Clicking noise associated with solar intensity in fwd eq bay of 310GK

[Tadlur]

I am the new owner of a '23 Solitude 310GK with the following electrical eq setup
Factory Onan Generator Prep (no generator)
Converter WF-9855-AD (there is nothing auto detecting about this converter)
Inverter 2000W WF-5220
Solar Charge Controller Jaboni SC-50A-MPPT
Solar Panels 2 ea 330W Jaboni FS-330-K
Batteries 2 ea Java Energy LIFePO4 12V 100AH connected in parallel

I hear a clicking noise associated with solar intensity in fwd eq bay. The noise sounds like relay contacts engaging and disengaging associated with solar intensity. In other words; every time the sun disappears behind a cloud I hear the click and then again when it emerges from behind a cloud. I have traced wires as much as I can and verified the sound isn't coming from the solar controller. It sounds like the clicking is coming from the area above the hydraulic leveling pump in the top curb side corner of the eq bay but access is very difficult. Does anyone know the source of this or have a similar experience? The inverter is off and I am connected to shore power. I have a 12V refrigerator. I believe I can also hear the same "relay" noise occasionally in the middle of the night when there is no solar flux.

BTW my WF-9855-AD converter apparently cannot auto detect my Li batteries and their tech support tells me I have to send it back to the factory to have the FW updated and it hardwired for Li to keep it from reverting back to LA. When I took delivery and installed the Li batteries I was able to set the solar controller to Li and that works fine. I am living in Yellowstone NP for the summer so when I return to FL in the fall I will change out converters.

[ncitro]

Tadlur There are a set of auto reset breakers in your front bay and they do make a clicking noise when they trip and reset, but they should not have anything to do with your solar. I know you said you've determined it's not your solar controller, but if you turn it off does the clicking stop? If so then you know it's somewhere after your controller, that would help narrow it down. Otherwise take a look at the auto reset breakers and see if that's where is coming from. If so the next question will be why it's tripping.

[howson]

Tadlur (Mike),

From the description it reads like the output of the solar controller is greater than the value of the self-resetting circuit breaker. The "snap" or "click" is the breaker opening, which then subsequently cools and closes again.

Let's do some quick math. 600W (maximum, which is rare) on the input side of the solar controller--doesn't matter at this point the voltage or current. The output of the solar controller (charging the battery bank) can be up to 14.6vDC. Given the theoretical maximum of 600W, that's 41 amps (14.6*41 = ~600W).

If I'm correct (and the solar controller has a 30A self-resetting breaker between it and the battery bank) that means if the solar output exceeds ~450W the breaker will open.

(A few minutes later...)

And..voila...searched my files and found the following information GD had provided to the moderators (see below):



Exactly where this breaker is in your 310GK I don't know (sorry). GD Customer Service can tell you if you give them a call, or perhaps someone here with a 310GK will chime in.

You may wonder why there's a 50A Solar Controller with a 30A breaker. That...is a good question. Another educated guess: the system is designed for a lead-acid battery bank. Lead acid batteries don't like a fast charge, so the breaker is not compromised. The LifePO4 chemistry, however, will almost take as much as you can give it. Thus with the change to LiPo batteries and the high current you get the breaker is opening.

The fix is not a simple upgrade of the breaker from 30A to 50A. Breakers protect wiring, so an upgrade to the wiring from the controller to the battery bank is advised. Might be a lot easier to just leave the old wiring (and breaker) in place and run new wire (with 50A breaker) in it's place.

Please come back and document what you end up doing (and any lessons learned).

Howard

P.S. ncitro posted while I was typing. Good morning, Neil!

[Country Campers]

I wonder if the solar charge wire going from the solar charge controller to the batteries is on a too low amp breaker? This could lead to the clicking noise when the sun is out providing lots of solar power the breaker is overloaded and when the sun is shaded there is not much power and the breaker clicks closed again allowing the smaller load thru.

Brian

[ncitro]

Seems like we're all on it at the same time this morning lol.

[Jlawles2]

Not knowing the electrical layout of the solitude 5er, I would question what is electrically on that side of the unit? Can you post pictures of the area?

If it's like several of the other 5ers, the breakers should be on the street side connected to a bus bar. However, there is no telling how the wiring is routed from the solar down to the battery bank. You traced the wiring as much as possible in and out of the solar controller, do the wires from the panels on the roof come through that area? If so, is it possible that one of them is pinched or shorted out causing the click (spark jump)?

[Tadlur]

I think you have given me a solid lead to track down and when I get some free time during daylight hours (middle of this week) I will chase this down. In the meantime I will write GD customer service to see if they can tell me where this breaker might be.

[Country Campers]

I think you have given me a solid lead to track down and when I get some free time during daylight hours (middle of this week) I will chase this down. In the meantime I will write GD customer service to see if they can tell me where this breaker might be.

