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petajoule avatar image
petajoule asked

Bypass and/or just AC-Out breaker for Quattro/MultiPlus. HowTo?

I know community guidelines state "Just one question", but for this project, I have several and I feel they cannot be separated, so bear with me.

I would like to Install a bypass switch to my Quattro, so I can experiment on it while the house is on Grid. For that I would appreciate if there are some component recommendations what to use.

I thought about a Hager HIM406 or 306 (do I need 3 pole or 4 pole?), but if someone has a more cost effective solution I'm all ears. Ideally switching would mean no downtime (also to 24/7 running servers). Not sure if that is achievable, if there was no downtime switching Quattro AC-Out -> grid, but downtime switching back... Better than nothing (both downtime).

So far, so normal - but I would like another functionality:

Switching over the house to grid while keeping AC-In of the Quattro also on grid. a.k.a. just taking load off the Quattro. The rationale behind this is to have house on grid, being able to experiment with Quattro without taking house down and also being able to e.g. charge batteries.

Now how could I achieve all this?


And just so I understand: Why hasn't the Quattro a built-in bypass functionality? I mean it does have a 100A transfer switch, so it should - IMHO - be possible to have the Quattro acting like a wire. And even in the case power PCB burnt out (no charger, no inverter) - which happened to me recently - the limbic system of the Quattro should be enough to provide that 1:1 routing - no?

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1 Answer
Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) avatar image
Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) answered ·

Hi @PetaJoule

Those transfer switches are perfect, and yes, for a 3 phase system you need a 4 pole switch (sometimes referred as 3P + N).

The reason for not having these switches internally is quite simple: when working on a system, you need to be able to isolate the inverters from the grid, so a bypass switch should be external.

Every system with critical loads should have a bypass switch.

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jeibre avatar image jeibre commented ·

Multiplus has a programmable realy. Is it possible to use this in an automatic controll of a transfer switch. Even when the Muliplus shuts down.

Let say we are not at home and the inverters fails. Could then the relay turn on the switches and automaticly connect the grid bypassing the Multipluses to the loads in the house?

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