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DC Solar Circuit Breakers in 5 Minutes: How to Choose Breakers, Avoid Future Problems! Quick Guide
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Here's some of what I've learned about choosing DC PV circuit breakers for my solar power systems over the years. Make sure you choose the correct type of circuit breaker for each use case, for example: PV solar feed, charge controller, inverter.
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Solar Electric 101 Playlist:
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Making the effort to get these details right and understand them is time well spent.
There are so many DC 12/24V and solar PV circuit breaker options on the market, it can be hard to distinguish which ones work well and which ones don't. Reading honest reviews and performing a bit of research can save you a lot of trouble in the future.
Watch out for dishonest sellers listing AC circuit breakers as DC PV solar rated.
Using an ohmmeter to check new and existing circuit breakers for high resistance is a good idea. There should be very little resistance across the breaker. Otherwise, the breaker is suspect.
If you are concerned about the resistance of the protective device, consider the following:
The hotter a circuit breaker gets, generally, the greater it's potential resistance and so the lower its efficiency. Believe it or not, a circuit breaker should be kept as cool as possible.
Sometimes it's better to use an appropriate fuse (such as an ANL fuse) instead of a circuit breaker, as they generally have less resistance - although they too should be kept as cool as possible for the same reasons as circuit breakers.
Quality circuit breakers usually have detailed specifications listed, and you should read them before buying.
Avoid cheap circuit breakers that make false claims and/or don't have proper specifications listed.
A circuit breaker can't protect your investment of wiring and equipment if it doesn't work as expected.
Assumptions can be deadly. It's important to do research and ensure you have the right circuit breaker for the job, and that it will really protect the system if there is a fault.
It is important to pick a breaker with the right amperage rating for the application. Too low and the breaker will activate when there is a surge draw under normal operating conditions, for example when an inverter starts an air conditioner. Too high and it won't activate when there is a short circuit or fault, leading to damage and possibly a fire.
Learn to read and understand the labels on the front. Can you tell the difference between AC and DC markings?
This type of circuit breaker is called a mini circuit breaker or MCB. But there are a lot of classes and variations of each type, so it's important to pay attention to the details.
Some circuit breakers are polarized, meaning they have a positive and negative polarity. Be sure to check the markings and specifications to ensure the breaker works correctly.
When installing a circuit breaker, make sure and torque the terminals properly.
Thermal expansion and contraction makes the wires want to move. The breaker will naturally warm up and cool down over the course of normal use. This can cause loose wires, arcing, heat and fire.
Wires should also be clamped down near the breaker so they don't move at all.
Stay away from the cheapest circuit breakers if you really want to protect your system.
Don't cheap out. Saving 10 dollars on a circuit breaker is not worth causing a fire or burning out wires and equipment!
Consider testing a circuit breaker if you're not sure it will work, but only if you have the ability to do the test safely.
Double Pole DC circuit breakers can switch both the positive and negative side of the PV feed simultaneously.
Circuit breakers are riveted together at the factory, and thus cannot be serviced. Genuine high quality DC circuit breakers are so complex inside, reassembling them would be pointless and educational only.
Hope this video helps you out. Thanks for watching!
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Copyright Solar Power Edge, DD, Solar Power Edge channel. All Rights reserved. We reserve all rights.
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Music (Cybernetics by Nuclear Wave) provided by generous artist(s) at TuneTank. Thanks a lot!
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sub_confirmation=1
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#solar #solarelectric #solarelectricity
#gridtie #gridtiedsolar #gridtieinverter #inverter #inverters
#offgrid #offgridsolarpowersystem #offgridsolar #offgridandongrid
#solar #solarelectric #solarelectricity
Music credits: by TuneTank, Pixabay
=====================================
Solar Electric 101 Playlist:
=====================================
Making the effort to get these details right and understand them is time well spent.
There are so many DC 12/24V and solar PV circuit breaker options on the market, it can be hard to distinguish which ones work well and which ones don't. Reading honest reviews and performing a bit of research can save you a lot of trouble in the future.
Watch out for dishonest sellers listing AC circuit breakers as DC PV solar rated.
Using an ohmmeter to check new and existing circuit breakers for high resistance is a good idea. There should be very little resistance across the breaker. Otherwise, the breaker is suspect.
If you are concerned about the resistance of the protective device, consider the following:
The hotter a circuit breaker gets, generally, the greater it's potential resistance and so the lower its efficiency. Believe it or not, a circuit breaker should be kept as cool as possible.
Sometimes it's better to use an appropriate fuse (such as an ANL fuse) instead of a circuit breaker, as they generally have less resistance - although they too should be kept as cool as possible for the same reasons as circuit breakers.
Quality circuit breakers usually have detailed specifications listed, and you should read them before buying.
Avoid cheap circuit breakers that make false claims and/or don't have proper specifications listed.
A circuit breaker can't protect your investment of wiring and equipment if it doesn't work as expected.
Assumptions can be deadly. It's important to do research and ensure you have the right circuit breaker for the job, and that it will really protect the system if there is a fault.
It is important to pick a breaker with the right amperage rating for the application. Too low and the breaker will activate when there is a surge draw under normal operating conditions, for example when an inverter starts an air conditioner. Too high and it won't activate when there is a short circuit or fault, leading to damage and possibly a fire.
Learn to read and understand the labels on the front. Can you tell the difference between AC and DC markings?
This type of circuit breaker is called a mini circuit breaker or MCB. But there are a lot of classes and variations of each type, so it's important to pay attention to the details.
Some circuit breakers are polarized, meaning they have a positive and negative polarity. Be sure to check the markings and specifications to ensure the breaker works correctly.
When installing a circuit breaker, make sure and torque the terminals properly.
Thermal expansion and contraction makes the wires want to move. The breaker will naturally warm up and cool down over the course of normal use. This can cause loose wires, arcing, heat and fire.
Wires should also be clamped down near the breaker so they don't move at all.
Stay away from the cheapest circuit breakers if you really want to protect your system.
Don't cheap out. Saving 10 dollars on a circuit breaker is not worth causing a fire or burning out wires and equipment!
Consider testing a circuit breaker if you're not sure it will work, but only if you have the ability to do the test safely.
Double Pole DC circuit breakers can switch both the positive and negative side of the PV feed simultaneously.
Circuit breakers are riveted together at the factory, and thus cannot be serviced. Genuine high quality DC circuit breakers are so complex inside, reassembling them would be pointless and educational only.
Hope this video helps you out. Thanks for watching!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright Solar Power Edge, DD, Solar Power Edge channel. All Rights reserved. We reserve all rights.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Music (Cybernetics by Nuclear Wave) provided by generous artist(s) at TuneTank. Thanks a lot!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
sub_confirmation=1
----------------------------------------------------------------------
#solar #solarelectric #solarelectricity
#gridtie #gridtiedsolar #gridtieinverter #inverter #inverters
#offgrid #offgridsolarpowersystem #offgridsolar #offgridandongrid
#solar #solarelectric #solarelectricity
Music credits: by TuneTank, Pixabay
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