Need help troubleshooting a new system

[sfay6304]

I am looking for some help with trying to figure out what may have gone wrong with my new system.

I followed all the instructions intently to connect the charge controller and the panels with combiner box and they began to work immediately! Very relieved that I had connected them properly, I let the system charge for the remainder for the day. I had to leave home though before the sun had direct contact with the panels the next day and came home to find the charge controller dark without any indicator light (ie not charging or indicating charged battery bank). Thinking it may just need a reset, I turned off the combiner breaker, waited and then turned them back on. Problem solved, it began charging again. But, it has done this everyday since (3 days).

Yesterday, I went through all the trouble shooting sections of my manuals and came to the conclusion that I had reversed the PV+ and Battery+ in the charge controller. With my pride having been humbled by this revelation, I made the necessary repairs. Unfortunately it was later in the evening and the sun had just about set. I was forced to wait until today to see if my initial err had been resolved. Unfortunately, today I had to leave early again and when my wife arrived home she went to check on the system. It was still charged at 24.2v and alas again, the charge controller was dark meaning we had no charging cycle all day. Attempting our prior remedy, she turned off the breakers and waited. When she turned them back on there was no change . We still have not been able to have the charging cycle reengage.

I am speculating here but it seems as though, at night when the night time disconnect engages it does not disengage when the sun comes back out. Would this be possible and if so may it be a defective unit?

Did I damage the charge controller by reversing the + wires?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[inetdog]

If you are very lucky, you may find that all you need to do is to disconnect both wires, connect the CC to the battery first so that it can start up, and only then connect it to the panels.
(Caution: Check this with your installation manual for the CC. I have seen at least one model that specifies to connect to the panels first, but this is rare.)
If it still does not work, check for blown fuses, etc. If all looks OK, then you may very well have damaged it.
The panel voltage, particularly for an MPPT CC, can be far higher than the output stage can accommodate.
If you have (had?) an MPPT CC rather than a PWM CC, I would not have expected it to work at all though.....

This need for steady battery power to run the electronics while the PV comes and goes is perfectly consistent with your initial experience of having to open the combiner breaker each morning.

If your CC had been a shunt type controller, it might very well not have noticed the reversal at all.