Author Topic: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification  (Read 410 times)

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Offline Trailing EdgeTopic starter

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Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« on: Yesterday at 02:05:19 pm »
Can you help identify this part?
It's the "cap" on top of a small component that has turned its interior into magic smoke and departed from its base.  I can read it, but the text on it seem to be misleading me.

EDIT: (this attachment didn't go through)

It came from here, at F1.  You can see the circular base of the component still soldered to the board, with nothing left attached to the leads.

2386451-0

This the picture of the whole board.  I've removed only the encapsulation around this part.

2386455-1


The board is inside a PV microinverter which has 4 panel connectors (bottom).  It is an Altenergy Power Systems QS1 microinverter.  I'd like to rescue it and keep it as a spare/backup for when the next one fails.

Thanks for looking!
« Last Edit: Yesterday at 02:09:51 pm by Trailing Edge »
 

Offline Trailing EdgeTopic starter

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Re: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« Reply #1 on: Yesterday at 02:07:45 pm »
The missing image:
2386463-0

Ahh, Simple machines forums... not so simple sometimes.
 

Offline Jimmy Electron

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Re: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« Reply #2 on: Yesterday at 02:11:03 pm »
 Hi there.

 It's a 10A DIP mounted radial cylinder fuse

 
« Last Edit: Yesterday at 02:14:29 pm by Jimmy Electron »
 

Offline Trailing EdgeTopic starter

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Re: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« Reply #3 on: Yesterday at 02:51:32 pm »
Bingo!

The specs looked like fuse specs, but I couldn't figure out what kind.

Thank you!
 

Online fzabkar

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Offline Trailing EdgeTopic starter

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Re: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« Reply #5 on: Yesterday at 06:39:06 pm »
Found the part on Digikey, I'm good to go.

Thanks again!
 

Offline Trailing EdgeTopic starter

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Re: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« Reply #6 on: Yesterday at 06:47:54 pm »
Wait
Why is this component in this device? A fuse like this blows once on a fault and isn't "replaceable".  Yes, I can jury-rig it, but not easily.  It has to be excavated out of the encapsulation to get at the leads.  And if I wanted to fully replace it with pristine solder joints, I'd have to remove the entire board from the cast-aluminum case (more encapsulation gunk to remove).  All just to replace a fuse.

I agree that the unit has to be sealed and IP67 forever but what's the harm in a little fuseholder sitting high and dry above the pool of encapsulation polymer, within the enclosure?  Pick-n-place a different component and it hardly makes the board more expensive, would it?

This device is designed to be thrown away if there's ever an external fault or if it's hooked up wrong.  The manufacturer has lost sight of why their customers want their products - less wasteful consumption (speaking of materials or energy, most people would say both).  What a waste.
 

Offline Jimmy Electron

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Re: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« Reply #7 on: Yesterday at 07:44:12 pm »
 It's an unfortunate fact of our modern world that much of the consumer electronics is not intended to be repaired by anyone other than 'authorised' techs.

 IMO this is just a racket to squeeze every last cent out of us but hey!
 

Offline Haenk

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Re: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« Reply #8 on: Today at 04:48:02 am »
The gunk ist the last barrier against moisture, in case the outer seal breaks. Unfortunately this makes these outdoor devices pretty unrepairable.
 

Online Jeroen3

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Re: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« Reply #9 on: Today at 07:06:32 am »
Fuses are to prevent fires. There is something else wrong with the unit.
 

Online Xena E

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Re: Microinverter repair - mystery component identification
« Reply #10 on: Today at 09:29:25 am »
Fuses are to prevent fires. There is something else wrong with the unit.

Yes, fuses don't 'go wrong', there is a reason it blew, replacing it will just create an incendiary of the next fuse perhaps not immediately, but it will.

Investigate the cause first.
 


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