2021 Imagine XLS 23BHE Off Grid Electrical Project

[Famtraveler24]

You should be good, just turn off the factory converter, and you can program the Multiplus with the required profile for your lithium batteries.

That's good news. One more question. The WFCO-8735 is a combo converter/charger. Is shutting down the converter a matter of pulling the converter wires?

Thanks.

[ncitro]

That's good news. One more question. The WFCO-8735 is a combo converter/charger. Is shutting down the converter a matter of pulling the converter wires?

Thanks.

There should be a dedicated breaker for the converter you can just turn off. That way if your multi plus ever fails you can use it as a backup. That’s what I did.

[gbkims]

That's good news. One more question. The WFCO-8735 is a combo converter/charger. Is shutting down the converter a matter of pulling the converter wires?

Thanks.

Yes, pull the 120VAC wires and tape them up. The 120VAC wires appear to go into the MBA on one side and the DC wires on other side of the MBA.

[sanjoserob]

I've read that with the solar pre-wire, you just cut the wire hook it up to your charger controller, then onward to the existing system. As I understand it, they somehow run to the OE battery. Would that work therefore eliminating the need to run another wireset down to the chassis?

[sanjoserob]

Yes, pull the 120VAC wires and tape them up. The 120VAC wires appear to go into the MBA on one side and the DC wires on other side of the MBA.

Thanks! Do you just Tape up the DC as well?

[gbkims]

Thanks! Do you just Tape up the DC as well?

Depends on how the DC wires from the MBA connect to the DC Fuse board. If they take up a spot where you'd connect the Multiplus, then remove & tape them up.
Otherwise I'd think they could be left in place as some do on the separate converters when they just flip off it's 120V CB.

The MBA wiring diagram comes for the WFCO 8900 Series Manual and is just showing one model.
So the 8935P DC circuit board will look a bit different.

[sanjoserob]

Well, my TT is a week delayed..so I got a bit antsy and thought I'd test out my DC wiring and get the cerbo gx set up as well. I hooked up one battery with the smart shunt voltage and the Cerbo powered directly from it. All looked good for voltage 13.3v.. I closed or turned on the circuit breaker to the MPPT also reading fine. Finally, I turned on the Victron Multiplus 3000. It powered it up and it started humming and the Cerbo displayed for about 10 sec. then dead.. nothing. It all shut down and the battery is reading .3V now. I reconnected everything with a different battery, checked voltage again, everything is looking good. This time I switched the Multiplus to Charge only, no hum and read out was fine no problem, successful(ish).

The Multiplus is programmed for 5 batteries. Is it possible that it was trying to draw too much amperage from the single battery and blew it? Luckily, there was a separate issue that I had already gotten an approved RMA from the company for that battery so hopefully, they will still replace it *fingers crossed*. I just want to eliminate that from happening to all 5 of my batteries once it's go time..

[sanjoserob]

https://www.victronenergy.com/upload...limited-EN.pdf

Great document for wire sizing, fuses, and safety.

[gbkims]

Well, my TT is a week delayed..so I got a bit antsy and thought I'd test out my DC wiring and get the cerbo gx set up as well. I hooked up one battery with the smart shunt voltage and the Cerbo powered directly from it. All looked good for voltage 13.3v.. I closed or turned on the circuit breaker to the MPPT also reading fine. Finally, I turned on the Victron Multiplus 3000. It powered it up and it started humming and the Cerbo displayed for about 10 sec. then dead.. nothing. It all shut down and the battery is reading .3V now. I reconnected everything with a different battery, checked voltage again, everything is looking good. This time I switched the Multiplus to Charge only, no hum and read out was fine no problem, successful(ish).

The Multiplus is programmed for 5 batteries. Is it possible that it was trying to draw too much amperage from the single battery and blew it? Luckily, there was a separate issue that I had already gotten an approved RMA from the company for that battery so hopefully, they will still replace it *fingers crossed*. I just want to eliminate that from happening to all 5 of my batteries once it's go time..

This setup was just the DC side wired up, without AC IN to the Multiplus and without an AC Load on the Multiplus?
The 5 battery setup, is that setting in the Battery Monitor (Smartshunt)?

