Blue drips from bottom right of inverter onto top right of powerwall 2+

[TomServo]

That’s crazy. So your battery backup is essentially dead? We’ll be adding batteries next year to our soon to be installed PV system and our first choice would be the PW3. But since all my hardware is Enphase their 5Ps are intriguing.

 

[justsomerandom]

Battery backup works and charges from the street so time of use is only killing me a little. It’s just a complete lack of solar power.

 

[sorka]

Battery backup works and charges from the street so time of use is only killing me a little. It’s just a complete lack of solar power.

I'd still remove the coolant fill cap and top off with the correct coolant and then do a reset. Tesla support should be able to help you log into the inverter or do a password reset if for some reason it no longer matches the sticker which is very very odd.

If they said October, add 3 months to that. It could be a very long wait. With Tesla, you really need to learn to help yourself when possible.

Also, if it were me and I determined there was no way to bring it back online and that it had to be replaced, I'd be temporarily replacing it with another inverter. Since even the Tesla inverter doesn't directly communicate with the TEG and they still rely on the CTs in the TEG to monitor and distribute solar, you can put any inverter on there that you want. Yes, it's going to cost some money but peak summer and early fall will more than pay the $1000 or so you would spend on a second hand Solar Edge. Plus you'll have a backup for in case the solar inverter fails again.

 

[yblaser]

I'd still remove the coolant fill cap and top off with the correct coolant and then do a reset. Tesla support should be able to help you log into the inverter or do a password reset if for some reason it no longer matches the sticker which is very very odd.

If they said October, add 3 months to that. It could be a very long wait. With Tesla, you really need to learn to help yourself when possible.

Also, if it were me and I determined there was no way to bring it back online and that it had to be replaced, I'd be temporarily replacing it with another inverter. Since even the Tesla inverter doesn't directly communicate with the TEG and they still rely on the CTs in the TEG to monitor and distribute solar, you can put any inverter on there that you want. Yes, it's going to cost some money but peak summer and early fall will more than pay the $1000 or so you would spend on a second hand Solar Edge. Plus you'll have a backup for in case the solar inverter fails again.

Would a non-Tesla inverter work with the Tesla installed MCIs? From their service page:

The Tesla MCIs are normally open solid-state switches (no moving parts). Powerwall+ has a built-in exciter circuit that activates (closes) all MCIs via a 250 kHz AC frequency signal when the inverter is operating.

 

[sorka]

Would a non-Tesla inverter work with the Tesla installed MCIs? From their service page:

The Tesla MCIs are normally open solid-state switches (no moving parts). Powerwall+ has a built-in exciter circuit that activates (closes) all MCIs via a 250 kHz AC frequency signal when the inverter is operating.

Pretty sure the MCIs are Delta and not specific to any particular inverter but it's a great question.

 

[justsomerandom]

Another update. Late in August they said tier two recognized an issue and I could now set up a date to get it fixed. They gave the soonest date, mid October. While on vacation in the first week of September the inverter came to life and was putting out power. There were power drop offs on clear days but there was something. I wanted to get everything I could out of it so I directed a fan on it and kept calling for an earlier repair date. In the last few days I got an email saying that my repair date has been cancelled due to my inverter working fine and no longer throwing arc fault codes. Seems like i hosed myself by turning on the fan but im sure the cooler weather had something to do with it. Tier 1 is still worthless due to their inability to actually do anything off script. I’m sure I’ll have to wait till next summer for it to die again. Then I’ll have to wait 3 months and do it all again. What to do? I have no idea at this point.

