₦airaland Forum

FEGEITOK:
I never took offense. From our chat here, I had to go back and install earth wire in my home AC unit and office AC unit.

That validates your point.

The second issue that validates your point is that with so many technicians the client maybe more educated on the stuff that he is contracting the vendor/tech on. That to me is very bad. Its your field. Why can't you keep up with the technology? Why can't you hold a conversation on it with your client? Isn't that a chance to demonstrate your mastery and make the client relax that you know your onions?

So I never took offense.

You raised a very valid point on earthing and I am determined to confirm that all is well on that front since I have no other way of confirming that they did the proper thing.

Third issue that validates your point is that lights were blowing left right and center until the client decided to replace the DB the vendor/tech installed with a another DB.

It is events like these that make me take a very active interest in whatever installations are done for me.

I don't want my money to work for me. I want to understand exactly how the money is doing that work for me so I can interrogate the process.

If I didn't have that knowledge when I found out that the ELCB was bad at 11pm (as I just stepped into a dark house meanwhile everyone had light around me and the indicators were showing that I had light at the meter).I would have remained in darkness till the next day. Which tech was I going to call to come and sort me out at that time?

But because I have such knowledge I rigged up temporary lighting until I was able to replace the ELCB with a RCCB

Good morning & thanks brother. You're right, it always helps when we know how things around us works.

For me, I will be starting my electrical system integrity (connections & earthing installation) checks and upgrade within the next few weeks. So that I can be reasonably satisfied with what follows next.

NEPA has shown household shege, so I need to look for an alternative like many of us here. I have settled my mind for either Jinko or Yingli panels. 1st choice is Jinko. Do you know any authorized Jinko seller? I contacted techland and Paletteng but they only have 380W.

FEGEITOK:
My point was that if I bought an RCCB of doubtful provenance, then not only is there a risk of shock, but to my mind, my equipment is at risk.

Now, I am not under the impression that I need to save some cash to make extra profit, that is what some artisans would do. Neither am I willing to engage some heavy height electrical engineer for this to my mind very small project - the engineer will most likely use the proper RCCB but i will have to pay heavily for engaging him.

That said, since I have benefited immensely from this forum, let me also share so others can benefit as well.

If you need guidance on RCCB and ELCB and why the former is better, then please find time to watch these videos:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVJeh-PQGHM


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J4LhGMd1Hw

I feel that my earthing is in order, but to test it. I will most likely need to engage a fit and proper electrical engineer for that task

My Oga I greet you. Be assured that my comments are generic and well intentioned with nothing personal in it in case misunderstood.

That said, thank you for uploading this Sir. I and others are sure to learn from it.

FEGEITOK:
Barely 30 minutes ago I decommissioned the ECLB and commissioned the RCCB into service.

Took me this long because I wanted to be absolutely sure what I was buying.

I didn't delegate this task.

My electronics are too expensive to play with.

I will detail the process subsequently.

Suffice it to say, be absolutely sure what you want to buy before you go shopping so the market doesn't sway you.

Thank you NiyiOmolyunade and GloriousGbola

Well said! Congratulations to you brother. I feel that many of us don't put enough thought towards electrical safety and that may be as a result of half baked tradesmen that do our works and lack the ability to technically advice on importance of devices (If care is not taken you will be dissuaded from doing something safe because it is "waste of money". You hear side talks like "Oga na so we dey do am", "You wan teach me my job", "I have been doing this job for 35 years". But they forget that skills need to be updated, ways and procedures are always changing as better materials or technology allows.

Infact saving your electronics can be left for overcurrent and overvoltage to deal with but you're ensuring the safety of life as much as possible with the RCCB as per electric shocks. I have no doubt you've a functional earthing system.

Congrats

tolukemi:
Thank you for your input. What hybrid inverter brands would you recommend around that price?

1. Growatt 48v 5kw hybrid inverter - more than 500k
2. Sorotec 48v 5kw or 5.5kw inverter - around 450k. (do your due diligence and research)

There are other good brands which members can advice on but these are my take for now.

tolukemi:
Hello everyone. Please can you help me critique this quotation (parts and cost) I received from an installer? Background: I am looking to go off grid as much as possible. I need to power the following:

1. lights
2. Four ceiling fans
3. TV with decoder
4. Refrigerator
5. Chest freezer
6. Water pump
7. Possibly an AC in the future

Here is what I have been quoted:
1. 5KVA/48V Lento Inverter ₦500k
2. Four 220AH/12V Lento Tall Tubular Battery ₦190k each
3. Battery rack ₦19k
4. 2.5mm cable (15m) ₦1.1k/m
5. 60A Adjustable voltage protector ₦30k
6. 32A AC breaker ₦3.5k
7. Two Breaker enclosure 4-way ₦4k each
8. Ancillaries (Trunking pipes, tapes, 100A knife switch, flash bands, sealants, bolts & nuts) ₦29k
9. Ten 350W Bestcom Mono-crystalline solar panel ₦102k each
10. 60A 48V MPPT Sun-Extra solar change controller ₦155k
11. Four 63A Chint DC breaker single pole (for solar) ₦4.5k each
12. 10mm cable in meters (for solar) (50m) ₦1.4k/m
13. Four Solar Aluminium fittings ₦16.5k each

Thank you in advance for your help.