From what I have seen with the Solitudes is the breakers are on the left side of the front storage, looking in to the storage area. These will be mounted on the back wall and near the battery. I think there are 2 but not sure.

Brian

[Tadlur]

I removed covers this morning and traced wires again and there is no breaker or fuse or anything else between the output of the solar controller and the battery. I found what I believe is a resettable breaker that protects the Hyd pump and it’s

[ncitro]

I removed covers this morning and traced wires again and there is no breaker or fuse or anything else between the output of the solar controller and the battery. I found what I believe is a resettable breaker that protects the Hyd pump and it’s

In there can you hear the clicking louder? Is it coming from something in there?

[howson]

I removed covers this morning and traced wires again and there is no breaker or fuse or anything else between the output of the solar controller and the battery.

Not doubting what you're seeing, but if true then this is absolutely wrong. There must be a protective device between the battery inputs of the solar controller and the battery. Between the controller's panel (PV) inputs and the panels there won't be anything, but between the battery and controller it's a must. Again--not doubting you--but emphasizing the point as this oversight should be fixed ASAP.

Please consider calling GD Customer Service and discuss this issue with them. Again, if true that there's no safety device installed between the controller and battery, they will want to know as it is likely to not only impact your trailer but a series of VINs built around the same time.

Please follow up here with the results.

Howard

[Jlawles2]

I'm going to make a large assumption here. There are 3 Self Resetting Breakers on a bus bar on the left. A Single all by itself 80Amp Self Resetting Breaker (looks like it might be the hyd pump feed) and a 300amp fuse. It's hard to trace the solar wires when they drop behind the main fuse feed wire.



Excuse the scratch labeling. Just did it with the trackball in the snipping tool.

[Tadlur]

I agree that there should be ckt/wire protection downstream of the solar controller. I will contact GD but will not be able to until later in the week. I am living/working in Yellowstone NP for the summer and living out of the RV. I'm at least 2 hrs from anything GD would consider a service center. in the picture you can trace the red/white wire from the output of the solar controller to the positive terminal on the battery.

[Tadlur]

I contacted GD customer service today and was able to video connect with a tech. The conclusion they came to that is popping noise is a known problem with stiction on the Lippert Hyd system/jacks and they recommended changing the Hyd fluid out with special anti stiction fluid. I will try this and see where we get to.
They confirmed that I am missing a breaker between the solar controller and the battery. We agreed that a 50 amp breaker was the right size and my wires between the solar controller are 6AWG which should handle the current at max solar flux. I just wrote them back asking if they can send me the 50 amp RSB (as that should have been supplied) and that they should check to ensure I am an isolated case.

[Tadlur]

Here is the follow up to my clicking issue. The clicking noise is apparently coming from stiction in my right front hyd jack. At the recommendation of GD tech support I changed out 2 qts of hyd fluid with "Fork Oil" anti-stiction hyd fluid. After cycling the hyd jacks many times the problem is better but not entirely gone so I will give it a couple days and let them know I think the noise issue is resolved.
Now for the much more serious issue: GD did not install a breaker (RSB) between my Jaboni 50 amp solar controller and my Li batteries. I had a video call with the GD tech and after showing him the wiring runs he concurred that there should have been circuit protection installed.
Now here is where it gets really weird (and disappointing).
I showed the tech that the factory installed 6AWG wiring between the controller and the battery (the correct size for 50 amp circuit). I sent him an email asking if GD could send me the proper 50 amp RSB so I could install it; No response. So I called tech support and after going thru the whole story again with another tech support person she said she would send me a 30 amp mini breaker. I sent her photos of my wiring clearly showing the wiring was embossed with a 6AWG stamp and data from my solar controller app showing my peak current at solar max regularly exceeds 30 amps (32 & 34 amps) and that a 30 amp breaker was insufficient for my configuration and would just create another problem. She replied that GD doesn't build 50 amp solar circuits and they only install 10 AWG wire on 30 amp solar installs and not only would she not send me the correct 50 amp breaker but if I installed a 50 amp breaker, which I offered to do, it would invalidate my warranty. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. Furthermore, she told me to return my unit to the dealer which is in Fl after I told her I live for the summer in Yellowstone National Park in WY and would not return to FL until Oct. Then she sent me link to the nearest service centers which are more than 3 hours away and that she would not authorize installation of anything greater than a 30 amp breaker. I'm at my wits end. I asked her to elevate my issue and hopefully I can get someone who understands that it doesn't matter what they think they built; it only matters what they actually built and I have recommended that they check to see if this is a common problem for units built with 600 watts of solar and a 50 amp Jaboni solar controller. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am in a GD Catch 22.

Mike