Renogy MPPT Solar Charge Controller Problems

In this video, we try to figure out why the Renogy MPPT solar charge controller was having problems, despite being only 8 months old.
Unfortunately Robert wasn't able to fix the problem & #renogy's customer service wasn't very helpful. Thankfully #amazonuk came to the rescue & helped us after speaking on the phone to their customer service team.

[@OP-fd4lh]

You have patience sir. Thank you for the video and sharing your experience with us.

[@ourvan.ourway]

@@OP-fd4lh no worries. I only wish it’d been a better experience with Renogy customer service and I’d been able to get the only charge controller working again. But I’m grateful that Amazon support came to the rescue & got us up & running again with replacement items.

[@markko1968]

In 2011 I had a trailer. Installed 1 135 watt panel with a 20 amp PWM controller and 4 marine deep cycle batteries. Watered the batteries twice a year. Working fine 10 years later. New trailer upgraded to a Renogy Rover Elite 40A MPPT Charge Controller with 320 watts of panels. The controller stayed in "boost mode" putting 16amps into the batteries all day. Away for a few weeks and the batteries were boiled and destroyed.

[@ourvan.ourway]

That’s not good. Perhaps next time I’ll go for the more expensive blue rival brand. Though hopefully there won’t be a next time 🤞

[@nigelburton7408]

Your cables from mppt to battery seem very undersized. If it is a 50a mppt then should be min 6mm but better at least 10mm. You seem to be using 2.5mm brown/blue electrical flex? Why? That is likely your whole problem right there and the first charger is actually fine.

[@ourvan.ourway]

This cable came with the kit I bought. It’s allegedly rated to 20A, same as the charge controller

[@Dirt-Diggler]

I have a few Renogy products, and the wiring provided is always crap TBH, usually copper tinned aluminium 🤔 thier customer service is dire as well, for such a large company they do scrimp on the small things 😞 What voltage are you getting direct from actual panels, I'd be checking either side of the fuse as well in case you have a resistance across the fuse that's limiting the input 🤔

[@ourvan.ourway]

@@Dirt-Diggler I checked with the multimeter & there was volts coming into the controller (I can’t remember what it was now, it was a couple of weeks ago), it just seemed to intermittently not send anything from the controller to the battery, which is why I thought it was the battery or the connections. Having checked those (and physically removed & reconnected the wires), it led me to believe it was the old mppt controller. Since swapping it, I’ve had zero issues. This leads me to further believe it’s the old controller. But as you say, unfortunately the Renogy customer service was poor, so I’ve no idea what the actual fault was. Or if it could’ve been fixed easily. Fortunately Amazon UK customer service picked up where renogy failed & saved the day for me.

[@Dirt-Diggler]

@ourvan.ourway glad it's all sorted out chap 👍 Renogy have made a name for themselves, but now they need to live up to it 🤔 cos they can make some good stuff. 👍

[@ourvan.ourway]

@Dirt-Diggler yeah I thought they were a big brand name, which is why I went for them in the 1st place