SolarEdge Inverter Replacement

[jhn_]

I am actually not sure about these details, maybe someone with a recent system can speak to this.

No production guarantee here in the New England with panels and Powerwalls installed in 2020.

 

[Olly_]

My replacement inverter has FINALLY shipped from SolarEdge!

Hopefully will be back up and running soon

 

[mswlogo]

Wow, I am not alone. I got the PTO 20 months ago. I am on my third inverter failure and have lost 5 months of production. I am now 12 weeks into this failure with nothing but platitudes and finger pointing by Tesla at SolarEdge. While it appears the inverters might have problems, I note that I can buy one on eBay if they are on eBay, why Tesla can't get one. If I can verify that it won't void my warranty on the rest of the system which is about 12 kWh of solar and 2 Powerwalls and swap the dead one for the one they claimed to have ordered, I think I will buy one and get it installed so I will have a spare. I have lost close to $1,000 of electricity and do not have the solar backup I expected for hurricane season.

I feel competent to swap it myself, but suspect there could be issues since I am not licensed.

I thought about doing what someone else did and going straight to SolarEdge as this appears speedier, but if Tesla already has a claim for this serial number inverter, that might cause yet more trouble.

You won’t be able to activate the eBay inverter. New one won’t be warrantied. If you buy exact same model you can switch the computer boards

But who wants the same model that will die again in a few years.

I think what dies on these inverters are massive capacitors. I found the correct ones on EBay and almost went that route. Your warrantee will still be good and it will still be activated. Just say it suddenly started working again

On the plus side, for me, is my installer guarantees production. So they will pay me for the down time. But they won’t settle up until end of year. They will cover my SRECs too (state Solar credits).

 

[boxgranch]

You should be comparing Tesla Energy Service to Chrysler or Alfa Romeo. Tesla energy is about the cheapest price for the masses, not great service.

A few years back, Subaru had an issue with their motors and they were destroying themselves in less than 100k miles because of a manufacturing defect. I know of 2 different owners who had to rent another car, because Subaru was taking multiple months to replace these engines

While I see that you are upset that Tesla hasn't come through for you, the performance guarantee of the Tesla contract protects you. If your system has underproduced for a significant portion of its life then you will be eligible for a reimbursement check. Granted their promise of production is pretty conservative such that it is pretty rare to come in under the kWh they estimate, but that is the contract you signed up for.

The Tesla representatives have repeatedly stated there is NO performance guarantee.

 

[Vines]

The Tesla representatives have repeatedly stated there is NO performance guarantee.

Ah, my mistake. Those must have gone away before your system was installed.

This whole fiasco makes me second-guess my choice of a 2nd inverter in Solar Edge 7600. I already bought it so I am sort of locked in.

 

[jigs2008]

I am on week 4 of the outage. Tesla seems to put 0 priority on getting someone to even come and look at the system. What have other done besides constantly calling every few days?

 

[sorka]

I'm in the same boat. My inverter fail a week ago with the following error (SolarEdge Error 18xB7:Vcap21 surge). Tesla came on-site yesterday and spoke with SolarEdge and we are in the RMA process. They said it could take up to 3 months. I ordered a new Inverter on my own. I know how to do the replacement but what about activation/commissioning of the new unit? How did you do that?

I experienced an 18xB7:Vcap21 Surge on Aug 24. The inverter restarted and production continued. I've had this error 3 or 4 times in the last year and SolarEdge has claimed it was normal and not to worry about it. I'm guessing they won't proactively do anything unless the inverter fails entirely.

 

[sorka]

Oddly, I could buy the same model inverter this second online. The "chat" person advised I would void the warranty if I bought one to use while waiting for the warranty replacement. I also have 2 Powerwalls and am afraid that if I were to change anything, I would wind up losing the warranty on them too.

That's flat out incorrect. You'd only void your warranty if you busted the product doing something you're not supposed to. They can't void the warranty if you properly remove and replace with a working model while you await warranty service.

 

[sorka]

Forgot to note that efforts to get through to SolarEdge have been a frustrating waste of time.

