust and moisture) . Thus this has nothing to do with warming to 65degrees as well. And if you check the reply above from nickdb - and watch the video - it is obviously that overheating is "implemented by design" :). Thus now when i know they made it like this - i am bit less nervous and decided to keep it and replace ir with a new XS next season.

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ejrossouw avatar image ejrossouw Dmitrij IT commented ·

With such poor cable management and clear lack of proper ventilation, I will be surprised if you can prove that it is not simply derating as a result of overheating. Do let us know the outcome either way.

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