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spicedreams avatar image
spicedreams asked

Small freezer causes overloads on EasySolar II GX

We have an EasySolar II GX which includes a Multiplus-ll 48/3000/35-32 inverter/charger- which should be able to supply 3kW as I understand it.

We also have a very small upright freezer, 85 L capacity, rated input power 90 W and consumption 0.73 kWh/24h (and we have meaured its energy draw at less than that rated consumption.

Yet, half a dozen times a day we get an overload warning from the GX device, which I can only imagine comes from the freezer compressor starting.

The only other devices we have connected are a caravan (major draw is a Thetford absorption absorption fridge, plus mostly LED lights and a laptop).

We want a bigger freezer, but I have to be worried that the EasySolar seems not even able to cope with the small one.

Or is something else wrong?

MultiPlus Quattro Inverter ChargerEasySolar All-in-One
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4 Answers
Paul B avatar image
Paul B answered ·

Hi The Multiplus-ll 48/3000/35-32 inverter/charger unit should be able to handle the fridges Fine and not even come close to overloading,


from what you describe,

when you say overload is it just a overload warning or a full shut down

when the overload occurs what ths the wattage draw

are you connected to Victrons VRM if not can you set this connection up then we can see some history as to whats been happening and what power draws have been happening and how big.

maybe contact the firm who installed it and find out what setting the system has been set to.


Ie what are the Internal settings using a MK3 and the VE configure program

also whats the fw version that the Multiplus-ll 48/3000/35-32 is running on the latest is 481


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spicedreams avatar image
spicedreams answered ·

Thanks Paul.

It is connected to VRM (id 0281b4e27a85). Firmware is v470, Product id 2629. I forgot to mention, it is off grid with no mains or generator supply.

The overload is a warning. always lasting 20s +/- 2s.

The system gave a Hub Fault (on the LCD) some months ago which needed a restart, but I don't know if that is related. It was before I learned about VRM and connected to it.

We have had some hours-long 'no data' alerts from VRM eg last night 23:35 which cleared 05:34 (before sunrise). It is possible my internet was down, but I have no special reason to think so.

We also get brief (up to a few minutes long) low battery alarms some nights, but not last night so not causing the no data alerts.

I have not used Victron Connect. What settings should I be looking at?

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spicedreams avatar image spicedreams commented ·

Actually, the Remote Console now seems to be only partly responding. I cannot get to 'settings' that way, or drill down into the individual devices. Now I can't even get a response out of Menu or Pages. This is true both via VRM and on the local LAN.

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seb71 avatar image seb71 commented ·

Firmware 481 (and the one before that) addressed some false overload issues, so updating to 481 would be worth a try to see if it solves your overload issue.

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spicedreams avatar image spicedreams seb71 commented ·

Thanks.

I just made the freezer go on, with a digital power meter observing it; the freezer draw briefly peaked at 560 VA then fell back to 152 VA while running, with a power factor of 0.62. There was no corresponding Overload Warning on the EasySolar II GX. So the freezer may NOT be the cause of these overload warnings after all.

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spicedreams avatar image spicedreams seb71 commented ·

Thanks @seb, I updated the MultiPlus to v481 firmware, but it seems to have made little or no difference so the overloads are presumably not 'spurious'.

So I am worried whether these regular overloads might cause damage to the MultiPlus/EasySolar, and how I can tackle them given I cannot reliably attribute them to any one appliance.

I really hope someone here can tell me what I need to know, or how to find out?

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klim8skeptic avatar image klim8skeptic ♦ spicedreams commented ·

How is your Soc going?

Refer to your post 2 months ago Increase battery or PV array, half charged batteries can not deliver the same current as fully charged batteries...

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JohnC avatar image
JohnC answered ·

Hi @spicedreams

This is typical of a start surge on an electric motor, which might only last mS, but the message won't clear for ~20S. VRM graphs won't show it as it's too short, but the Multi sees it, and passes on the message.

I had similar for quite a while on an Easy 5000, and it coincided with a dishwasher heating cycle and a water pump starting (~3000W plus the spike). I exchanged the pump capacitor with one from an identical pump, and problem gone. The other pump works ok too with the old capacitor, with ~20m of wire to it, and no dishwasher.

Sometimes these emails can prewarn you of a developing fault, as it seems it may also be doing with your internet? You may curse the warnings, but then go find out why..


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kevgermany avatar image
kevgermany answered ·

You can get startup current filters. Plug into the socket, plug the freezer into that. Might do the trick.

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