Number 1 observation is that 48v 5kva Lento is not N500k. it is far less than that. Look around and find authorized or main distributors. If you are willing to spend 500k on an inverter then you can even get some hybrid brands of same capacity (48v 5kw).

Number 2. 350w x 10 = 3.5kw panel = N1,020,000
Yingli is a very good brand, to get 3.5kw equivalent = 450w x 8 = 3.6kw = @ N115,000 x 8 = N920, 000. So for 0.1kw more power rating, you save N100,000. Assuming the panels are of similar size, you are using 8 panels for yingli (instead of 10 for bestcom) which mean rooftop space savings.

olopan:
AGM batteries don't require equalization only Tubular batteries does except it is those black external things for each battery you referring to here.

Thanks bros for your response. first picture is what i mean.

I couldn't figure out the "black external things" you described.

House almost on the verge of biting the hybrid inverter bullet which comes with in built mppt charger. so no need to get separate mppt charger.

however my question is do i need to get a separate battery equalizer added to the solar system (its a 48v AGM battery configuration) or is having the "all in one" hybrid inverter enough.

Braaad:
How is the performance so far? Can you share contacts to purchase this??

He has provided the SRNE authorized dealer information in a previous post. I have searched and attached it now.

longyemi:
A TV, 80 watts
Decoder
Sound system
Ceiling fan

Those are what I meant as basi.c home appliances.... Thanks

Dear Sir/Madam, your basic is not everyones basic and vice versa hence the previous advise.

two get the wattage (power consumption) of those devices ans state it. people here will generally help but help them too by providing as much information as possible.

How many hours do you intend to use each per day.

Thanks

drizzypat:
so I called this number

Baba said anything below 100 panels dey r not selling! ..

Pls I'm looking for Jinko 550watts who sells?

Help

Drizzypat abeg tag me if you get help.

TechGeek777:
Which of them does it better, is it the first picture or the second picture?

Picture 2 is well suited for that task of measuring a pass through current/voltage.

Picture 1 multimeter is not since you need to establish physical contact.

If you are going to buy any multimeter, try and get an auto-ranging one. its easier and less cumbersome. For the ones in the picture, you really need to know the range of what you are measuring before you get the right feedback from the multimeter.

Morning House.

Does anyone know anything about this product called LENTO inverter. Are they any good from personal experiences.

Any information about the product is appreciated.

If you know someone who knows, please tag him so I can get some insight.

NiyiOmoIyunade:
Bentonite clay and marconite are good materials but you are better off with an industrial premixed GEM - see pic below

This will give a very low resistance (highly conductive) and non-corrosive earth with stable and permanent readings for 30 years or more.

Each GEM bag should cost under 25k at current prices.

If anyone will cheap out and use charcoal then they should get the powder form or grind/pound the lumps into as fine/powdery form as they can manage.

Salt leaches out of the install site as rainfall comes and goes every season and may also corrode the copper so I do not encourage the use - if you must use salt then test your soil resistivity and dose regularly.

Thank you for the info.

NiyiOmoIyunade:
Bentonite clay and marconite are good materials but you are better off with an industrial premixed GEM - see pic below

This will give a very low resistance (highly conductive) and non-corrosive earth with stable and permanent readings for 30 years or more.

Each GEM bag should cost under 25k at current prices.

If anyone will cheap out and use charcoal then they should get the powder form or grind/pound the lumps into as fine/powdery form as they can manage.

Salt leaches out of the install site as rainfall comes and goes every season and may also corrode the copper so I do not encourage the use - if you must use salt then test your soil resistivity and dose regularly.

Exactly why I decided to look "outside the box" , away from traditional coal & industrial salt combination. Do you know of GEM brand you can recommend? Can this be easily sourced from building material merchants, chemical merchants or ...

House, does anyone have the experience or knowledge of using bentonite or merconite for earthing instead of charcoal and salt.

if yes, what is your experience and how much did the bentonite cost per bag (how many kg is in a bag) or merconite cost per bag.

