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Old 06-11-18, 05:11 PM   #681
pinballlooking
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I have another microinverter that went bad. Here is a screen shot so you can easily see what one is bad.



Then in enlighten Manager software you go to the config tab. Shown highlighted in yellow.



Then scroll down to self Service section (this is new)



Request a return. This creates a case. I put the case in this morning by the afternoon it was approved to ship me a new one.
The other one that went bad was to the left of this one.
Time to get out my spare microinverter.

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Old 06-12-18, 08:09 AM   #682
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I'm happy for you that Enphase will work with you. I've got an Enphase micro-inverter dead for two YEARS now and I have an open case number again, but no contact from them except to be issued another case number.

If I could realistically convert to something else, I wouldn't touch an Enphase Inverter at any cost. The inverters aren't a bad product, but it has been my personal experience that, about three years ago, their customer service policies changed and left people like me {not registered as solar professionals} by the wayside.
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Old 06-12-18, 09:07 AM   #683
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They have changed there call in support line. You don’t have to provide your installer number anymore.

Two years and still need a replacement is completely unacceptable!

Do you know if you are listed a a self installer/owner?

Do you have an Envoy installed and connected to the internet? That is how they handle support. The last microinverter I did not even need to call in to get a replacement sent to me.

They have an auto approve system setup if the microinverter is producing 0 watts. Some faults will require a call to support. My fault yesterday needed support approval that did take a couple of hours to get that approval. My new microinverter will be mailed out Thursday.
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Last edited by pinballlooking; 06-12-18 at 10:12 AM..
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Old 06-12-18, 11:07 AM   #684
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We went a long time without internet at home, but have had it for the past year. I do have an Envoy, all the inverters are listed with Enphase and five inverters are speaking to the mother ship continuously. One inverter is not, but does have a nice red light glowing on it.

I get a production email every month showing what the system makes, so clearly they aren't that good at catching faults, or they have written me off for some reason. Last August, I sent a certified letter hoping to get their attention. I included all six inverter serial numbers and that one of them had a red light glowing and how long I had the Envoy connected to them through the internet. It didn't help at all.

The failed inverter was bought new in 2010, and they have changed the cable connectors (for the daisy chain cables) so I can't buy a new one off the shelf and get the solar panel back in the game of producing energy. I found that little tidbit out when I looked online to try to buy a new one, and then checked with Blake at Mr. Solar to see if they had any of the old-style cable inverters left in stock, or if there was an adapter cable so I could add a new one anyway. No and no.

To say this is frustrating would be an understatement. I have 1050w rated PV connected to the inverters, but only 875w worth of them get power through to the wall and know of no realistic way to solve this.
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Old 06-12-18, 11:27 AM   #685
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You should try to call there support again now that you don’t have to jump through the, are you the installer hoops.
They should be able to help you out. I forget what microinverters to you running ?
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Last edited by pinballlooking; 06-13-18 at 06:05 AM..
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Old 06-12-18, 11:39 AM   #686
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pinballlooking View Post
Time to get out my spare microinverter.
When I recently ordered more panels, and more Enphase M215 inverters to enlarge the array at our house in FL, I ordered a spare inverter for each house. From the looks of my array this afternoon, I'll be using that spare this weekend. We'll see if my results dealing with them are more favorable than Gasstingy.
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Old 06-12-18, 11:51 AM   #687
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If you have a bad one. Make sure you contact support before you replace it. Once you have a RMA then then swap out with your spare. That is what I do.
They need it connected to your array to approve it quickly. If you go in to enlighten or the support link as I posted it sometimes gets approval right on the spot.

https://service.enphaseenergy.com/users/sign_in


Before you consider the microinverter dead.
Login to your Envoy just use its IP address. Go to the Administration tab.
Then to Device Conditions and Controls search for the bad device.
select the device that is causing the issue.
You can then clear gfi or send a reboot.
Sometimes this can fix a microinverter.





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Old 06-12-18, 12:05 PM   #688
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When your units have died, have they showed any response from the envoy? Mine is showing 1-2W during the day, and blanks out at night as if it still recognizes the sunrise/sunset and panel inputs. The webpage still lists it as "normal".

I guess this weekend I'll take a meter up on the roof and see whether I cooked a blocking diode in the panel or a microinverter. At first, I was thinking panels are pretty fool proof, but then I remembered the blocking diodes in them.
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Old 06-12-18, 12:27 PM   #689
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Enlighten Manager go to the Go to the devices tab.
Select the microinverter that is having issues.
Go to the graph tab at the bottom select
power production, DC Voltage, DC current, AC voltage, AC Frequency, Temp.
This information is very helpful to determine what the issue is.

Good one


Bad one.


Enlighten Manager is pretty powerful but not of a lot info out there on how to use all the cool functions.
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Old 06-13-18, 12:02 PM   #690
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Well the good thing is that micro inverters have dropped in price quite a bit so having a spare on hand isnt a big deal. I remember them being around $150 and I just looked up the price on a 215 and its $57 now and less if you buy more.

That said are the benefits of micro inverters still worth the extra cost considering the failure rate as well. The sunny boy string inverters seem to keep chugging along for years.

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