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Hi,
Technical question here. I have used my 7000w Powerjack for 4 years. It does overheat easily , I hate that the shutoff voltages are not adjustable and I am upgrading to a 6000w Genetry Solar inverter for all its features.
My Question is , Can i leave my Powerjack hooked up as a dedicated Charger(ie disconnect the AC out but leave the battery connections) and if I do would I be able to charge with the generator (in to the Powerjack) and leave my new Genetry Solar inverter on and inverting without damaging it?
I have included a photo of my retractable swinging solar panels. When tucked under the eaves and hanging flat against the building , I get just enough power out of them in winter to keep my mechanical room (with stored rainwater , pumps, batteries, inverter and charge controller) from freezing and allows for year long use and once I have a reliable inverter with wifi capability , I should be able to leave it unattended but still be able to monitor it. No snow builds up on panels.
Where I am , most of the precipitation comes in early spring and late fall so I had to design the collection system to be freezeproof.
Looking forward after 11 month wait for my new Genetry inverter<a class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image" href="/monthly_2023_06/B23E6DB2-79CC-4882-BE67-466A34E0E74E_1_105_c.jpeg.f91956f0d80fffc5c70ebd517d918fa3.jpeg" data-fileid="2314" data-fileext="jpeg" rel=""><img class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid="2314" data-ratio="56.20" width="1000" alt="B23E6DB2-79CC-4882-BE67-466A34E0E74E_1_105_c.thumb.jpeg.2d529f21ad7ed16edae999f4ada1e7f5.jpeg" data-src="/monthly_2023_06/B23E6DB2-79CC-4882-BE67-466A34E0E74E_1_105_c.thumb.jpeg.2d529f21ad7ed16edae999f4ada1e7f5.jpeg" src="/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />
Thanks
Phil
Hello there!
Pretty sweet looking setup! Very nice.
Can i leave my Powerjack hooked up as a dedicated Charger(ie disconnect the AC out but leave the battery connections) and if I do would I be able to charge with the generator (in to the Powerjack) and leave my new Genetry Solar inverter on and inverting without damaging it?
Without knowing much about your PJ inverter- have you tested charging with it? The charge on my 8k is essentially non-functional. That being said, if you have been able to charge with your PJ inverter, the addition of the GS6K should not interfere with that- you should be able to charge with one while inverting with the other, given they are wired correctly. Essentially the same as if you were running the inverter with solar or wind charging the battery at the same time.
once I have a reliable inverter with wifi capability , I should be able to leave it unattended but still be able to monitor it. No snow builds up on panels.
I would note however that it would probably be better to use the GS6K for charge because it (including its charge functionality) can be remotely monitored and controlled. It can even start your generator for you with the right generator setup.
Thanks for the reply.
My Powerjack is actually an 8K. it works for about an hour before overheating on charge but will go indefinately when a small fan is aimed at it's fan.
Phil
Thanks for the reply.
You're not the only one...
Was my setup prior to the GS6K and my LFP bank.
So yeah, I think the PJ might make for a good charger for your use case. Charge on the 6K however is so good at this point unless you have a really large bank I think you'd skip it altogether. When charging, the 6K passes through the charge source to its output, and ATS is so fast I don't notice the change when experiencing power outages or switching manually between battery and shore input.
If i wanted a dedicated charger, I'd probably get a [much smaller] charge-only charger that will be optimized for charge efficiency. (Inverters tend to be optimized for Inverting efficiency, unsurprisingly)
Having said that, the GS charger is pretty efficient [roughly 90%] when it is backed off to 1500W or so, and is what i use in the rare situation that i want to charge via grid.
The Powerjack might be best kept for a backup (i have a U-Power for my spare) or for another project (like an RV or Boat).
But the short answer to your question is yes... you can use the charge functionality with the output disconnected. It will passthrough the power to the output terminals (to nowhere) while charging the batteries. But expect very poor efficiency on the order of < 70%.