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I’m trying to understand how my 10month old Victron Quattro system has failed so badly. All power went off and the ac input cables had turned to dust. Nearly burning the until - I’m not getting any joy from the guy that fitted it so any help would be appreciated
Photo's and details of your system/operating parameters please.
Your installer/victron retailer wont help?
Ok - I have a 5000w 120v quattro - a 3600w isolation transforma - transfer switch to switch generator from 120v to 230v
what I don’t understand is why I was spec’d a 3600w transforma with a 5000w Quattro.
this os running in an American rv with 2 air on units - microwave - Elec / lpg water heater - fridge all on 120v then we have 230v Elec to run Sockets tv etc etc
It can be pausible to have an Autotransformer with a lower power capability.
Some of the 120V loads will not be bypassing the Autotransformer. We'd need to look at a system schematic to be sure though.
For the cables to melt they would have to be undersized or they have not been terminated properly. Poorly termanted cables will get hot.
If, as @klim8skeptic says, you are able to provide photographs, then those may provide some clues. Also the wire size used for the AC-IN.
Ulimately, the person who installed the equipment will be in the best position to provide definitive answers.
Hi - after hours on the phone it could be the isolation transforma that is at fault. - if we’ve had shore power greater than 16 amps it could have supplied the Quattro with more current than it can cope with - but this is above my pay grade
Ac cables were 6mm apparently - supplier of equipment is helping - sort of - but not .
they're saying I stated I had a 16amp shore power- which I absolutely didn’t - and that is why they supplied a 3500w isolation transforma -
the whole thing has left me in total frustration as I asked for a system that would give me flexible power via shore - solar and generator so my rv would operate at its optimum - then the last priority was what it was going to cost
what I’ve ended up with is a system that doesn’t work - has melted wires that could have potentially set fire to our rv and has cost me quite a lot of money
Just tried attaching photos but they don’t seem to have uploaded - anyone got any help on this ?
Photo 2 see solder dripping down
@Johnconnell, I'll note that there are a whole bunch of things in these photos that aren't correct; just for an example, your installer seems to have been using the second DC connection lugs inside the Quattro as a busbar, which they absolutely are not -they are for a second connection to the battery bank only. The AC supply cabling is clearly undersized for the AC current the Quattro can pull and as a result of that and/or loose crimps on said cables and/or loose connection nuts on the Quattro's input posts themselves, the wires have overheated, causing the damage that you see.
Unfortunately, it appears that this failure is 100% a result of incorrect installation; considering the numerous other incorrect elements within these pictures alone, I strongly advise you to hire a different, experienced, qualified DC systems installer who is familiar with Victron components to inspect your entire system and correct everything as necessary.
I have to agree with Justin's comments.
I too would be really frustrated to have such nice equipment ruined and decent outlay wasted due to poor workmanship.
I'm pretty sure that this sort of damage is not confined to this one area. The other end of that cable is likely to have suffered similar damage.
I'm interested in what the guage of the DC battery cables are? From this perspective they don't look like they are stout enough to carry 450A for any sustained period of time on their own.
I have to apologise. I misread your earlier post where you described the specification of the isolation transformer. I talked about an Autotransformer which is a different speicies.
In the case of an isolation transformer between shore and Quattro, then yes, it would be undersized at full power without "power assist" from the Quattro. Please ignore my Autotransformer related comments.
There looks a lot wrong with this as previously noted.
It looks to me that an isolation transformer is to step 240vac shore power to 120 as req by the quattro.
Shore power in the uk is never more than 16 amps. Your rv will likely have a 50amp @120vac requirement as you have 2 aircon. (25amp @240vac )
The quattro should be set to limit the ac shore power current (ac 2 normally ) inlet to reflect this.
Separately the gen can be on ac in no 1 and its current limit set to reflect the onboard gen.
What rv do you have and who did the conversion ?
You also say you have 240 sockets , of course if these have been fitted prior to your isolation transformer which they poss have been then that load is included in your 16 amp supply.
They may have been fitted on the output of the quattro if the work through the inverter via another transformer.
You really need to understand how the system has been set up.
