Lux ac battery controller

Solarchaser

I've had the same inverters for 2.5 years, they have drifted around 1 minute, so for my TOU tarriff I adjust the times by that one minute in the app.
They do daylight saving adjust with no issue.

Starfrog, you will likely find that between the small connector that goes into the lux, and the ct that goes to mains, that there is some cat 5e added in to extend the clamp, so my advice would be trace the ct wire as far as you can from both ends to find the connection.
Cat5e is a very brittle wire and easily broken, so you may find that it's broken where your connection is.
There is no real voltage on the ct clamps, so you should be fine to handle them, and any form of electrical connection works fine, twisting, soldering, chock block etc

I've never heard of a ct clamp failing, they are such a simple thing and generally don't ever move once installed.

EVandPV

Solarchaser said:

I've had the same inverters for 2.5 years, they have drifted around 1 minute, so for my TOU tarriff I adjust the times by that one minute in the app.
They do daylight saving adjust with no issue.

Don't forget, you can adjust the time and date via the lcd panel on the Lux.

Starfrog

Solarchaser said:

Cat5e is a very brittle wire and easily broken, so you may find that it's broken where your connection is.
There is no real voltage on the ct clamps, so you should be fine to handle them, and any form of electrical connection works fine, twisting, soldering, chock block etc

I've never heard of a ct clamp failing, they are such a simple thing and generally don't ever move once installed.

Thank you for feedback I guess its just weird that it decided to just stop at 20:32 a few days ago with nothing being touched or moved with regard to the Clamp or the wire to the Inverter, you are correct that the two clamps (one is grid in my main consumer box and I guess the other is the clamp for the Solar production which is in a small circuit box outside the area of my main consumer unit) I think the end that goes into the RJ45 (telecom link) in the inverter is for reporting on the solar production and the larger Ethernet connector is from my Grid pull and export I guess. (the other ethernet connector is the CAN from the batteries) the two clamps are indeed ran from the clamp to a point by the inverter where they have been joined to the cable ends. The first picture shows my usage when I have my washing machine on and the dryer with my home PC as well as the base load of the house around 270w so it should be showing grid of over 3k I suspect but theres nothing !. In the end photo you can see the clamp which is connected to the LL now I took it off and inspected it but theres not much to do other than look at it. I did sense a humming when i clamped it back on so it was like it was vibrating almost but when i took it off it was fine took off and placed back on but still no reporting to the inverter ? 
maybe I should buy a new clamp to see if that makes a difference ? but only 2 years old I assume the Arrow on the clamp points to the main unit or does it point back to the inverter (maybe the inverter as thats where its sending reporting ?
 

Solarchaser

OK so they have joined them with marrets, those dome shaped things,  problem is you need to twist marrets round and round to create the joint, and Cat5e doesn't like that.
(Actually now I look at them again they might be clamp ones rather than twist ones.
When I had my zappi installed they used them, 2 weeks later Zappi stopped reading mains from CT as the cat5E had broken inside)

Cheapest and easiest thing you can do is buy some choc block and redo the connections one by 1.

https://www.toolstation.com/connector-strip/p19539?store=ET&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=_dm&pcrid=&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=Cj0KCQiArsefBhCbARIsAP98hXSbLvu_gW_BFV3xSOr0f6Hk-J2IYsBmYKFThQDmklHlde-9yq95R9waAghcEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or you could go with Wago's etc if you prefer.

The buzzing is a key sound, CT clamps generally buzz when they are clamped over a wire, but not in a circuit, so I'd be about 95% sure one of your cables is broken in the marrett.
Try wiggling them and see if the buzzing goes to find which one is broken.

EVandPV,  yeah mate I know, but its less effort to sit on my rear and adjust in app.

Though you have shamed me by going to the effort of putting up the guide, so I'll go and do it now 😳😂

EVandPV

Solarchaser said:

EVandPV,  yeah mate I know, but its less effort to sit on my rear and adjust in app.

