Solar Batteries are a great utility until they stop charging. Troubleshooting a solar battery can be even more hectic, especially if the batteries are old and have not been used for some time. However, with all the possible reasons I have shared in this article, you can troubleshoot your solar battery.
End of Life
Solar batteries usually stop working after they reach the end of their life. Generally, the lifespan of a solar battery is between 5-15 years. But if a battery has been in extensive use, its cell start weakening, leading to early degrading or before time expiry.
Moreover, if your inverter is faulty, it can also cause your solar batteries to degrade before time. Which ultimately leads to problems like batteries not charging.
Incompatibility
Solar batteries come in a variety of specifications. Not all solar batteries are compatible with all solar inverters. If you have recently installed a solar battery and it is not charging, the problem could be with the compatibility.
If a solar inverter is designed to charge a 12V, it may not charge a solar battery rated for 24V charging voltage. Similarly, if the battery’s voltages are higher than the inverter’s output, it may still not charge.
So, when choosing a solar battery, ensure you choose a compatible battery with your system.
Faulty Inverter
Even though solar inverters rarely malfunction if they are branded, properly installed, and used, any electronic equipment can still malfunction sometimes. If your solar inverter is faulty, it may stop charging the battery.
The charge controller inside the solar inverter charges solar batteries and ensures they are charged whenever power is drawn. However, if, for any reason, the solar inverter malfunctions, the solar inverter fails to keep the batteries charged.
Most branded solar inverters display an error code whenever they malfunction and need a service. Look for any such errors on your inverter’s display.
Similarly, the problem could be with the cables too. If your cables are damaged, they might be causing the problem.
Loose Connections
Sometimes solar batteries and all the other equipment are perfectly fine and working, but the batteries won’t charge because of loose connections. This usually happens when the connections are not properly closed while the equipment is installed or if the connections corrode or accumulate debris over the years.
Connections getting loose resist the charge flow from the inverter to the batteries, which keeps the batteries uncharged. In fact, it sometimes causes sparks and spikes, which are not good for the system.
Ensure you regularly get your equipment services so that all the connections are checked and cleaned.
Manufacturing Fault
It is unlikely but possible that your solar battery is faulty. Especially if your battery is new and is not charging at all, it might need fixing. But since most new solar batteries come with a warranty, you can get a new battery in replacement.
However, it is always recommended to buy solar batteries from a well-reputed brand to be sure your battery will perform well for years. This is why top-notch brands like Bahoo Power have nearly no claims of faulty batteries.
Low Water Level
If you are using a solar lead-acid battery, make sure you are maintaining its water level. Lead-acid batteries need their water level to be maintained in a particular range.
If the water level drops below it, the battery does not charge properly nor gives 100% performance. And if the water nearly drains out, the battery does not charge, which can cause a serious hazard. The battery can overheat and explode.
Always keep the water level within the specified range on the outer side of the battery. Also, ensure you never overfill it.
No Input Power
Solar panels do not work well on cloudy days, so the batteries are not charged normally. But if you are consuming power from the battery, your battery might be discharging faster than charging. So your battery may not be charging.
Ensure this is not the case; the display on your solar inverter shows your battery charging status. If it is not charging, the problem could be different.
Final Thoughts
Always maintain your solar batteries and other equipment, so they perform well. Also, replace your solar batteries when they reach the end of their life so you can enjoy an uninterrupted supply.