I would expect the Multiplus to use a couple of Amps in Inverting Mode without any AC Load.

[sanjoserob]

This setup was just the DC side wired up, without AC IN to the Multiplus and without an AC Load on the Multiplus?
The 5 battery setup, is that setting in the Battery Monitor (Smartshunt)?.

Yes, just 1 UT1300 battery wired up no AC wires even run to it yet. The 5 battery setup is in the Multiplus programming done by the dealer that I purchased the Multiplus from.

I would expect the Multiplus to use a couple of Amps in Inverting Mode without any AC Load.

That wouldn't be enough to ruin a battery right? Especially with BMS? I watched a few vids and there is a short circuit protection system built in to the battery that I assume would have triggered if there were a problem. It should reset, and that isn't working..

I had already done an RMA due to the battery only showing the 60% LED indicator, not all three LED (60, 40 and 20) like my others. I also had noticed a dent on one of the top corners of the battery case. Perhaps it was ready to go anyways?

[sanjoserob]

https://www.victronenergy.com/upload...limited-EN.pdf

Great document for wire sizing, fuses, and safety.

So after reading this, do I really need to run a 4/0 chassis ground?? I was going to do 2/0 from the Neg- batt busbar since I had enough left.

[gbkims]

So after reading this, do I really need to run a 4/0 chassis ground?? I was going to do 2/0 from the Neg- batt busbar since I had enough left.

Sounds like a battery problem.

I'd just use the 2/0 you have on hand for chassis to -DC bus.
Looking at similar sized inverter/chargers, they go by NEC with recommended minimum #6 wire for the inverter's chassis ground.
Magnum MSH3012M https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/si...ries_Web_0.pdf
Go Power! GP-IC-3000 https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/c...s_RevH-min.pdf

If this was a marine boat install then ABYC E-11 , A-20, A-25 Standards would want the ground same size or one size smaller as DC+ wire.

[sanjoserob]

Sounds like a battery problem.

I'd just use the 2/0 you have on hand for chassis to -DC bus.
Looking at similar sized inverter/chargers, they go by NEC with recommend minimum #6 wire for the inverter's chassis ground.
Magnum MSH3012M https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/si...ries_Web_0.pdf
Go Power! GP-IC-3000 https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/c...s_RevH-min.pdf

If this was a marine install then ABYC E-11 , A-20, A-25 Standards would want the ground same size or one size smaller as DC+

Thanks, I hope I have room for the 2/0 along with the 2 runs of 8/3 SOOW for AC in the existing pass through but was planning on the #6 if not.

[sanjoserob]

Sounds like a battery problem.

I'd just use the 2/0 you have on hand for chassis to -DC bus.
Looking at similar sized inverter/chargers, they go by NEC with recommended minimum #6 wire for the inverter's chassis ground.
Magnum MSH3012M https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/si...ries_Web_0.pdf
Go Power! GP-IC-3000 https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/c...s_RevH-min.pdf

If this was a marine boat install then ABYC E-11 , A-20, A-25 Standards would want the ground same size or one size smaller as DC+ wire.

After chatting with the Victron dealer, they also believe what you suspect. It is a bad battery.

[Sparkey1]

sanjoserob. Looks like you’re on your way to your energy independence with this setup. Was looking on the community.victronenergy.com group and saw someone having the same problem starting a Multiplus 12/3000 using two Battleborn 100ah batts. That users wiring was good too 2/0 or 4/0 iirc. The several posts over a few weeks seemed to point to the capacitors in the multi needing to charge up to prepare the inverter for use. The multi sucked so much power the first few seconds charging the caps that the BMS in the Battleborn batteries thought there was a short so it shut down the battery. The user repeated this several times. It never happened when he started the multi from the grid. He was able to start the multi from the batts once he reduced the size of the wire from batt to inverter down to 4awg which slowed the power surge enough to fill the caps without tripping the BMS in the batts.
This was only a temporary solution. I believe the 4/0 wire is correct but that more amp hours needs to be available to provide the needed current inrush at startup. The Victron manuals call for 400ah+ to fully utilize the 12/3000. I hope this helps you sort out the issue with your batteries quitting on you.