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paulz
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# Posted: 2 Aug 2025 11:30am - Edited by: paulz
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I have the breakers but I leave that stuff connected when gone. My solar has no sweat keeping the bank up. Worse to wear out insides that way or disconnecting?
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 2 Aug 2025 01:59pm
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I like to have breakers on the in and out sides of the SCC because it makes disconnecting and reconnecting so easy if you have a desire to do something. Same thing at the PV panels. No tools required. The PV array used to be 325 feet down the south slope and the SCC at the upper end at the cabin.
I pull the SCC breaker to disconnect at the PV to SCC during lightning activity. In 2022 I moved the array closer to the cabin. (A wildfire took care of the old 75 foot pines that were in the way since building.) Now there is a 15 foot HD cable between the PV combiner and the SCC, etc at the cabin. Anderson PowerPole connectors allow a safe and easy removal during lightning events. After pulling the breakers, unplug and isolate and hopefully make lightning less likely to get into the cabin.
I don't worry about shutting down equipment to save wearing it out. With the old FLA batteries I used to leave everything up and charging all winter to keep the 8 vart batteries from discharging and freezing. Top Tier equipment should be able to do that. FWIW, I have a friend still using the Trace inverter charger he bought in 2000. He still has the old Trace charge controller on the original small array but newer Outback on newer additional panels.
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paulz
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# Posted: 4 Aug 2025 08:51am - Edited by: paulz
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My Meanwells paperwork is misplaced as usual but found online text saying the powered off consumption is <.5W. Unless I’m misunderstanding.
That said, one of the two I had wired to the bank quit a month ago (just testing, solar doing the job at present). Wonder if that caused a capacitor to wear out. Could have also been funky AC output from the genny but the other is still ok.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 4 Aug 2025 10:56am
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At one time (back in my LA days) I had an automotive bat charger hooked up so whenever the gen ran the charger was pumping some juice into the bats, that worked out quite well.
I was intending to do the same with the LFP but that would require a proper new LFP charger. Then after using the LFP and finding how much (WAY) better it is I haven't used the gen but for only a very short time and only tested out my 200w of portable solar enough to know it works, we just swap in LFP #2 and take #1 home to charge. And where, as in post #1, my issue arose.
If I'd had the Meanwell hooked up at the cabin 'awaiting' some gen time Id have found this out long ago! Now I wonder if a new proper LFP capable automotive charger would also have a phantom draw?
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paulz
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# Posted: 8 Aug 2025 09:27am
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Quoting: gcrank1 If I'd had the Meanwell hooked up at the cabin 'awaiting' some gen time Id have found this out long ago! Now I wonder if a new proper LFP capable automotive charger would also have a phantom draw?
Played around a bit yesterday. The Meanwell, unplugged from AC power, drew .12 amps, immediately after the DC hookup spark, and that figure continued indefinitely.
Next the inverter, that drew 1.7 turned on with no AC plugged in, but turned off Zero, 0.
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