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mep-831a how to backfeed to OFF GRID electric panel to charge solar bank or run house

patdufo

Member
38
14
8
Location
near detroit mi
I have a 50 amp plug on sealed back porch and a 50 amp RV 4 prong plug cord ,The 4 wire exdryer plug has only 3 wires,2 hot and a white ,how should this be wired?Should I even hook up the nuetral?I want the panel to work both sides and have 240v to run a very small hot tub and run a very small house.( I know the plug would be a suicide plug but it will remin allways conected before starting)This is totally off grid so no linesman to kill
 

fb40dash5

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
MD
[Not an actual electrician]

If you're off-grid & don't have to worry about a lockout or transfer switch (and I'd presume also not permits) I'd personally say there's no reason not to at least do it as right as using a power inlet, rather than a suicide cord. Especially in this case, there's definitely no need for a 50A circuit, you can't even come close to maxing out a 30A circuit.

Without needing a lockout, I don't see a particular reason you couldn't even add the inlet parallel with that same circuit (although you should probably technically use a 50A inlet if so, so the breaker would kinda still protect the circuit) if you really needed to.

Depending if that outlet was wired with 3 or 4 conductors (including ground) though it may be easier to just make a new run... doesn't need to be much, mine is wired with 10/3 romex.
 

Ray70

Well-known member
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Location
West greenwich/RI
Is the lockout needed to disconnect the solar from the batteries?
Assumingly you can only have one or the other active at a time, unless you are feeding into some kind of phase synchronizing inverter to allow generator and solar simultaneously?
 

kayak1

Active member
97
161
33
Location
Maine
If you have 48v batteries, I would recommend the following:
You can dial it from 1amp to 100amp.
This is how I ended up connecting my MEP-802A to my solar. I have a WIFI/2-Wire start board from Kurt to allow my inverter to start/stop the generator based on the battery state of charge.
 

patdufo

Member
38
14
8
Location
near detroit mi
Is the lockout needed to disconnect the solar from the batteries?
Assumingly you can only have one or the other active at a time, unless you are feeding into some kind of phase synchronizing inverter to allow generator and solar simultaneously?
The inverters have a disconect,which will be pulled when using the generator as I dont think they would like the backfeed
 

patdufo

Member
38
14
8
Location
near detroit mi
If you have 48v batteries, I would recommend the following:
You can dial it from 1amp to 100amp.
This is how I ended up connecting my MEP-802A to my solar. I have a WIFI/2-Wire start board from Kurt to allow my inverter to start/stop the generator based on the battery state of charge.
Yes I have been looking at those but allready have 180 amps total lithium chargers and 60KWHs of 48v lithium,I think that I will use the twist lock outdoor box and then find some kind of one or the other switch so I can send power to the inverter chargers or the house panel,Also I have a second system of 24v with a 6000 watt aims inverter that I could plug in to use if the main system is to low .Or just put the other system on twist lock and plug it in?Thanks for the reply(also I have no output using the L1 L2 N so far only the convienience plugs work and previous owner never used it the other way)
 

patdufo

Member
38
14
8
Location
near detroit mi
I have a 50 amp plug on sealed back porch and a 50 amp RV 4 prong plug cord ,The 4 wire exdryer plug has only 3 wires,2 hot and a white ,how should this be wired?Should I even hook up the nuetral?I want the panel to work both sides and have 240v to run a very small hot tub and run a very small house.( I know the plug would be a suicide plug but it will remin allways conected before starting)This is totally off grid so no linesman to kill
Also I have no power to the outside tap?the plugs on the box work but no output for 240v?Could the switch be bad?
 

kayak1

Active member
97
161
33
Location
Maine
Is the lockout needed to disconnect the solar from the batteries?
Assumingly you can only have one or the other active at a time, unless you are feeding into some kind of phase synchronizing inverter to allow generator and solar simultaneously?
You can have multiple DC sources to charge the batteries. You don't have wave forms to synchronize. You just need to set your voltage levels to prevent overcharging them.
 

patdufo

Member
38
14
8
Location
near detroit mi
I have a 50 amp plug on sealed back porch and a 50 amp RV 4 prong plug cord ,The 4 wire exdryer plug has only 3 wires,2 hot and a white ,how should this be wired?Should I even hook up the nuetral?I want the panel to work both sides and have 240v to run a very small hot tub and run a very small house.( I know the plug would be a suicide plug but it will remin allways conected before starting)This is totally off grid so no linesman to kill
ok,havent worked on it for a while,I wired it to my 24v 6000 watt aims inverter charger(80amp) and it started to work,ran for about an hour but when I turned on a 240v load it shut down,apears to be getting hot?load shuts off if I turn the voltage dial to far right,Maybee I need that control board some one on heremakes?thanks
 

Ray70

Well-known member
2,552
5,759
113
Location
West greenwich/RI
You can have multiple DC sources to charge the batteries. You don't have wave forms to synchronize. You just need to set your voltage levels to prevent overcharging them.
Yes, multiple DC sources are fine. I was envisioning something different, thought he was using the gen to power the house as well. I was thinking AC in the panel from the inverters not playing well with AC from the generator.
 
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