Installation manual

6.4.4. Cable connection errors

New Zealand electrical regulations allow you to work on systems up to 50 V AC

and 120 V DC without qualifications. Outside NZ you need to check your rules to

see what you can legally do yourself. Your local installer or PowerSpout dealer

can assist you with local wiring rules. You may also need to hold insurance and

comply with various safety regulations.

In the USA the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) provides wiring rules that

are generally adopted by each state. You can access these wiring rules free on

line.

Please also check with your local state authority if you are in the USA, as each

state may vary from the NFPA wiring rules.

Many home owners attempting to install a renewable energy system themselves for the first

time can make some fairly serious errors. All the following errors we have observed over the

last 20 years:

 Connecting a hydro turbine to a solar controller not designed for a hydro turbine.

 Connecting the hydro turbine polarity in reverse, for example swapping the wires in the

plug supplied with the PowerSpout turbine. This will result in the turbine fuse blowing,

and may damage the rectifier in the turbine.

 Connecting the hydro turbine to the inverter leads and then removing the battery fuses.

This results in a high voltage input to the inverter, which damages it.

 Using a poor quality second hand battery bank with dirty/corroded terminals, which

results in the battery not being connected in the system. This is fatal to inverters as the

battery is the primary voltage regulation and must remain connected to the turbine at all

times when the turbine is running.

 Forgetting to tighten the battery terminal bolts, resulting in the battery bank being

disconnected from the systems, result as above.

 Not checking that the charge controller is working correctly prior to leaving the site.

 Installing a controller that is too small or one that does not work and not knowing how to

determine if the controller is working.

 Installing a PWM controller (close to its maximum amp rating) in a confined tin shed with

the diversion heaters. It works most of the time, but in summer trips out resulting in the

batteries being overcharged/damage. The backup PWM controller (if fitted) also trips. It

is not the controller(s) that have failed but the summer environment in the tin-shed that is

too hot. You have to de-rate controllers in summer when above 20 degrees Celsius.

Such a failure is the result of an incorrect installation environment.

 Installing equipment in a damp/humid environment resulting in corrosion problems.

 Insect infestation in equipment resulting in corrosion damage from insect excrement.

 Rodent infestation in equipment resulting in shorted wires cause by rodents eating the

insulation off the wires.

 Installing electronic equipment (with cooling fans) in a dirty/dusty environment and never

cleaning it.

 Bird and rat nests inside and behind cooling fans or inside electrical enclosures resulting

in failure and fire hazard. In most cases this would have been avoided if good installation

practice had been followed.