Lux ac battery controller

propnut

So to satisfy my curiosity as to whether the power draw/loss could be internal losses in the Uhome battery pack, I disconnected the neg terminal from the battery/inverter at 23:00 and left the pack on overnight. 10 Hours later the battery had only lost 0.3v. So as P=VI, 51.3 x 0.3 = 15.4W. So in 10 hours the pack disconnected from the ACS 3600 lost a very acceptable 15W = 1.5W per hour. So clearly the pack is not to blame. 

chainreaction

Battery stopped discharging at 11% at midnight last night when cheap rate kicks in, and remained at this SOC and battery voltage of 51.3V (rock solid) till 03:00 this morning when the charging started. 

propnut

So kinda confirms, in my mind anyway, that something is not quite right with my unit. Although I saw similar behaviour with the first unit that was installed as well. The first was replaced as the LCD screen wasn't working. Whilst I have no proof my suspicion is that these things are not new, refurbs perhaps. The model numbers were completely different between them as well but the agent was shady about what the differences were saying "we only share that info with the installer".

Notice how not only are the models different but also that the first one (top one) identified my batteries correctly as being 3 x 150ah whereas the replacement unit that came with older firmware initially only sees them as 3 x 129ah. The batteries are Uhome LFP2400's so 3 x 2400 = 7.2Kw. 48v x 150ah = 7.2KW so this matches up. Whereas 48 x 129ah = 6.192 KW. I am using 48V as that is the nominal voltage. Again I questioned the difference and got a garbled nonsensical answer that said to me "We really don't know". Hardly comfort inspiring. 

chainreaction

Propnut, where does the screen shot of your batteries come from ?

Wattstored

My setup has been behaving correctly since it was installed last April - Lux SquirrelPod 3.6kWh inverter & four 2.4kW Pylontech batteries (9.6kW). So far I am impressed & have no intention of updating firmware or changing anything much else, just leaving it to do its thing.

During the winter months block discharge is set for the Intelligent Octopus low rate six hour period (charge priority 05.30-23.30) as well as battery charging set 23.30-05.30 & so far it has worked without issue. If the car charges during those 6 hours & when high energy appliances in the home are using a timer, the Pylontechs not only charge but maintain SOC until 5.30 am.

Intelligent Octopus is set with a 'ready by' time of 05.30 so the car never charges beyond this but I am often offered evening low rate slots so additional charge priority settings are temporarily added to cover any specific occurrences & ensure only low-rate grid is used.

AC charge power rate & AC battery charge level both set to 100%, Charge priority charge level & Stop discharge SOC both set to 10%.

This system is stand alone from my other Hybrid inverter PV/battery setup & charges more frequently from excess solar generation for the rest of the year... however I have to manually monitor & adjust this as the Lux solar CT clamp would be confused/incompatible with a separate Hybrid inverter & if connected in the correct place reads discharge from the 'other' batteries as PV generation thereby draining them. On that basis the installer Home Energy Solutions advised me to disconnect that CT & I manage OK, if sometimes a little frustrating on partially sunny days. (incidentally the Myenergi Zappi charger CT clamp does seem to read solar generation correctly so it can be done but I'm told that Lux haven't written a script to do this) 

propnut

chainreaction said:

Propnut, where does the screen shot of your batteries come from ?

From the Uhome Battery App.

propnut

Wattstored said:

My setup has been behaving correctly since it was installed last April - Lux SquirrelPod 3.6kWh inverter & four 2.4kW Pylontech batteries (9.6kW). So far I am impressed & have no intention of updating firmware or changing anything much else, just leaving it to do its thing.

During the winter months block discharge is set for the Intelligent Octopus low rate six hour period (charge priority 05.30-23.30) as well as battery charging set 23.30-05.30 & so far it has worked without issue. If the car charges during those 6 hours & when high energy appliances in the home are using a timer, the Pylontechs not only charge but maintain SOC until 5.30 am.

Intelligent Octopus is set with a 'ready by' time of 05.30 so the car never charges beyond this but I am often offered evening low rate slots so additional charge priority settings are temporarily added to cover any specific occurrences & ensure only low-rate grid is used.

AC charge power rate & AC battery charge level both set to 100%, Charge priority charge level & Stop discharge SOC both set to 10%.