Though you have shamed me by going to the effort of putting up the guide, so I'll go and do it now 😳😂

Actually, I had forgotten you can set the time with the app in local mode.
That would make much more sense. 😄

Solarchaser

Haha, ahh well I've done it now.
One inverter had gained 1 minute and the other was actually on the right time.

Starfrog

Solarchaser said:

The buzzing is a key sound, CT clamps generally buzz when they are clamped over a wire, but not in a circuit, so I'd be about 95% sure one of your cables is broken in the marrett.
Try wiggling them and see if the buzzing goes to find which one is broken.

I guess i could just take the main grid circuit out and just solder the wires together ? i know my solar inport seems to work due to it showing me solar production and just assuming that is my house consumption due to their being no grid clamp reading that would explain why its not reporting correctly. 

when you say buzzing over a wire but not in a circuit what do you mean by that ? if its working in the place it shoudl be in should it buzz ? but due to their being an issue with a connection somewhere its its buzzing or should it just not buzz if its fuly working and connecting correctly
Thanks for help its much appreciated

1961Nick

Solarchaser said:

I've had the same inverters for 2.5 years, they have drifted around 1 minute, so for my TOU tarriff I adjust the times by that one minute in the app.
They do daylight saving adjust with no issue.

Starfrog, you will likely find that between the small connector that goes into the lux, and the ct that goes to mains, that there is some cat 5e added in to extend the clamp, so my advice would be trace the ct wire as far as you can from both ends to find the connection.
Cat5e is a very brittle wire and easily broken, so you may find that it's broken where your connection is.
There is no real voltage on the ct clamps, so you should be fine to handle them, and any form of electrical connection works fine, twisting, soldering, chock block etc

I've never heard of a ct clamp failing, they are such a simple thing and generally don't ever move once installed.

If there is some cat5 extending the CT lead you could just try another pair (loop test first). The best method for joining Cat5e to the CT wires is probably Gel connectors (BT branded ones are reliable).

Starfrog

1961Nick said:

Solarchaser said:

I've had the same inverters for 2.5 years, they have drifted around 1 minute, so for my TOU tarriff I adjust the times by that one minute in the app.
They do daylight saving adjust with no issue.

Starfrog, you will likely find that between the small connector that goes into the lux, and the ct that goes to mains, that there is some cat 5e added in to extend the clamp, so my advice would be trace the ct wire as far as you can from both ends to find the connection.
Cat5e is a very brittle wire and easily broken, so you may find that it's broken where your connection is.
There is no real voltage on the ct clamps, so you should be fine to handle them, and any form of electrical connection works fine, twisting, soldering, chock block etc

I've never heard of a ct clamp failing, they are such a simple thing and generally don't ever move once installed.

If there is some cat5 extending the CT lead you could just try another pair (loop test first). The best method for joining Cat5e to the CT wires is probably Gel connectors (BT branded ones are reliable).

I'm very pleased to say that I took the little plastic headers off and just striped both ends of the cable down and twisted them together for the time being and would you believe it !!!!! its working YAHHOOOOOO so happy as It was driving me mad with understanding why it wouldnt work. One thing I did notice that my pylontech batteries werent showing their capacity status which is what they normally did (5 little green leds on front) but now that the clamp is working they have suddenly starting showing again and its even using t he battery for power again so thats great thank you Solarchaser and Nick for help on this I will find a more permanent solution than my simple twisting of cable solution haha 

Solarchaser

Yeah I'd believe that, I was pretty sure that was what was wrong.
If you are surprised,  I've obviously been explaining that really badly, so apologies. 😳

If you unplug the CTs from the lux you can solder them without any risk.
I actually soldered mine with it still connected with a battery soldering iron, but if you are using a mains iron, better safe than sorry.

To clarify on the ct clamp.
If you take a ct clamp that isn't connected to a lux or another circuit and put it round a wire with current flowing through it, the magnetic field makes the ct clamp rattle/buzz.
If you then plug it into a lux etc the buzzing should stop as the clamp is feeding back the information its getting from the magnetic field.

Edited to add the batteries lighting their leds is because they are now in use, previously they were idle.

They are constant on when draining and flash when charging.