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ram5500-camperthing avatar image
ram5500-camperthing asked

Multiplus 3000 12 with EG4 Lifepower 400ah Battery issues with AC

Hey All

I have a Victron Multiplus 3000 inverter in my Off Grid Camper that i use to power everything, Induction Stove, Hot Water Heater, Microwave, and a Houghton Bel Air Air Conditioner.

I have used this for approximately 2 years with a single Lifeblue 300ah battery without issue.

I just upgraded to (2) EG4 Lifepower 400ah (12v) server rack batteries, wire in parallel. All wired with 4/0 cable.

All appliances work fine with the new setup other than the Air Conditioner.

The AC draws about 42amps when the compressor kicks on. This has not been an issue with the lifeblue battery for the past 2 years.

With the EG4s, it is tripping the "low voltage" alert on the Multiplus as soon as the compressor kicks on momentarily, but the batteries are fully charged.

I spent over an hour on the phone with Signature Solar going over the BMS software, but the password they had for the software doesnt work with mine.

They ended up telling me to contact Victron, but i am positive its an EG4 BMS issue

Any know compatibility issues with this setup and possible fixes?

Thanks

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter Charger
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fijitech avatar image fijitech commented ·
I'm having the same issue with my (3) EG4 24v 200ah batteries.

My peak amperage pull is nothing close to your's though. I'm maxing close to 12a at a given time.

For the life of me I cannot figure out what is causing it. Signature solar hasn't been much help at all either.


Please let me know if you get an update on this issue and I'll do the same.


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5 Answers
cleaver avatar image
cleaver answered ·

look into a easystart or a softstart a/c box for your air conditioner. I recommend the softstart, they have better tech support.. https://www.softstartrv.com/



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nebulight avatar image
nebulight answered ·

This has nothing to do with the inverter as you said it worked with the previous battery. I have never personally used an EG4 battery, but based off their own spec sheet, I would have to agree that it's the BMS and it's ability to handle any surges.

1651856182213.png

There is a mention of surge, but my guess is it's can't really handle that either:

1651856368699.png

A large 12v battery with a mosfet based BMS doesn't make any sense since it cant handle large current that is required with 12v batteries and loads like yours.


1651856182213.png (155.8 KiB)
1651856368699.png (235.3 KiB)
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bestdaybus avatar image
bestdaybus answered ·

Any luck on this issue? I've got an eg4 12v 400ah with the Victron 3000. New this April. I've tested multiple draws to try and find my overload point. At around 8amps on the 120v system my battery drops to 10v and the inv/charger shuts off due to low voltage. Battery has been tested between 80% and 100% charge and I've got around 10amps @ 12v coming in from my solar when I tested today.

Is 10v too high for the low voltage trip maybe? Seems like a massive drop for only an 8 amp draw. That's my corded drill shutting the system down which is completely useless if that's all this can handle and I'm getting nervous seeing a few others suffering from the same issue.

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nickdb avatar image nickdb ♦♦ commented ·
The posts above are quite self explanatory.

As a battery not on the supported list, you really need to get the supplier to assist.

If you have checked the system is installed with the right wiring and there is no unnecessary voltage loss then it would appear to be poor battery performance.

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johanndo avatar image
johanndo answered ·

Wrong battery for your setup, the BMS/Battery/internal wiring is not suitable for high current applications. Return it and choose a better Battery/BMS.

This are server rack batteries for data centers, constant load and UPS, not for thermal applications (heater, cooktop, oven, A/C) or compressor applications with high inrush currents.

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ram5500-camperthing avatar image ram5500-camperthing commented ·
With all due respect, that is 100% Absolutely bogus info.


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elvis avatar image
elvis answered ·

Its seems the mystery has been solved and the culprit is the EG4 BMS.

https://diysolarforum.com/threads/victron-multiplus-3000-and-eg4-lifepower-battery-compatibility-issues.38252/page-2#post-487760


https://diysolarforum.com/threads/victron-multiplus-3000-and-eg4-lifepower-battery-compatibility-issues.38252/post-496728

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ram5500-camperthing avatar image ram5500-camperthing commented ·
Yes. I am SoCalKevin on the DIY Solar Forums.


Signature Solar has been AWESOME helping a bunch of us troubleshoot these and bottom line is, the BMS just sucks.

Everything else about the batteries, and the build quality was top notch though so i decided to redo the BMS.

Working flawless since.

I Still think with all the work and troubleshooting i had to do, the pricepoint is fair, compared to other options.


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nickdb avatar image nickdb ♦♦ ram5500-camperthing commented ·

So, the solution to make a cost effective battery work, is to void the warranty and spend more money on it by replacing the bms, assuming that the limits on performance are solely to do with the bms? Sounds like a great way to start a fire and create other problems.

May as well just have done a DIY battery to start, or rather spend a bit more for a supported solution which does what it should out the box.

Good luck.

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