Solar IBoost+ Repair
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2023
- Fixing a solar iBoost+ should be easy, if only we could get the parts. Time to take it apart, quick reverse engineering and finally the fix.
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Suppliers are so annoying th way they deal with backorders!
BTW, I did recently (March 2024) get notified that Farnell have the proper rectifier back in stock
Great video. Replaced the bridge rectifier and fuse. Working perfectly again. Many thanks for the info.
Always good to hear, thanks.
Thanks for this I recently bought a solar iboost faulty with a no power situation - I hadn’t come across this video but quickly identified the dead short across live and neutral and ran it along to the bridge rectifier as well. As you found, the rectifier is night on impossible to get, but managed to source replacements direct from China (unknown quality I agree but nonetheless better than not working at all). I was quite concerned the igbt might have caused the failure and so I ordered them also. I also managed to pop the supply voltage to the control panel (doh!) whilst trying to read the pic with a serial connection with the reference to the mains - stupid mistake but I’m sure it’s popped something fixable. Anyway picked up another solar iboost over the week locally and EXACTLY the same issue. I’m still awaiting the components but should arrive tomorrow and your video has only just confirmed to me that it is just the rectifier. PS quality of soldering on both my boards was pretty shoddy also…
Interesting, that is a serious rectifier to be failing so often. Feels like there is a design fault.
Hi, great video. Mine suffered from the same fault, a rapid unscheduled event of the bridge rectifier. Mine took out the 16A fuse, the 13A fuse and the RCD on the DIS board, oh, plus that lovely odour. Replaced with the GBPC3510W and all OK, but have you any idea what makes something with that rating self destruct?
I'm guessing heat maybe, there is a lot of current with quite a big fwd voltage drop and the heat would derate the device a lot. Other than that perhaps there are some nasty switching transients that cause it to fail over time, given the size of the chokes they obviously have quite a lot to suppress. but I would have thought that would apply more with very inductive loads. Certainly my heater is mainly resistive, but they may vary. The other possibility is that the company ended up with counterfeit parts. But all just guesses.
Thank you for the video. My I Boost just failed. 16A fuse did not blow, but the 13A fuse in the switched spur did, along with the RCBO in the consumer unit. I have removed the bridge rectifier which is shorted between the two close together pins, which I think are DC positive and AC negative! I have ordered a Vishay GBPC3510W and just hope nothing else is fried.
From peoples comments it seems the bridge rectifier is a common failure point, wonder why. It has a fairly high forward voltage drop at significant current so perhaps it is a thermal problem 🤔. Whatever it is make sure you apply paste and get a good thermal mount on heatsink.
I now have the part but am waiting for a new soldering iron to arrive as my old soldering station gave up the ghost getting the old one out.@@MakeOrRepair
Now fixed. I had difficulty un-soldering the old rectifier and did not make a very neat job with the new one, but it works again and in today's dull weather it did show some electricity sent to the immersion heater. I put on plenty of Arctic MX4 thermal compound.
@@TX200AA always nice to hear a success story
Hi, cool video thanks - mines dead with no display readout - same older model as this one. Any idea what the fuse is if I grab a replacement please?
I did see someone mention a 16A ceramic fuse but that was the newer one!
Ignore that 16A 600V I happened to stick the kettle on at the exact moment you said it sorry!
You shoul dbe able to find them with little problem. There are alternate mounting holes, but beware mine had conformal coating, comes away on the soldered pads just with heat but trickier if you use the alternate mounting holes - although acetone cleaned it off just fine. I did have to clean the holes very well because the leads were bigger on my new fuse. I think there is room for a PCB mounting 20mm fuse holder if you want a 20mm cartridge fuse (same rating of course)
As mentioned in comments before my unit is constantly displaying tank hot. Even though it’s not and everything tests out ok with element,stat and cabling, boost works ok when hot water is needed. Unfortunately it’s outside of warranty and Marlec will not offer repair. Do you know of any companies which offer repair or I would have to purchase a new one
Well it certainly sould like your unit, not your wiring is faulty. Interesting that the boost works. The device has no real knowledge of the tank temperature, it simply assumes it is hot when it it tries, but is anable to deliver any current to it, the imersion element has its own thermostat. It seems then that the fault lies perhaps in the current sensing which would either be really easy or next to impossible to fix.
I'm not aware of anyone repairing these, and I'm afraid I don't run a repair business, I am retired and just did this repair for the video, I would need all sorts of expenside insurance and ongoing certifications etc to start doing repairs on electrical fittings again. We used to get occasional things delivered for repair when I was training, so if there is a local tech college or perhaps a maker communinity place they might tackle it (or might not). Most of the information to get started is in my video. Near us there is for example a community repair centre where volunteers do all sorts of repairs and even teach people how to maintain things.
Sorry can't be more help
Thanks for uploading this video. Im finding Marlec (the makers of this unit) extremely difficult to deal with and help me with diagnosing my own unit.
What would have been really helpful here is a quick summary of the fault at the outset of the video. I guess it was a total dead unit? Mine works perfectly for all features EXCEPT that it thinks the tank is hot constantly, so refuses to send power to the immersion. After testing continuity and resistance (and mechanical operation) on the immersion and thermostat, everything at that end seems 100%. Ive also tested the clamp and the Sender unit, and again, all fine.
So I assume its the Boost unit itself, but I cannot find the logic that its using to monitor the thermostat open/closed.
Yes, I normally do a quick show of the symptoms - yes, it was totally dead. Since it does not actually sense the temperature of the tank, it detects "hot" by applying a voltage to the immersion and then discovering it does not take any current because the immersion thermostat has switched off. So (unless the immersion itself is broken) then the fault is likely the cabling running to it, or the part of the iboost that senses the current, that would be the resistor I mentined int he circuit overview - I suspect that goes to some sort of amplifier before it goes to the microcontroller so the sense resistor and the amplifier would be my first suspicions!
@@MakeOrRepair Thank you for such a fantastic reply. Im 100% with you on the sense resistor (and amplifier). The fact that the "manual boost" works 100% to the immersion (and the ohms and continuity tests) make me believe that everything outside the iBoost unit itself is working fine. Thanks again for all your help; much appreciated!
My iboost has stopped working with very similar if not the same issue. Would you be able to repair mine?
I'm retired now, so I only do repairs for friends, family and some local charities. Also the part I used is unavailable now until early 2024 according to factory
@@MakeOrRepair thanks for replying. I have purchased a replacement. But I would be more than happy to pay for any part repaired and make a donation to a charity of your choice if that was an option. I wouldn’t want broken unit to got to land fill if someone with you skills and eye for detail to repair it