Mastervolt set on fire

[Coleman]

Hi all,
Just thought I would mention don't fit Mastervolt inverters because they Are crap, especially when I installed one last June,the customer called our
office a few a days back and reported that he seen black smoke billowing out of the inverter (nice) so ive been back and replaced it.
That is the forth Mastervolt I've replaced this year! But if you like them inverters you carry on

 

[solarsavings]

Uhm..........

Dear Mr P***,Thank you for forwarding all the information about the Solar Panels. I am afraid that my interest in them took a down turn when my son's near neighbour's house burned down. Solar Panels had been fitted that week and the inverter in the loft had burst into flames detroying most of their house. This has quite put me off going ahead at the moment.Thank you for your considerate presentation, Kind regards Bridget *********.

 

[SibertSolar]

holy combustible inverters batman!

 

[kate.harrison1]

OK, I have SMA 400TL but still now feel inclined to place a smoke alarm in the loft now!!

 

[and]

I think a smoke alarm in the loft is a good call!

 

[daytona600]

search mastervolt product recall , even has its own website
soladins had as they said thermal runaway ie it goes on fire
never had a credit back for mine either after 9months

 

[whlphil]

I know of a local domestic installer had the same with a Power One, think that was a polarity issue tho as it happened same day of install.

 

[MCS Renewables]

Could be because inverters are not meant to be mounted in lofts ?

 

[moggy1968]

nothing wrong with mounting inverters in lofts
thats an old hat argument. modern inverters are capable of operating up to and beyond the temperature in a loft, especially at this time of year which is when this inverter had a melt down.
check the spec of your inverters first though!!

 

[daytona600]

some excellent moden inverters have 90degree operating range minus 25 to plus 65 degrees

 

[MCS Renewables]

However the Mastervolt only operates to 60 degrees and derates after 45. installation manual page 6.
The mastervolt should not be placed in dusty enviorments also manual page 6 .

Therefore a mastervolt inverter should not be placed in a loft .

It must be wired in 3 x 4mm cable as per page 8 and with an Ohm reading not exceeding 0.25 also page 8.

I wonder if all these installation conditions were met.

 

[moggy1968]

I would disagree. no problem intsalling that in a loft in terms of it catching fire, only that it may derate itself. Even then only under the most extreme conditions. I have never measured the temperature in a loft in summertime, but I have worked in 45 degrees in the desert and in a loft in summertime. I would doubt a loft exceeds this temperature.


The inverter should never catch fire due to ambient temperature. it's protection settings should prevent that.
The installation location is a red herring. something else went wrong here.

I would not count a loft as a dusty environment. It is certainly less dusty than, for example, a garage, where there is a lot more activity kicking up the dust.
The dustiest environment is probably your own living areas, as you will see if you look at the fan on your PC!

 

[AIM]

During a re-wire last year I had a thermometer in the loft, as it seemed very hot.

Ambient 47 deg C/ 116 deg F at 1100.

I didn't stay there until mid-afternoon to see how much hotter it got!

 

[moggy1968]

so at that temperature the inverter would derate itself, but it still shouldn't burst into flames!
it's good for your weight loss program!!

 

[MCS Renewables]

The mastervolt is fan cooled so is sucking in very dusty hot air to cool itself.

Have been an electrician since I left school, now 45, lofts are not pleasant places for about eight months of the year , especially this end of the country. If you catch the light right in a loft you can see the air is thick with fibreglass particles , which is why you should wear a mask.

In my opinion anyone who fits an inverter in a loft knowing it will derate and that its performance will be affected during the warmer months is not doing their job properly. It may be easier for the installer but it is not so good for the customer.

 

[moggy1968]

I'm in the same neck of the woods as you and also an electrician so I know what lofts are like on the south coast! You see all those particles in the air because your up there kicking them about!! when your not there it's all settled, which is why a garage or even a house is probably more dusty in terms of particles in the air than the loft. How much dust is over stuff in the loft that has been there for years, not much actually. now try not dusting your house for 6 months!!
got to agree with your comment about installing inadequate gear, and have to say I don't use mastervolt, but my point is this, putting this inverter in the loft is almost certainly not what caused it to catch fire.

 

[SolarCity]

While I would agree that the location of the inverter wasn't the reason that it caught fire, I am strongly of the opinion that loft spaces are not the place for inverters. Sometimes, of course, you have no choice.