Solar iBoost died

[Ajax123]

Hi all

I have a solar iboost unit on my hot water system. It's about 3 years old. It's been working fine up to now but appears to have died. The display is completely blank, no lights, no messages, nada... and we have no hot water. Must have happened today or maybe yesterday cos my boy was the last to use the shower yesterday morning and it was hot then....

The mains into the unit is fine running from a fused spur with power getting to the unit (well ... to the end if the feed cable anyway ). The immersion heater may have failed (yet to check) but I doubt this would cause the unit itself to fail would it.

Do these units have some sort of internal battery that might gave failed or is it deceased? Have looked at various troubleshooters and found no help at all...

 

[Mike Johnson]

The sender unit has two internal AA batteries: https://www.marlec.co.uk/wp-content...-iBoost-User-Manual-111215.pdf?v=6805cdfd0c7a

 

[Ajax123]

The sender unit has two internal AA batteries: https://www.marlec.co.uk/wp-content...-iBoost-User-Manual-111215.pdf?v=6805cdfd0c7a

The sender unit surely has nothing to do with power to the main unit?? Does it?

 

[Mike Johnson]

No idea, you asked if it had an internal battery and one of the units does, I would be tempted to switch off the supply, not forgetting you can't switch off solar panels and take the control unit cover off to see if there is an internal fuse.

 

[Ajax123]

No idea, you asked if it had an internal battery and one of the units does, I would be tempted to switch off the supply, not forgetting you can't switch off solar panels and take the control unit cover off to see if there is an internal fuse.

Looks like i might have to. I know there's no fuse but maybe an internal keep je alive type battery...

I tried new batteries in the sender... no joy

 

[Avo Mk8]

You could put in a support request and see what they come up with?

Solar iBoost Support Request

www.marlec.co.uk

 

[Ajax123]

Got the front off the unit. Turns out there is a fuse....its blown but it's also soldered in place.... marvellous!

 

[Mike Johnson]

Seems pretty stupid having a replaceable part permanently soldered in place, obviously built in obsolescence. ?. If you can determine the value, can you replace it, but obviously see if you can find out why it blew in the first place.

 

[telectrix]

read the thread title and thought solar iboost was a member. was about to post RIP.

 

[Ajax123]

Seems pretty stupid having a replaceable part permanently soldered in place, obviously built in obsolescence. ?. If you can determine the value, can you replace it, but obviously see if you can find out why it blew in the first place.

Its a 16A ceramic fuse. I'm guessing as its 16A means it cant be classed as replaceable.

I have a plan...

 

[Ajax123]

Seems pretty stupid having a replaceable part permanently soldered in place, obviously built in obsolescence. ?. If you can determine the value, can you replace it, but obviously see if you can find out why it blew in the first place.

I think it blew because the immersion heater blew up... the neutral cable had come loose I think and arced. It was probably quite pretty... What I'm more annoyed with is the 13A replaceable fuse in the spur still works fine... I'll be speaking with Marlec next week. As you say need to double check reason it blew before recommissioning it. Maybe it looks like it says 16A but isn't really.... maybe 1.6A??

 

[Avo Mk8]

It could be that Marlec designed in a 16A fast-blow fuse to protect their solid-state device (thyristor?) that controls the power into the immersion heater. That would account for why your 13A fuse didn't blow.
It's also possible that, despite the 16A fuse going, the fault took out other things!

 

[Ajax123]

It could be that Marlec designed in a 16A fast-blow fuse to protect their solid-state device (thyristor?) that controls the power into the immersion heater. That would account for why your 13A fuse didn't blow.
It's also possible that, despite the 16A fuse going, the fault took out other things!

Indeed. I shall see soon I guess...

 

[Ajax123]

It lives. Removed the 16A internal fuse and replaced with. Unit struck up and apart from having to reset the tine works perfectly.

 

[DPG]

It lives. Removed the 16A internal fuse and replaced with. Unit struck up and apart from having to reset the tine works perfectly.

Nice one!