I have met many people complaining about the quality of solar inverter. The only question they were asking was “why my solar inverter is caught fire” and “how to protect solar inverter from burning out“. It is a common problem that many of my customers are facing specially in summers.
To address this problem, I specifically researched about it and talked to my electrical engineer colleague. We shared our knowledge and sort out this mystery. There are several reasons behind this problem and most of them are because of our own negligence. I will address all reasons behind it and discuss the solution in detail:
Reasons of why solar inverter catches fire
Solar inverters catch fire because of few reasons listed below:
- Installing Inverter in direct sunlight.
- Installing it at warm place.
- Ignoring cleanliness.
- Using low quality DB box and circuit breakers.
How to keep your inverter safe from fire
There are some precautionary measures that you can follow if you want to increase life span of your solar inverter. Keep the following points in mind to protect your solar panel system from short circuits and burning during the hot summer season. All of these instructions are developed after discussing it with field engineer and inverter experts:
1. Choose a branded inverter
First of all try to choose an inverter from a reputed brand because it comes with warranty and their build quality is very remarkable. Avoid using locally manufactured inverters as these inverters are very vulnerable and blow up easily.
2. Choose an easily accessible place
In extreme temperatures, the power producing unit is more prone to catching fire. When installing the solar system, choose the place of the inverter where you can reach it so that you can keep an eye on it while passing. Many people are reluctant to install the inverter in a place where they usually don’t visit for months or only visit in case of any fault.
3. Choose a cool place
Always install inverter in a ventilated and low temperature place. Most people have installed to the inverter in such a closed and stuffy place where breathing is impossible. Choose a place where air flow is good and temperature is normal.
4. Avoid keeping flammable objects in room
Do not keep paper, carpet, clothes, wood or any flammable material in the inverter room. It will cause damage to your property and may put your life at risk.
5. Keep checking connections
In hot months like May, June, July and August, check the temperature and connections of breakers and inverter wires. Keep adjusting them and check for any fault. Thorough examination will alert you about any serious fault in your wiring or devices.
6. Proper placement of batteries
Try to install the DB box of AC and DC breakers separately and do not install the DB box and batteries directly below the inverter. In case of fire, it will damage your batteries too. Use good and standard quality breakers and switches.
7. Consider Earthing
At least make AC earth mandatory. You must check the neutral wire of your on grid to make sure if it is clear. Otherwise ground your transformer. Install surge protection device and over voltage/current device for more safety.
8. Avoid Overcharging
Do not overcharge the batteries beyond the standard limit and always keep the terminals tight and clean. Keep checking the battery health and water levels.
9. Install Fire extinguisher
Must install a fire extinguisher ball above DB box which is not so expensive. It is easily available in the market and online platform as well. This will help in extinguishing the fire by bursting itself in case of fire.
Conclusion
In summers, many people complain about heating up and burning issues of solar inverter. It is just because of their own negligence because majority of them do not take proper care of their inverters. You can prevent your solar inverter from burning out by installing it in a cool and shady area where air keep flowing, by installing quality DB box, circuit breaker and switches and by keeping it clean from dust.
