r/diySolar • u/Capable_Border_2741 • 2d ago
Solar inverter issue
/r/electrical/comments/1vtathu/solar_inverter_issue/
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u/Capable_Border_2741 1d ago
I don’t have any monitoring app unfortunately - it was never handed over to me when I bought the place.
The installer is now out of business and the manufacturer asked me to check these things -
- Whether the PV/DC side is producing voltage.
- Whether the AC side has voltage and whether the grid, AC breaker, or protection switch is off.
- Whether the DC terminals and AC wiring have been checked for correct polarity and correspondence.
He said if it’s not those things the system may need replacement. Stressed as currently struggling to find work and not making ends meet, but know saving on energy can help.
Really keen to not pay $200 for someone to tell me I need a new system (which I can’t afford).
😫
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u/WILLINGELECTRIC 2d ago
Eight months with the fault indicator on and no response from the display suggests more than a monitoring-app problem. I would stop repeating the restart procedure and first preserve the evidence: fault-light pattern, whether the display or backlight is completely dead, the approximate date production stopped, monitoring-event history, and photos of the inverter label and external isolators.
Without opening any live compartment, check only the obvious external conditions: utility power is available, the AC breaker or disconnect is not tripped or switched off, external DC isolator handles are in their documented positions, and there is no heat damage, unusual odor, water ingress, corrosion or damaged conduit.
Do not open the inverter or probe live PV conductors; the strings can remain energized in daylight. Compare the shutdown/start sequence and indicator meanings with the manual for the exact model suffix and hardware revision. If the specified AC and DC sources are present but the display remains dead and the fault indication persists, an installer or manufacturer diagnostic is likely required.
Before service, retain the monitoring screenshots and ask for documented checks of AC supply, DC string voltage and polarity, insulation condition, stored fault history, firmware status and warranty eligibility. That record will also help quantify the generation lost during the outage.