This is a recent behaviour. Don’t know exactly when start but wasn’t like that last winter.
Context: this is mounted on a sailing boat connect to a 220v shore-power plug and a service bank with 3x165amp 12v Victron AGM batteries. I regularly use high loads equipment like AC, boiler, induction oven and electric heaters on the winter, but never more than 2 at the same time. Knowing the boiler is always plugged and triggers whenever is needed (controlled by thermostat so I don’t even noticed when’s on) PLUS I use the induction oven OR the AC OR the heater but NEVER more than the boiler and a 2nd high demanding equipment. In the past this switch was never tripping and many times I listen (yes, it makes noticeable noise) the power assist being triggered. This usually means the boiler was triggered and then I usually take action to reduce power consumption, like reducing the power of the induction oven or the heater or turn the AC off for a while so the boiler can finish it’s processe of heating. But I have time to take action, with calm. No rush as the system keeps running on power assist.
Video 1
These days, after some time running 2 high demand equipments, circuit breaker trips and that’s all. Don’t even listen the power assist coming up.
Video 2
But power assist is working as, on a controlled consumption VS VE.BUS slowly knob amp reduce, I can trigger power assist.
On the Video 1 we can see 13,2amp (maximum we can see) being used just before AC input circuit breaker trips (16amp breaker) and all the system shuts without the power assist being triggered (at least on a noticeable way).
VE.BUS is at 16amp, power assist is set on with factor 2.
Questions:
What is your opinion on this behaviour? Is this a normal behaviour? What can have changed to see now a different behaviour from what I saw in the past? Is even normal to trip on those 13,2amp when it’s a 16amp breaker?
More, are these 16amp the overall limit or just for the input shore-power? I mean, can we have like 12amp from shore-power AC and 10amp coming from the service bank with power assist making the multiplus to provide 22amp on 220v?
What AC breaker is tripping?
The little red button on the front of the multi?
Video1 shows the input current going to 13.7a, then the breaker opens, and the inverter overloads.
The inverter can not handle the ac output of 13.7a, while the battery drops to 10.5v. The ac output voltage drops to 174v.
The multi can pass through 16a of ac input current, and with power assist add another 6a (or so). The GTI plug/sockets supplied are only rated to 20a, so design within that spec.
What happens if you set the ac input limit to 10-12a?
(deleted previous post as I’m trying to keep short on my posts… :/)
It’s the small red breaker on the front of the multiplus.
“The multi can pass through 16a of ac input current, and with power assist add another 6a (or so). The GTI plug/sockets supplied are only rated to 20a, so design within that spec.”
So I would expect to be able to reach, at least, 20 amps (16a from shore-power plus 4a from service bank with power assist help) before the the red breaker to trip, right? If so, it’s not happening these days.
Just to understand, this small red breaker should break only if the IMains (label on picture below) reach 16a or also if the IOut (label on picture below) reach the 16a? Or can the IOut goes over 16a (with power assist, so the shore-power input remains below th 16a)?
“The GTI plug/sockets”
By speaking on these and I believe they are the 2 black plugs wich fit the multiplus together on the bottom righ as well as they can be connected directly if we want to bypass the multiplus (right?), last year (end of 2024 summer) these ones were replaced because the original ones were corroded and they were stopping passage suddenly if the cables were touched or moved. Cab this be related?
More, does old batteries play any role here? They’re not new, I know, but they can still be used for power assist as per video 2 on previous post but not sure if the demand is higher they can handle it.