This system is stand alone from my other Hybrid inverter PV/battery setup & charges more frequently from excess solar generation for the rest of the year... however I have to manually monitor & adjust this as the Lux solar CT clamp would be confused/incompatible with a separate Hybrid inverter & if connected in the correct place reads discharge from the 'other' batteries as PV generation thereby draining them. On that basis the installer Home Energy Solutions advised me to disconnect that CT & I manage OK, if sometimes a little frustrating on partially sunny days. (incidentally the Myenergi Zappi charger CT clamp does seem to read solar generation correctly so it can be done but I'm told that Lux haven't written a script to do this) 

Hmmm...intriguing. I hadn't heard of the SquirrelPod but watching the video it seems to be a modified version of the ACS 3600 (or vice versa) Out of a matter of interest, if go to Configuration & then. Devices in the web app, what. model number does it show?

Wattstored

propnut said:

Wattstored said:

My setup has been behaving correctly since it was installed last April - Lux SquirrelPod 3.6kWh inverter & four 2.4kW Pylontech batteries (9.6kW). So far I am impressed & have no intention of updating firmware or changing anything much else, just leaving it to do its thing.

During the winter months block discharge is set for the Intelligent Octopus low rate six hour period (charge priority 05.30-23.30) as well as battery charging set 23.30-05.30 & so far it has worked without issue. If the car charges during those 6 hours & when high energy appliances in the home are using a timer, the Pylontechs not only charge but maintain SOC until 5.30 am.

Intelligent Octopus is set with a 'ready by' time of 05.30 so the car never charges beyond this but I am often offered evening low rate slots so additional charge priority settings are temporarily added to cover any specific occurrences & ensure only low-rate grid is used.

AC charge power rate & AC battery charge level both set to 100%, Charge priority charge level & Stop discharge SOC both set to 10%.

This system is stand alone from my other Hybrid inverter PV/battery setup & charges more frequently from excess solar generation for the rest of the year... however I have to manually monitor & adjust this as the Lux solar CT clamp would be confused/incompatible with a separate Hybrid inverter & if connected in the correct place reads discharge from the 'other' batteries as PV generation thereby draining them. On that basis the installer Home Energy Solutions advised me to disconnect that CT & I manage OK, if sometimes a little frustrating on partially sunny days. (incidentally the Myenergi Zappi charger CT clamp does seem to read solar generation correctly so it can be done but I'm told that Lux haven't written a script to do this) 

Hmmm...intriguing. I hadn't heard of the SquirrelPod but watching the video it seems to be a modified version of the ACS 3600 (or vice versa) Out of a matter of interest, if go to Configuration & then. Devices in the web app, what. model number does it show?

Model. 68262
Firmware. bAAA-1314 
Device type. AC ESS.

Solarchaser

I have to say, and this is mostly confirmation bias on my part, but... we tend to find that lux plus Pylontech =no real issues.
Uhome however is a different story, which you will probably see if you go back a dozen pages or so.

propnut

Wattstored said:

Model. 68262
Firmware. bAAA-1314 
Device type. AC ESS.

Ahh........now that makes sense. As I said in my earlier posts I have had two 3600's. The first fitted 25/11/22 worked but the screen didn't work and had scratches. The two together suggested very strongly that it was a second hand device. Not only that but on the first day of install just started sucking in power from the grid at 20:56 in the evening as though it already had some preset program that told it to do so. I noticed this on my Smart Meter IHD and knowing full well there was nothing else switched on in the house quickly deduced that it was the ACS 3600. I was not yet familiar with the APP but found the reset button, hit that which resolved the issue. This kinda confirmed a programmed setting which along with the failed screen and scratches pointed strongly to a used device. The next day I emailed Luxpower tech support to ask if the device was actually under warranty to which I received a very curt response saying "Why what's wrong with it, please contact your installer". Hardly the sort of reply you'd expect if the device was brand new? Now here's the thing, it was also a 68262 suggesting that it was a SquirrelPod and now knowing the use case of a SquirrelPod all the pieces are starting to come together.

Additionally I note that your firmware starts with a lower case b which was the same on my 68262 vs the firmware on my new one which starts with an uppercase b. I am an engineer with a manufacturer of Cybersecurity Equipment. When we use syntax like that in Firmware it generally denotes, same code train different platform.

Notice here how it jumped from 10% to 64% in 4 mins. It was sucking in a huge amount of power from the grid. The kinda thing you would do if you had programmed it to take advantage of cheaper tariffs. A brand new device wouldn't have a preprogrammed profile it would be at default.