I have exactly the same issue but with just one Ep3000. I hope Pecron gives you some kind of answer/explanation. I can’t imagine this is a good thing for the system long term. What I found out tonight really watching the two batteries is that when I had a small load (200 watts or less) 100% of the drain was on the host. Zero on the EP3000. Which of course caused the difference between the two to get further apart. There was zero balancing going on. When I added a 1,500 watts space heater the host took 66% of the drain and the EP3000 37%. When I’m charging only with zero drain that is when I see them getting closer to balance, but never totally balanced. It seems to be an issue with the host since your new battery is doing the same thing.
Thank you for the extra info, trying to narrow this down. P.S. We really like this system, and use it every single day 24-7-365, just trying to figure out if it is doing that on purpose or there is a small glitch/problem with a 4th battery.
I would drain all the batteries to zero then charge all of them, and with the multimeter check all the voltages to see if they are within the parameters for balancing that is required. If they are then I would thing is that the screen monitor is the problem and not calibrated.
Tried that already, same result. Multi-meter checked at all stages, the voltage of all batteries are all the same all the time. we think it is a power meter issue or firmware. not 100% sure yet.
It would be interesting if you would take the first bad battery and connect it to the new battery, and use those two only into the 3600 just to see the screen output numbers.
That is a great different idea, wish I thought of this earlier.....ugh !!! We already boxed up the first battery and it is on the way to the fedex shipping place soon :( Darn, I wish we could have tried that just to see what happens..
Hey Bob, This may have been asked already Does this only happen to the last battery in the string? Does this occur if you move the questionable battery to a different location in the string and cycle it through a balance. And if so does it still happen to same battery or does it affect the last battery in the string? Is it always occurring to the same battery regardless of position in the string? This might help determine component issue or host discharge balancing software issue.
Great question :) Thank you for the comment, we have tried that as well with the same result :( We have tried everything with this we can think of so far with all full stack... 1. Switching numbers on the batteries (same result) 2. Switching positions of the batteries (same result) 3. Switching cables (same result) 4. Using brand new cable (same result) 5. Using light draw all night long (100-300 watts) (same result) 6. Using heavier draw all night long (600-1,000 watts) (same result) 7. Using a heavy draw all night long (1,500 watts and up) (same result) (This last one keeps the percentage a bit closer "5%-10% off")
Was the battery balanced to equal the other batteries charge before placing in the system? If not, you might try a disconnect of the new battery and charge it to 100% seperately. Charge other batteries in system to 100% and then add battery back in to system. If you have already tried this, maybe I missed it.
We tried that as well :( Took the whole system apart charged each piece to 100% and then put them back together. System reporting works perfect with 3 batteries, just gets weird with that 4th battery (and this is the second 4th battery)
When the heck did that get there....LOL I am on that website almost every single day. HOLY CRAPZILLA, This will be a great help to many people. THANK YOU !!!!! P.S. We are talking directly with the higher ups at pecron through email. P.P.S. You sir, are a wonderful addition to the scriber family !!!!! Gonna post it here in case any of the scribers need it :) Customer Support: Call Us: +1 888 906 5997 (9am - 5pm EST, Mon. - Fri.)
If this is a software glitch it needs to be fixed. Different battery strengths could possibly wear those battery's faster. If it's designed to work this way its poor engineering. Keep pushing this needs to be resolved asap!
Yep, But they are not really at different voltages, the system just "THINKS" they are with that 4th battery... We tested all the batteries many times during the cycle with a multi-meter and they are all the same voltage. So we do not have to worry about the cells being worn out early on certain batteries before others. We need the time remaining clock to to 100% accurate for our security system. This is no joke.... We can do a draw on the system apx 150-300 watts all night long with 3 batteries and no problems at all. (Percentages on the screen are very close if not the same all night long) But, as soon as add that last battery to the system, that battery starts reporting goofy numbers as you can see in these videos.
We have tried everything with this we can think of so far with all full stack... 1. Switching numbers on the batteries (same result) 2 Switching positions of the batteries (same result) 3. Switching cables (same result) 4. Using brand new cables (same result) 5. Using light draw all night long (100-300 watts) 6. Using heavier draw all night long (600-1,000 watts) 7. Using a heavy draw all night long (1,500 watts and up) (This last one keeps the percentage closer "5%-10% off") What we found it is.... 1. Running 3 batteries on the system does not yield the same result and works fine (low or high draw seems to work just fine with only 3 batteries and the batteries stay balanced) QUESTION: Why would pecron say that all the batteries have to be within 10% when hooking them up if that does not matter, and you can have a 20% SOC and 100% balance just fine? When you mix different voltages together, they flow heavier energy to the lowest point and sometimes this could put strain on the connections and cells to do this, right? And would this go against your warranty if they knew that you did this, since they told people a thousand times to always have the batteries within that 10% when you hook them up?
