question

tt-empowered avatar image
tt-empowered asked

Overload warnings

Hi Blue power community.
I'm noticing a lot of inconsistencies across my installations in terms of "Overload Warnings". For example, a 5kVA Multiplus installation would register this warning sometimes at 3.8 kW, and sometimes at 7.2kW. I maintain a simple configuration of critical loads on AC1 (lights, tv), and heavy loads on AC2 (geyser). And all these warning occur other the same set of conditions, with Grid PV and battery available.

My question here is should overload warnings occur at when reaching nominal power (5kW for a 5kVA inverter), or at Peak power ( 10kW for a 5kVA inverter)?. And besides the datasheet, is there anywhere the parameters that drive this warning are set?

Thanks in advance.

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter Charger
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1 Answer
Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image
Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) answered ·

Hi @TT_empowered,

Good news on this issue - the latest VE.Bus firmware version 481 - includes fixes for spurious overloads.

Fixes include:

  • Prevents permanent lock on ripple error due to overload.
  • Improvement of acceptance of grid in “floating phase” systems icw generators.
  • Solved: Spurious switch off due to overload.

Available on VicProf and the firmware dropbox now for manual update; and will be included in VictronConnect a while from now.

Any and all strange issues related to overload should FIRST AND FOREMOST update to this firmware version, and then report if they are still occurring.

19 comments
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harold avatar image harold commented ·

Can you let us know when we can update via VictronConnect or VE Config?

Thanks

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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ harold commented ·

You can update now via VictronConnect, but that version of the file is not automatically bundled, nor selected for you.

So you will need to get the specific one from the firmware downloads list (using your 4 digit product ID) and then manually select it in VictronConnect.

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harold avatar image harold Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

Thanks,

Also remotely?
Or only cabled?

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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ harold commented ·

EDIT - this comment previous stated that VE.Bus firmware updates must be done locally. - This has now been improved and remote VE.Bus firmware updates are possible.

https://www.victronenergy.com/live/venus-os:remote_ve.bus_firmware_updates

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harold avatar image harold Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

Thanks!

Harold

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spicedreams avatar image spicedreams Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

@Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) how do I get and install the v481 firmware? I have EasySolar II GX with ethernet connectivity, no MK3-USB. Is there a way I can update the firmware via USB key or over the ethernet?

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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ spicedreams commented ·

@spicedreams

This is new, and may work for you.. https://www.victronenergy.com/live/venus-os:remote_ve.bus_firmware_updates


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spicedreams avatar image spicedreams JohnC ♦ commented ·

Thanks @JohnC, this seems to require a proprietary USB cable, which I don't have.

Victron Support previously send me a compressed file to load on a USB key to change some setting at startup, I was hoping for a similar approach.

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spicedreams avatar image spicedreams JohnC ♦ commented ·

Thanks @JohnC,

In the VRM portal, Firmware Update page I see only the SmartSolar Charger MPPT 250/70, not the MultiPlus II. I have until now assumed that meant it was not updateable that way.

In the Device List the Multiplus shows up as a VE.Bus System, and I have been able to download a Remote VEConfigure file from it.

Just baffled where I go next to get this update.

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seb71 avatar image seb71 spicedreams commented ·

Check "1.2 Limitations and requirements" carefully from that link, and make sure you satisfy every condition. Specifically Venus OS firmware must be 2.65 or later.

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tt-empowered avatar image tt-empowered commented ·

Hi @Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager).
Thanks you for this.

Will do the update and report after a week of monitoring. I was currently sitting at firmware 476 with my installations.

Many thanks.

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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ tt-empowered commented ·

Hi @TT_empowered,

Do you have any feedback on this update yet?

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mediacut avatar image mediacut Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

IMG_6606.MOV.zipHello, I have same issue with Quattro 10000.

Over 4500-5000w overload LED show and invertor act strange. Make some noises and also drain from battery and from grid...

If I disconnect grid and inverter run only on batteries works fine, no strange noise and no overload LED.


I try with 2 separate inverters....both 481 firmware.


Where can we find old firmware? on VicPor is only available the latest.

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img-6606mov.zip (110.5 MiB)
spicedreams avatar image spicedreams commented ·

@Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager),

Guy I have been keen to get MultiPlus II firmware v481 on the assumption that the overload warnings I have been getting (which don't result in the system turning off) are 'spurious' as you mention above.

But actually I don't know whether they are really a symptom of something actually wrong that needs fixing.

All I know is that I get them <8 times a day, they cure themselves after ~20 seconds and they are sometimes (but not 1:1) associated with a small freezer compressor starting (rated at 90W, 0.73 kWh/day).

Is there any way to tell a spurious overload warning, (as resolved by v481?) from an actual problem?

Is there any way to get more detail about the overload that is being warned about?

Thanks

Graham


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Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) avatar image Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ spicedreams commented ·

Hi @spicedreams,

Any and all strange issues related to overload should FIRST AND FOREMOST update to this firmware version, and then report if they are still occurring.

Trying to further diagnose an overload issue that is specifically addressed by a firmware update to fix overload issues, before attempting the firmware update, is time that is better spent trying the firmware update first.

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spicedreams avatar image spicedreams Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

Thanks @Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager). I have now upgraded the MultiPlus firmware to v481.

However I am still getting the Overload L1 warnings; 10x 20s episodes since the upgrade 28 hours ago. I have been in a position to notice the freezer compressor start several times since the upgrade and those that I have noted have not been the cause of immediate Overload warnings. The freezer is rated 90W AC and sits right next to the inverter.

The only other appliances on the system are:

  • a laptop (rated 180W AC charger)
  • an absorption fridge (ie no compressor, constant current, rated 115W @240VAC)
  • a caravan water pump (48W 12VDC)- again, no great correlation between it running and the Overload warnings.
  • a caravan hot water circulating pump (possibly 4.5A 240VAC but that would include electric heating which is NOT on).
  • caravan battery charger 0.8A 240VAC.

Overall it's hard to see anything that should overload a 3000 W inverter, especially given some of the overloads happen in the dead of night with no human activity.

Between the inverter and the caravan is ~50m of 10A cable. Could this be the cause of overloads?

Any suggestions how to diagnose it?

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zain avatar image zain Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) ♦♦ commented ·

what if after updating the firmware, the overload warnings and alarms still occur? what could be the possible causes? @Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager)

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nickdb avatar image nickdb ♦♦ zain commented ·
@Zain rather open a new topic where you can fully describe your system, its configuration etc, the problem you are having, supporting it with the relevant charts from VRM.
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zain avatar image zain nickdb ♦♦ commented ·

@nickdb okay i will do that. i am leaving the question here in case anyone stumbles upon here. https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/220821/multiplus-ii-false-overload-alarms.html

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