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Solar Immersion Controller - Noise Issues

1a1nC

May 11, 2018
2
Joined
May 11, 2018
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2
Hello, new to the forum, hope this is the right place for this question..

I have soalr panels on my house (they work great, had them for several years)
I recently had a Marlec Solar iBoost installed, which diverts the exported/excess elecricity to my immersion heater to give me warm water without running my boiler.
This also works great with one exception.. my ADSL connection stopped working whenever it kicked in (oops!).

I contacted the manufacturer who said my ADSL filter was bust and the change it for a new one, which I did and the internet is back up, BUT it is still slower (drops by about 25%) whever the unit is working.

I was curious so I put a scope on the mains supply and to me it looks very noisy, basically whever the iBoost is on there is a +/-10V 20kHz ripple in the AC. And at high frequency there are lots of little spikes which dance about that go away when it turns off.

I am interested in if if this is acceptable/normal for this kind of device. the manufacturers view is that this is normal and it is my ADSL filter that is faulty, but for my money, it should not make this kind of noise in the 1st place...

I don't have access to the relevant standards (paywall) :-( and although I know a bit about electronics from my day job, this kind of circuit is not my area. Hoping there are some experts out there on this forum.

I've been through a few days of tests and back and forth on this and wonder if there is a real proble or I am just fooling /making a fool of myself :)

Pics attached from the scope..

Iain.
 

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Alec_t

Jul 7, 2015
3,587
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Jul 7, 2015
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If the manufacturer reckons your ADSL filter will cure the problem, isn't that effectively admitting that the product is emitting undue RF interference? Such emission would be contrary to the EC Directive.
 

1a1nC

May 11, 2018
2
Joined
May 11, 2018
Messages
2
If the manufacturer reckons your ADSL filter will cure the problem, isn't that effectively admitting that the product is emitting undue RF interference? Such emission would be contrary to the EC Directive.

Well would have thought so, yes, but the trouble with the EC directive is it is wooly. In effect they are claiming that it is my ADSL router that is failing the part b) test (immunity to normal levels of noise), rather than their device failing the part a) test (not making unusual levels of noise). I'm not sure where directive gets down to actual measurable levels that should not be exceeded..
 

kellys_eye

Jun 25, 2010
6,514
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Jun 25, 2010
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Does the device have the (usual) ferrite suppressor on its mains lead/wires? Whether it does or not, you could try adding an extra ferrite and maybe a couple of turns of the individual (live and neutral) wires over some and see if that improves matters.

Otherwise I'd be on to the manufacturers and demanding a refund unless THEY fix the issue - which is not of YOUR making (given that not having the device means zero interference).
 
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