If the house knows anyone who does please let me know.

drizzypat:
Wow thanks a lot . Gen actually bought about the issue

As I was charging my battery(which I normally do)

Rn if I try to get another I was thinking of Ivm felicity 5kva

And not connect generator to it

The reason I did at first was due to not enough panels .

I will have to mange d panels then for now and jst don't use gen anymore on it.

Brother, I am not an expert but your Generator is not your problem. All hybrids from my humble knowledge allow grid (NEPA) or Generator pass through to charge the batteries depending on the inverter operational mode you select. My thoughts would be to
1. check your electrically wiring from generator to the inverter is adequate and properly sized
2. Put in a safety device between your generator and the hybrid inverter that will manage the V/A coming into the inverter. Seniors in the house can advise you on these devices and what they're called.
3. I would do same for the PV solar panels source coming into the inverter too. Seniors in the house can advise you on these devices and what they're called.
4. "earth" or ground" your hybrid inverter panel if possible.

This is my 2 kobo thoughts.

drizzypat:
Hello so today my tech engr came in.

He said it's the inverter he turned it on and there was a spark sound from the inverter itself, he then suggested to have it fixed that it'll be favorable

My only issue now is will the cost to have it fixed not be up to half the must inverter itself?he said it's a board thing.

What do suggest guys..

Spend to fix or result to getting another ...

I'm talking on a long TERM basis

I am completely off grid!
@NiyiOmoIyunade
@zeestone99
@mangolpupa
@jonescosmo

Assuming you bought the MusT inverter for 360k and the cost of repairing that board is nearing half of the cost (180k). I will be favorably disposed to getting a new "better" quality hybrid inverter than spend that much repairing the board. Reason is that there is no guarantee that board wont go bad again.

If you ever decide to go for a new inverter, my advise is to make sure you are getting one with a good history of performance/service you can verify to an extent or even better from an authorized dealer if possible. Buying from an authorized dealer will have some advantages like some form of warranty or after sales service. Often times in our country, as a general statement, Items gets worse after visiting repair shops, so weigh your options wisely.

More importantly find out what caused the last issue with the inverter: was it a surge or bad connection or what? Then what could you have done to stop it from happening should be the next question. If you don't identify the cause of the last mishap, even a repaired or new inverter will sooner or later go through the same issue.

kiekie1:
Warmth regards

Happy new year Sir/Ma !

Happy New Year 2023 our Oga. Wishing you & household a better year ahead.

christy99:
unable to search for kieki, do you have a way I can reach him on please

Ahh, apologies my mistake. its @kiekie1

However i copied and pasted his details here:

Contact,
Smartcell global services
CALL LINE: 081-350-31951

You can double check by searching his name too.

christy99:
Thank you very much, lithium battery price would be too much to handle at this current time so I might have to go with the AGM, please any idea on the prices?

You welcome. I think between 150k -220k depending on capacity but dont quote me .

Please check with @Kieki1 or any other member that sells or recommends a direct source distributor, he should be in a better position to tell you prices as he deals with solar batteries, inverters etc.

Best wishes.

christy99:
Good morning everyone. I intend getting a 7.5kva or 10kva felicity hybrid inverter and 8 flooded battery coupled with 12 380watts solar panels. What brand of battery is recommended for use, and also is there a recommended seller in the house that has these items?

Morning.

As for the felicity hybrid inverter. I saw a thread sometime ago where @jonescosmo put for sale his 5kw hybrid felicity inverter (x3) as he was upgrading his solar setup. You may want to get in touch with him for finer details.

Personally I would recommend an AGM, Lithium ion or Lifepo4. Experts here have spoken highly of Quanta AGM battery. @valto supplies good lifepo4 batteries. Other members can advise on good battery distributors.

Valto:
good evening. only 12v variants available for now. thanks.

@drizzypat see valto's reply. I hope you get a suitable alternative or suggestion from a member soon.

drizzypat:
thanks at what range do think it goes for ..d 2000w/48v

Thats what I dont know. You can reach out to him, he is knowledgeable and I believe can answer or provide clarifications.

Just reach out to him.

drizzypat:
thing now is I don't know who can help fix it

The backup inverter. How much can I get a smaller one for now .

Fairly used or relatively low price will do

Oga drizzypat I can understand your situation. it depends on what you mean by smaller one.

You can check @valto he sells 1000W, 1600W and 2000W Valtech pure sine wave inverter. This could be the short fix you're looking for. You can reach out to him and see if it helps.

