2 inverters in 2 mos., both SMOKE!

[rmkrum]

One student famously used scratch paper and a book of 10-place log tables instead of saslide rule. Looked like a paper blizzard when he took his finals...

Still have a working HP Reverse Polish Notation system calculator. It's great fun to hand to someone expecting a "standard" calculator...and the 'enter' key adds to the fun.

Nerd humour at its best...

[GinaParmesan]

Originally Posted by lsbrodsky

GinaP,

I have been thinking about all of these posts. The forum is a great resource and everyone tries to be helpful, but sometimes the advice is spot on, other times not so much.
People seem to have jumped on the hammer crimp as the root cause. Look hammer crimps are the inexpensive route but they are not necessarily bad. If the crimp is bad, that will be the point of high resistance and should be the hottest spot. In the one picture it appears that the insulation around the crimp is not getting as hot as the red tape next to it.
An earlier post suggested the red tape as the culprit. Another earlier post suggested an IR temp measurement. Clearly you should not be using your system until you get to the cause so wherever you are you should purchase or borrow an IR temp gauge. I have two; they are inexpensive. Energize your system and check the temps looking for the real hot spot.
To me it looks like the red tape was burning and that heat spread a bit. I do not see any evidence of that kind of heat on the insulation adjacent to the crimp, on either side. Nevertheless, it would appear that the real fix, now, is a new wire, new connectors, in that location. Don't reject the idea of a hammer crimp if you are near someone who can do that for you.
Larry

@lsbrodsky: Thank you for your reply! I'll have an expert look at it to diagnose.

[GinaParmesan]

Originally Posted by cwf

Everyone has personal experience and testing in their professional lives in shade tree and disciplined test. That experience cannot be discounted or discouraged. I have used the hammer crimp with proper tool to make lots of welding leads. Because exposed to weather, I hot dipped in solder pot... never a failure as long as secured against vibrations, or allowed to electrolysis...

I have also desired golf carts, without hot-potting, just hammer crimp... still running after 4 years of extensive use.

I should note.. most wiring I do is "overkill"...bigger wire than "minimally needed"... and so far no failure in that area.. except trying to get it to fit.

As mentioned above, a "copper" strap will do nicely and if it discolors you can see without guessing.

@cwf: Thank you! I think having someone dissect the cable will tell the tale.

[Snowy]

/overkill

[RareStream]

Perfect install or not, I simply can't believe that some people (not referring to the OP) install these things under their BEDS.

That's gotta be a bad way to go.

[pmclemore]

I'm a B-School guy. HP17B2

Pat

[GinaParmesan]

Hello all,

First of all, thank you each and every one for contributing your ideas, experience and concern for my safety. After what I learned today, I'm deeply grateful I didn't have a fire.

The installer's diagnosis from afar is that this is my fault. I must be drawing too much power, which is overheating the fuse, and the hot fuse is what was burning the end of the cable. They estimated I must be using 800-1,200 amps DC with surges possibly 9,000 to 12,000 Watts to cause this problem. They also said the 400A ANL fuse was cheap and I should've gotten a class T fuse anyway.

I had two separate outfits look at the problem today. The RV repair shop said it was either a loose fitting or a bad crimp. They couldn't fit us in as a "drive up" so we went to a shop that specializes in electrical work for basically anything that moves. They confirmed it was a bad crimp and they replaced both wires connecting to the battery switch, and the fuse block. They checked my draw while running the water kettle, a/c etc. too and said everything is good in that department. So there’s that.

They also said that the same issue will occur at the next bad crimp if there is one, so I’m having the rest of the crimps inspected on Monday.

PS, loving the nerd humor above!

PPS, the crimps on the new cables were done with an 8-way hydraulic crimper.

[Troutboy]

GinaP, thanks for sharing what you found out, helps us all learn. Sorry you are going through this, but glad you found issue and are safe.... please keep us update, and I hope the rest of the crimps are rock solid.

[GinaParmesan]

I never thought I'd be using the word "crimp" this much. I had no idea what the hell a crimp was until this past Sunday. The more you know, the more you know you don't know... something like that anyway.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Well, if you *were* pulling 1,200 A into the Victron, it's one heck of a fine inverter. You got a 12 KW unit for the price of a 3KW ... lucky you. I guess that the 400A fuse being in there and not blowing was some sort of fluke. You also got some really amazing batteries to be able to source 1,200 A for as long as you did. Again, a really sharp deal on your part.

Based on what you have found (smoke) and their nonsense, I would not trust anything done by the original installer. Have somebody good go over the whole install. If that means waiting a week for a slot, wait. Also be ready to (happily) pay them a couple hundred bucks. It's not their fault it was messed up. If you get away for less, that's fine as well.

Bob

[GinaParmesan]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

Well, if you *were* pulling 1,200 A into the Victron, it's one heck of a fine inverter. You got a 12 KW unit for the price of a 3KW ... lucky you. I guess that the 400A fuse being in there and not blowing was some sort of fluke. You also got some really amazing batteries to be able to source 1,200 A for as long as you did. Again, a really sharp deal on your part.

Based on what you have found (smoke) and their nonsense, I would not trust anything done by the original installer. Have somebody good go over the whole install. If that means waiting a week for a slot, wait. Also be ready to (happily) pay them a couple hundred bucks. It's not their fault it was messed up. If you get away for less, that's fine as well.

Bob

@uncle_bob: Ha! Yes, I had no idea that these components had such amazing magical powers. Northern Mobile Electric in Canton, OH, gave me the confirmed diagnosis and very nice new cables, and they're going to go over the whole install next week, as you recommended. The 400A was close to blowing, so it's been replaced too. The labor is still under warranty with the original installer, so I'm requesting reimbursement for the repairs.

[Snowy]

Originally Posted by GinaParmesan

The installer's diagnosis from afar is that this is my fault. I must be drawing too much power, which is overheating the fuse, and the hot fuse is what was burning the end of the cable. They estimated I must be using 800-1,200 amps DC with surges possibly 9,000 to 12,000 Watts to cause this problem.

What a load of cods wallop.

That sort of heat requires constant high current.

Saying that, the pic certainly makes it look like the fault was between the cable and the fuse.

I've used a good old hammer lug tool for years and never seen anything like this.

Anyway, happy you have it resolved.