I agree, we are the Guinea pigs....No worries, we are all trying to understand how this works together as a team. When we draw 100-200 watts all night long with only 3 batteries (12,000wh) on the system, it works perfect. batteries always stayed in sync with each other. It is only when you add that 4th battery do we get this weird result, People with much bigger channels than what we have, are saying that it might be a reporting or programming error and in need of a firmware update. And pecron has never had a single update for the e1500lfp or e3600lfp that we know of. We trust their knowledge because they have been doing solar power for a very long time compared to us. Their channels are really big. And we helped pecron beta test their app v1.2 & v1.4 & v1.5 & v1.7 *They stopped updating their app when we stop beta testing it for them :( Plus, These Eb3000 & EP3000 can be charged with a simple solar panel or your car. That is why they all come with the MC4 adapters, car adapters, etc. So even new people could simply charge them that way if they needed to or had to. Most people are buying solar panels along with their orders or already had panels to do that with. At least that is what the scribers are telling us on this channel that have bought systems. P.S. For $5,500 bucks, this system should work perfect, this is not pocket change for many people....That is a lot of money for many people.
What are the individual cell voltages in BAT4? This is a total guess (assuming the cell voltages are good) that the new battery has more overall capacity than the older multi-cycled batteries, because it is new, or perhaps, the cells in the new battery are upgraded / different (more watt hours). I say this, because if the new battery isn't "bad", I'm not sure what else it could be.
All the cell voltages of all the batteries are very close. 2 brand new batteries and 2 older batteries That means the battery power is not the problem. It must be a reporting problem. And that 4th battery is up to 40% off sometimes, and that throws off the time remaining clock on the screen. We need that time to be 100% correct. Our security system is hooked to this power station.
I have exactly the same issue but with just one Ep3000. I hope Pecron gives you some kind of answer/explanation. I can’t imagine this is a good thing for the system long term. What I found out tonight really watching the two batteries is that when I had a small load (200 watts or less) 100% of the drain was on the host. Zero on the EP3000. Which of course caused the difference between the two to get further apart. There was zero balancing going on. When I added a 1,500 watts space heater the host took 66% of the drain and the EP3000 37%. When I’m charging only with zero drain that is when I see them getting closer to balance, but never totally balanced. It seems to be an issue with the host since your new battery is doing the same thing.
Thank you for the extra info, trying to narrow this down.
P.S. We really like this system, and use it every single day 24-7-365, just trying to figure out if it is doing that on purpose or there is a small glitch/problem with a 4th battery.
I would drain all the batteries to zero then charge all of them, and with the multimeter check all the voltages to see if they are within the parameters for balancing that is required. If they are then I would thing is that the screen monitor is the problem and not calibrated.
Tried that already, same result.
Multi-meter checked at all stages, the voltage of all batteries are all the same all the time. we think it is a power meter issue or firmware. not 100% sure yet.
It would be interesting if you would take the first bad battery and connect it to the new battery, and use those two only into the 3600 just to see the screen output numbers.
That is a great different idea, wish I thought of this earlier.....ugh !!!
We already boxed up the first battery and it is on the way to the fedex shipping place soon :(
Darn, I wish we could have tried that just to see what happens..
Hey Bob,
This may have been asked already Does this only happen to the last battery in the string? Does this occur if you move the questionable battery to a different location in the string and cycle it through a balance. And if so does it still happen to same battery or does it affect the last battery in the string? Is it always occurring to the same battery regardless of position in the string? This might help determine component issue or host discharge balancing software issue.
Great question :)
Thank you for the comment, we have tried that as well with the same result :(
We have tried everything with this we can think of so far with all full stack...
1. Switching numbers on the batteries (same result)
2. Switching positions of the batteries (same result)
3. Switching cables (same result)
4. Using brand new cable (same result)
5. Using light draw all night long (100-300 watts) (same result)
6. Using heavier draw all night long (600-1,000 watts) (same result)
7. Using a heavy draw all night long (1,500 watts and up) (same result)
(This last one keeps the percentage a bit closer "5%-10% off")
Was the battery balanced to equal the other batteries charge before placing in the system? If not, you might try a disconnect of the new battery and charge it to 100% seperately. Charge other batteries in system to 100% and then add battery back in to system. If you have already tried this, maybe I missed it.