Aboki01:
Good evening Oga's in here... Abeg I would like to ask if 400-600k can setup a solar(inverter). I intend powering
1. 5 energy saving bulb
2. 55" Samsung smart TV
3. 2 ox fan
4. A deep freezer and a 95l haier thermocool refrigerator
5. 1 ceiling fan.
Note: The major purpose of setting up the inverter system is for use at night time. From 7pm- Anytime it trips off in the middle of the night.

Someone has already responded to your question with a No. However i think to help yourself and all the knowledge contributors in this forum you should work out your energy consumption per day (check the back of your appliances or manual). For example you can do this

1. 5 energy saving bulb - assuming 10W/LED = 5 x 10W = 50W x 6 hrs = 300Wh . This is the amt of energy you need to power all 5 LED for 6 hrs in a day.
2. 55" Samsung smart TV - assume 100W and you use TV for 4hrs in a day = 100W x 4 hrs = 400Wh
3. 2 ox fan = 150W x 2 = 300W . Assume you use both for 3 hrs each in a day = 300W x 3h = 900Wh
4. A deep freezer and a 95l haier thermocool refrigerator = Assume 140W for both = 280W. Assuming 6 hrs operation for both in a day = 280W x 6hrs = 1680Wh
5. 1 ceiling fan. = Assume 60W x 5hrs use in a day = 300Wh

Therefore your total expected energy requirement in a day will be 300wh + 400wh + 900wh + 1680wh + 300wh = 3580wh = 3.58kwh.
This will help you know what kind of system, you need to build. it will also let you adjust your requirements and know what is realistic for you. (for e.g: with this knowledge you may decide you will run only freezer and not fridge).

I am not an expert, there are many more suitably qualified experts in the house. But we all learn and progress. I think having this skill yourself will help you in your solar energy journey.

Hello Valto.

How much is your 1000w valtech pure sine wave inverter.

Thanks

Oga do you have trailing edge dimmer switches that is perfect for led bulbs?

topsy23:
For the earthing materials I can supply you.

I will be expecting your feedback in the cut out fuse

The process is called remodelling / cable management

Ok. Will be in touch soon.

topsy23:
For the good earthing system. Below is the list of materials to buy with the cost

Earth rod 7nos @ 7000 per one
Earth clamp 1 @ 2500
Earth coupler 6 @ 1000 per one
Earth mat 1 @ 6000
Salt. 1 bag @ 5000
Charcoal 4000
10mm bare copper cable 5m @ 1000 per meter
10mm insulated cable 15m @ 1000 per meter
[/b] Can you supply these, so I can be sure of the quality of material? If yes, let me know and I will be in touch.

For the isolating you can Havel product but the rating will now depend on the size of your building . We have 32A, 63A 100A but if you have a cut-out fuse I don't think you need isolator or gear switch..
[b] I will confirm and let you know.

For the RCCB or RCBO it is a nice suggestion BUT those breakers are very sensitive to eaither fault current, short circuiting, bad resistance value. If you plan to use the above listed breakers you must ensure all these below
[/b] I intend to my brother. But maybe to reduce cost, if the original old DB is still functional then i may add another DB which is exclusively RCCB (if you think this is possible), that way we would have covered overload issues and fault, short circuiting and resistance issue. it is not only for property but for life too.

Good wiring installation
Good value of earthing value to be less than 5-ohms or possibly to have less than 1-ohm

[b] What is the specific name that these kind of service is referred as. Looking forward to your reply.

Oga I forgot to add that it is a single phase Grid Setup. Thanks

Topsy23 wishing you a Merry christmas and a prosperous healthy 2023 ahead.

Bros, I am thinking of installing a proper earthing and bonding system. can you please give me an idea of what it will cost (material and labor) from your experience.

I also had a quick review of the wiring and it doesn't appear there is any isolator before the DB. Do you have quality isolator for such a circumstance. What I'm thinking of achieving is to be able to shut of grid current (A) before it reaches the DB. This will allow maintenance work/etc to happen on the DB without risk to any electrician.

finally the DB in the house is a very dated "MEM" and I am thinking of adding appropriate breakers like a RCBO or RCCB to run off the old DB. Even If you cant do this personally, can you review, advise and supply appropriate quality configure. I am happy to discuss my thoughts with you.

mcTrinity:
Hi mango,
Kindly note that you can't connect 6 number of 12V batteries in a 48V configuration.

Depending on your load, either you get a 24V inverter and connect the batteries in 2x3 (2S3P) configuration or you add 2 more batteries to make it a total of 8 batteries and then connect for a 48V system in 2x4 configuration.
Cheers

Mctrinity thanks for the response. If I go 48v inverter, how will this likely influence future solar panel configurations? Does it mean like the battery, I will have to ensure that the panels are also configured to have 48v?