Solar Over Temp

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   Any one have any idea what the "over temp" error message means on a charge controller? I've got a Renogy 100w system that I've had for about 5 years. It sat out in a hard rain (which it's done many times before) and when I plugged it into the solar port I got a message saying "over temp". Now it isn't charging. I took the controller apart thinking maybe it needed to dry out, but no luck. Called Renogy, got put on hold for an hour and finally talked to a woman who had no clue about anything, but promised to send me an email with a ticket number. Naturally the email never came and they aren't responding to my emails, so here I sit wondering if I need a new controller, if water possibly got in the panels and shorted them out....I dunno. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Mike 

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mikeyg2347 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 27 May 2015 Location: MT Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Topic: Solar Over Temp Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 7:05pm
	Any one have any idea what the "over temp" error message means on a charge controller? I've got a Renogy 100w system that I've had for about 5 years. It sat out in a hard rain (which it's done many times before) and when I plugged it into the solar port I got a message saying "over temp". Now it isn't charging. I took the controller apart thinking maybe it needed to dry out, but no luck. Called Renogy, got put on hold for an hour and finally talked to a woman who had no clue about anything, but promised to send me an email with a ticket number. Naturally the email never came and they aren't responding to my emails, so here I sit wondering if I need a new controller, if water possibly got in the panels and shorted them out....I dunno. Any thoughts? Thanks. Mike
	Mike

fwunder Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 04 Oct 2013 Location: New Jersey Online Status: Offline Posts: 1676	Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 7:24pm
	Disclaimer: I'm just learning from much smarter folks here. Firs thing I would do is check open circuit voltage of panel(s). Just need a voltmeter to check. That would rule out panels. If they are not or have not been physically damaged, they would be guaranteed. I would then check output voltage of controller. You could have a problem with the controller-pod connection? Do you have a way to connect controller to battery without using pod built in port? You could easily make one. Renogy support is slow. I've been working a couple of tickets for a couple of weeks, but feel like I am slowly making progress. Most of my help has come from here. I have to say, the last thing I would do is take controller apart.
	2014 RPod 178 => MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks!

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 7:43pm
	Very unlikely that water could get into the solar module, and that wouldn't create an overtemp error in the controller anyway. Unless you're getting a battery overtemp alarm (there is a different error code for that) the controller has a temp sensor that is monitoring the heat sink the transistor(s) are attached to. It apparently thinks the temp is too high when its not because you had it disconnected long enough to cool down I'm sure. So it has shut off charging to try to cool down. You could try to identify and replace that temp sensor I guess, or clean it up and make sure that it isn't shorted. Was there any moisture in there when you opened it up?
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326	Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 8:09pm
	The earlier controllers were not waterproof. The newer Voyager controllers do claim to be waterproof. If water got in there, it could have shorted something. Why not try something that is done to dry out cell phones when they get wet. Put the controller in a fine mesh cloth bag. Put that in a bag filled with rice and leave it for a few days. That will help dry it out. I guess you could use silica gel to dry it out also, but it is easier to get a bag of rice and it does work.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

mikeyg2347 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 27 May 2015 Location: MT Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 9:48pm
	The controller appeared to be dry when I opened it up. There's just a couple of boards in there which I pulled out without disconnecting and let sit for a couple of days. If there was any moisture it would have been gone by then I'd think. The over temp alarm comes on immediately which is interesting because there's not enough time for any heat to develop.
	Mike

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326	Posted: 30 Jul 2020 at 10:07pm
	It sounds like it is time for a new controller.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

mikeyg2347 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 27 May 2015 Location: MT Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 6:59am
	Any recommendations on a brand? Renogy's newer models are reasonably priced and advertised to be waterproof but I'm totally unimpressed with their customer support.
	Mike

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 6:59am
	I've never looked in one of those controllers but you might try this. Look for the heat sink. The larger device(s) on it will be the field effect transistors (FETs) which do the pulse width modulation switching. If the heat sink temp sensor is a discrete device it will be smaller than the FETs. Like maybe a very small button on a ring terminal attached to the heatsink somewhere. If you can find that you could try to detach it, clean it up and reattach it. If that doesn't work, and it probably won't, then as StephenH says, get a new controller, and maybe get a "waterproof" one this time.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 7:21am
	Morningstar makes good stuff, I used to work with the founders at another company and they are good folks.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

JR Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2018 Location: Manistee, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 364	Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 7:43am
	I have had 2 Morning Star's on two different applications and have been very satisfied with the controller's operations. With each of them I had issues that had to be worked through and the customer support is just outstanding and I would highly recommend the company and their equipment. The equipment is not the cheapest out there but the customer service more than makes up for that. By the way I am still using the Morning Star controller on our RPod 179 and it is working well.
	Jay 179/2019