We tried that as well :(
Took the whole system apart charged each piece to 100% and then put them back together.
System reporting works perfect with 3 batteries, just gets weird with that 4th battery (and this is the second 4th battery)
Wish I could help but I only have one EP 3000. Just got it set up and balance charged today. Works perfectly. Very happy with it.
Thank you for the nice thought anyway :)
P.S. Our scriber family is awesome :)
Have you tried calling the new US support number?
When the heck did that get there....LOL
I am on that website almost every single day.
HOLY CRAPZILLA, This will be a great help to many people. THANK YOU !!!!!
P.S. We are talking directly with the higher ups at pecron through email.
P.P.S. You sir, are a wonderful addition to the scriber family !!!!!
Gonna post it here in case any of the scribers need it :)
Customer Support:
Call Us: +1 888 906 5997
(9am - 5pm EST, Mon. - Fri.)
If this is a software glitch it needs to be fixed. Different battery strengths could possibly wear those battery's faster. If it's designed to work this way its poor engineering. Keep pushing this needs to be resolved asap!
Yep, But they are not really at different voltages, the system just "THINKS" they are with that 4th battery...
We tested all the batteries many times during the cycle with a multi-meter and they are all the same voltage.
So we do not have to worry about the cells being worn out early on certain batteries before others.
We need the time remaining clock to to 100% accurate for our security system. This is no joke....
We can do a draw on the system apx 150-300 watts all night long with 3 batteries and no problems at all.
(Percentages on the screen are very close if not the same all night long)
But, as soon as add that last battery to the system, that battery starts reporting goofy numbers as you can see in these videos.
We have tried everything with this we can think of so far with all full stack...
1. Switching numbers on the batteries (same result)
2 Switching positions of the batteries (same result)
3. Switching cables (same result)
4. Using brand new cables (same result)
5. Using light draw all night long (100-300 watts)
6. Using heavier draw all night long (600-1,000 watts)
7. Using a heavy draw all night long (1,500 watts and up)
(This last one keeps the percentage closer "5%-10% off")
What we found it is....
1. Running 3 batteries on the system does not yield the same result and works fine
(low or high draw seems to work just fine with only 3 batteries and the batteries stay balanced)
QUESTION: Why would pecron say that all the batteries have to be within 10% when hooking them up if that does not matter, and you can have a 20% SOC and 100% balance just fine?
When you mix different voltages together, they flow heavier energy to the lowest point and sometimes this could put strain on the connections and cells to do this, right?
And would this go against your warranty if they knew that you did this, since they told people a thousand times to always have the batteries within that 10% when you hook them up?
I agree, we are the Guinea pigs....No worries, we are all trying to understand how this works together as a team.
When we draw 100-200 watts all night long with only 3 batteries (12,000wh) on the system, it works perfect. batteries always stayed in sync with each other.
It is only when you add that 4th battery do we get this weird result, People with much bigger channels than what we have, are saying that it might be a reporting or programming error and in need of a firmware update. And pecron has never had a single update for the e1500lfp or e3600lfp that we know of.
We trust their knowledge because they have been doing solar power for a very long time compared to us. Their channels are really big.
And we helped pecron beta test their app v1.2 & v1.4 & v1.5 & v1.7
*They stopped updating their app when we stop beta testing it for them :(
Plus, These Eb3000 & EP3000 can be charged with a simple solar panel or your car. That is why they all come with the MC4 adapters, car adapters, etc. So even new people could simply charge them that way if they needed to or had to.
Most people are buying solar panels along with their orders or already had panels to do that with. At least that is what the scribers are telling us on this channel that have bought systems.
P.S. For $5,500 bucks, this system should work perfect, this is not pocket change for many people....That is a lot of money for many people.
That is what we were thinking the whole time also, at least we are on the same page with this :)
What are the individual cell voltages in BAT4? This is a total guess (assuming the cell voltages are good) that the new battery has more overall capacity than the older multi-cycled batteries, because it is new, or perhaps, the cells in the new battery are upgraded / different (more watt hours). I say this, because if the new battery isn't "bad", I'm not sure what else it could be.
All the cell voltages of all the batteries are very close.
2 brand new batteries and 2 older batteries
That means the battery power is not the problem.
It must be a reporting problem.
And that 4th battery is up to 40% off sometimes, and that throws off the time remaining clock on the screen.
We need that time to be 100% correct. Our security system is hooked to this power station.