Hi all, this is my first post here but I just wanted to warn everybody about the dangers of these new fangled types of electric generators.
I won't name the company as I don't want to get in trouble, but it wasn't one of the bigger names in these types of generators, more like a cheap generic Chinese brand that I purchased on Amazon about a year ago.
It seemed to be ok at first, the only issue being a very inaccurate battery charge monitor, but about 3 weeks ago I plugged a very low wattage device into the 240AC input (a hub for a smart light to be exact) and shortly after heard a loud pop that instantly caused that input to fail.
Anyways, I tried all the online fixes for this particular model, of which worryingly there were many, but none of them worked.
One of the fixes, which I tried today, was to completely deplete the battery and then fully recharge the battery and plug in a device again, which I did, only for it to make an even louder pop noise, smoke, and give off a very strong burning smell and then fail completely.
I had already contacted the seller, who has asked for it to be returned and refunded, but I am thinking about keeping it and reporting and sending it to any relevant authorities that may investigate things like this, as I believe it shouldn't be sold due to the fire risk.
So, I was wondering if anybody knows of any watchdog type organizations that I could contact to report this too?
Oh dear Stan,
I'd be content with doing what the seller suggested - at least they have offered to refund your money.
As for completely discharging your battery, I hope it's not an AGM as that sort of treatment will see you buying another in the not too distant future. I've also read that lithium batteries don't like it as well. Beware in the future.
If you must carry a generator, I'd suggest for service & spare parts that you stick with the more widely known units. Often repair shops won't touch the el-cheapo Chinese motors.
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
Of course It's a Lithium, there is no such thing as a portable AGM type battery electric generator as far as I'm aware. As for completely discharging the battery, It's completely acceptable as it is a LFP type. keeping in mind as I said in my original post, the AC input had completely failed so not sure how depleting the battery could damage it any further anyway.
-- Edited by capnbooyah on Sunday 9th of June 2024 11:45:26 PM
... I plugged a very low wattage device into the 240AC input (a hub for a smart light to be exact) and shortly after heard a loud pop that instantly caused that input to fail.
Why would you plug a device into the input? If this is a portable inverter, then a 240VAC input would be for charging the battery. The 240VAC output(s) would power the loads.
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"No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full."
I see Stanley has taken his battery in a box, or whatever he has, and left the building, never to return it seems.
Sometimes I wonder what people expect when they are somewhat unclear with what they have. By his own admission, whatever he did have wasnt the best in class, but an eBay/amazon copy. The outcome is hardly surprising to me!
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Monday 10th of June 2024 05:35:45 PM
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Regards Ian
Chaos, mayhem, confusion. Good my job here is done
whatever he did have wasn't the best in class, but an eBay/amazon copy. The outcome is hardly surprising to me!
Not me either!
At the extreme best an accident waiting to happen.
This is why I bought Victron, I simply couldn't be bothered with the great expense of failed cheap rubbish in the outback. Additionally I duplicated hardware for redundancy.
Who wants to be stuck a 1000 km from anywhere with chinese forth rate products.
At the very least, not worth the Wifey lifetime worth of reminders of male failure. Only the brain dead go there!
Hung, drawn & quartered (twice) comes to mind for the "deserving", they are not with it on any level of self preservation.
Also why I have 3 compressors for the tyres, & not cheap chinese sh..! & by the way 4 auxiliary batteries for redundancy (which will jump start with up to 1040 amps).
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Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
I see Stanley has taken his battery in a box, or whatever he has, and left the building, never to return it seems.
Sometimes I wonder what people expect when they are somewhat unclear with what they have. By his own admission, whatever he did have wasnt the best in class, but an eBay/amazon copy. The outcome is hardly surprising to me!
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Monday 10th of June 2024 05:35:45 PM
Not the first one to pack up his toys and leave.
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Cheers, Richard (Dick0)
"Home is where the Den is parked, Designer Orchid Special towed by Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited"
"4x250W solar panels, Epever 80A charger and 3x135Ah Voltax Prismatic LiFePO4 Batteries".
Gee. Was going to ask for help here for my thing e mabob that supplies my watch a macallit that plugs into the jigger thing so I can use my thing that I don't know what it does. But I'll ask anyways. Any help for me. LOL twice.
-- Edited by Corndoggy on Tuesday 11th of June 2024 01:11:13 PM
Like most on here, I was struggling to get my head around exactly what he was talking about.
I really did think at first it was a petrol powered generator, but slowly came to the realisation it wasn't and was most probably a powerbox of some sort with a lithium battery.
His response to a couple of people on here who were both trying to help him but were obviously as confused as I was and trying to get their heads around exactly what he was talking about was pretty disappointing to say the least.
I pity the poor supplier of the unit who has done the right thing but is still copping a **** sandwich from this guy.
You might want to put in a quality inline surge protector before 3.0kVA UPS, or at the 230v output of your inverter (I have a 15amp 230v socket for computers). Amazing the dodgy power supply in Sydney!
In an area of lots of rooftop solar, the grid can often have spikes of considerable increase in voltage that can damage sensitive electronic components that are now found in most household white goods.
An electrician mate says that he has seen voltage spikes regularly around 270 volts and fried circuit boards as a result.
Most of Australia changed to the 230v ISO standard in 2000. I think Queensland was the last State to change in 2020.
In Sydney we live close to the transformer in our street & are often around 249 - 251v (measured with Kyoritsu RMS multimeter) in the evening!
The ISO Standard states a nominal 230 voltage which has an allowable voltage tolerance to the customer's point of supply of +10% to -6%. The preferred range of the Standard is +6% to -2%.
P.S. Those little green boxes next to the footpath one sees everywhere these days are correcting voltage. Generally upping the voltage.
__________________
Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