I've called them twice in the past about errors in my logs and got through to someone on the phone each time within minutes. Strange.

 

[sorka]

Today Tesla advised that would void the warranty on the system which is a lot more than just the inverter, panels, Powerwalls and Gateway.

Flat out false. That CAN'T just invalid your warranty unless you F it up somehow and the burden of proof is on them. It's time for you to read up on The Song-Beverly and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Acts.

 

[yblaser]

Today Tesla advised that would void the warranty on the system which is a lot more than just the inverter, panels, Powerwalls and Gateway.

Not that I would want to fight that fight but like cars wouldn't they have to prove something you did damaged the system and cannot make the blanket claim that the warranty is void because you made a modification or repair.

Edit - I thought I was at the end of the thread when I replied but apparently there was another page and @sorka beat me to it.

 

[Alex_M]

Lost my 1 year old SE10000 Inverter this week. Of course, neither Tesla nor SolarEdge has any stock on replacement and to ETA. Anyone has any information on lead times these days?

 

[jhn_]

Lost my 1 year old SE10000 Inverter this week. Of course, neither Tesla nor SolarEdge has any stock on replacement and to ETA. Anyone has any information on lead times these days?

One more failed 1 year old SE10000H. SolarEdge issued an RMA 3 weeks ago, but no tracking info or ETA yet. Very frustrated.... I would be curious how long it took folks to get a replacemenr recently.

I’m not trying to be a jerk. And I sympathize with everyone loosing an inverter. But what with the inconsistencies of your two posts last night on different threads? Did it fail this week or three weeks ago?

 

[sorka]

I’m not trying to be a jerk. And I sympathize with everyone loosing an inverter. But what with the inconsistencies of your two posts last night on different threads? Did it fail this week or three weeks ago?

I don't see anything inconvenient with thr two posts. What am I missing?

 

[MP3Mike]

I don't see anything inconvenient with thr two posts. What am I missing?

I assume you mean inconsistent...

One post says it failed this week, the other said they were issued an RMA 3 weeks ago. So they managed to get an RMA weeks before it failed...

 

[sorka]

I assume you mean inconsistent...

One post says it failed this week, the other said they were issued an RMA 3 weeks ago. So they managed to get an RMA weeks before it failed...

Yup. Perrils of autocorrect on smartphone. I didn't catch both post were same day. Bears further explanation.

 

[GeorgeIoak]

I think what dies on these inverters are massive capacitors. I found the correct ones on EBay and almost went that route. Your warrantee will still be good and it will still be activated. Just say it suddenly started working again

@mswlogo Do mind sharing what you used to find the caps? I had to mess with the lighting to get a picture of the cap part number but a quick search didn't reveal anything.

 

[Redhill_qik]

@mswlogo Do mind sharing what you used to find the caps? I had to mess with the lighting to get a picture of the cap part number but a quick search didn't reveal anything.

It is there in the picture that you posted which shows Hitachi MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC

MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC - HITACHI - Call 516-809-7960

MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC , Call 516-809-7960 or Request a quote online, MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC cost and delivery, Same day shipping on stock items. MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC Data sheets, MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC info.

findcomponents.net

拆機 700v120uf MKCP4700V127khqlptc 高端薄膜電容【可開發票】 露天拍賣 | 露天市集 | 全台最大的網路購物市集

I don't think that I would want to do the replacement myself.

 

[mswlogo]

It is there in the picture that you posted which shows Hitachi MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC

MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC - HITACHI - Call 516-809-7960

MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC , Call 516-809-7960 or Request a quote online, MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC cost and delivery, Same day shipping on stock items. MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC Data sheets, MKCP4700V127KHQLPTC info.

findcomponents.net

拆機 700v120uf MKCP4700V127khqlptc 高端薄膜電容【可開發票】 露天拍賣 | 露天市集 | 全台最大的網路購物市集

I don't think that I would want to do the replacement myself.

I tend to agree. My 5 year old Solar edge inverter had standard looking caps. Not those !!! They were massive. Can type. I found them on eBay and they looked identical. I don’t think they would have been to hard to replace.