 

[BGbreeder]

Another update. Late in August they said tier two recognized an issue and I could now set up a date to get it fixed. They gave the soonest date, mid October. While on vacation in the first week of September the inverter came to life and was putting out power. There were power drop offs on clear days but there was something. I wanted to get everything I could out of it so I directed a fan on it and kept calling for an earlier repair date. In the last few days I got an email saying that my repair date has been cancelled due to my inverter working fine and no longer throwing arc fault codes. Seems like i hosed myself by turning on the fan but im sure the cooler weather had something to do with it. Tier 1 is still worthless due to their inability to actually do anything off script. I’m sure I’ll have to wait till next summer for it to die again. Then I’ll have to wait 3 months and do it all again. What to do? I have no idea at this point.

I would keep calling about the blue drips, and call back if you don't get a helpful Tier 1 person. I would politely share your concern about the potential for corrosion and damage, but also your worries about the local environmental contamination and the potential for harm to animals.

 

[sorka]

I'd remove the fill plug on the top and top off the coolant. Again, with Tesla, you pretty much need to help yourself.

 

[justsomerandom]

I'd remove the fill plug on the top and top off the coolant. Again, with Tesla, you pretty much need to help yourself.

From looking at others pictures and the setup I have it seems that my fill plug is not at the top. The inverter is wider and positioned on top of the powerwall.

 

[sorka]

From looking at others pictures and the setup I have it seems that my fill plug is not at the top. The inverter is wider and positioned on top of the powerwall.

Mine is at the top above the fan.

 

[justsomerandom]

Mine is rotated 90 degrees to the right

 

[sorka]

Mine is rotated 90 degrees to the right

WTH! Your inverter pictures match mine exactly. Are you saying they installed it sideways??????

 

[sorka]

I take it back. The coolant module is the same but installed in a separate

Mine is rotated 90 degrees to the right

That would make it impossible to top off unless you remove it first. I suppose it's possible that regardless of the orientation, you need to remove and put flat on it's back.

If it were me, I'd still do this. It would be fairly trivial for me to uninstall, top off coolant, and re-install.

 

[BGbreeder]

It has never been clear to me how Tesla handles a bubble free fill on this system and how they account for the change in volume due to temperature shifts.

It is not exactly "lightweight" so popping it off the wall and getting it flatter takes the right tools or enough brawn to make it happen. I know that I couldn't do it without a lift tool, especially for the reinstall.

A number of modern cars have a vacuum filling system for filling the cooling system to eliminate oxygen and bubbles. Just saying...

All the best,

BG

 

[sorka]

It has never been clear to me how Tesla handles a bubble free fill on this system and how they account for the change in volume due to temperature shifts.

It is not exactly "lightweight" so popping it off the wall and getting it flatter takes the right tools or enough brawn to make it happen. I know that I couldn't do it without a lift tool, especially for the reinstall.

A number of modern cars have a vacuum filling system for filling the cooling system to eliminate oxygen and bubbles. Just saying...

All the best,

BG

You do know we're talking about the Tesla inverter and not a Powerwall, right? The inverter weighs 52 lbs.

 

[BGbreeder]

You do know we're talking about the Tesla inverter and not a Powerwall, right? The inverter weighs 52 lbs.

Oops, no, I missed that. My bad.

 

[justsomerandom]

Well it’s only the mid 90s now in Phx. In early September Tesla pushed a firmware update that recognized I didn’t really have arc faults supposedly. Now that it’s cooled off overheating seems like it isn’t an issue for now. I’m sure next summer it’ll shut down again due to overheating and I’ll have to wait another 6 weeks for tier two to see a problem. I only hope it happens early enough in the season for the line to be short. Hopefully it doesn’t cost me $124 in demand tou alone. Also charges for cost of electricity. I’m salty.

 

[dho112]

This EXACT same thing happened to me on my brand new battery install!

Actually it happened DURING the first powerup test. Bottom right of the inverter there is a brass drain plug, a large allen. During provisioning there were 3 to 4 drips of blue fluid on top of the battery under the inverter. The installer opened the inverter cover and tightened the allen plug what looked like about a eighth turn, after that, no more drips and none since. it’s been a year and a half since then.

Is your inverter sideways? or is that the photo?