The solar charge controller is one of the Essential components of our solar system grids. The work of the charge controller is to regulate the charge from the solar panels to the battery system. In this article, we talked about the solar charge controller blinking and flashing light, what it means, and how we can fix them. Keep on reading to get the full information.
How does the solar charge controller light flash or blink?
The charge controller blinks or flashes when there are changes or faults in the system. The controller has many on-screen icons and LED indicators that blink or flash when there is an abnormal change or fault in the system.
so here in this article, we have talked about different types of blinking and flashing of the charge controllers and how they can be fixed.
What do different Blinking & Flashing lights mean on a solar charge controller?
The blinking or flashing of light on the charge controller is a way the controller communicates to us about the well-being of the system operation. It can be that the solar panel, the load, or the solar batteries are not in good working condition. So here is what it means when the solar panel, battery, or load icon flashes or blinks on the solar charge controller.
The Solar Panel:
If the solar panel icon flashes a green light, then it is a sign that the controller has detected input solar panel PV. The PV icon will light up and blink for some seconds and stop. It shows the system is ok and good to operate.
In a situation where the charger screen didn’t light up and no indicator LED light was ON. It means the solar charge controller didn’t detect the solar panel input. In this case proper inspection of the solar panel and their connection should be conducted.
When the input voltage from the solar panels is unstable or the voltage is too high, the solar panel light blinks red or yellow indicating unstable input voltage from the panel.
In the case of night, the solar panel light won’t be ON. But in a situation when the light is ON at night, then the solar controller is malfunctioning.
The Solar Battery Icon
When the solar charge controller battery icon flashes continuously, it means the battery is not charging properly. The main cause of this can be charging problems, low battery power, faulty controller, or cloudy weather conditions.
When the battery icon blinks yellow continuously, it signifies the battery is charged.
While the blinking of green light on the controller means the battery is fully charged
Dimming of red battery light means the battery not charged needs to be charge.
The loads:
The load we are referring to here is a DC load which can be connected directly from the charge controller. The charge controller has a provision of a DC output source. From the DC output, we can connect some low-power DC devices like DC bulbs.
But on the charge controller screen, the light bulb icon can blink or flash due to the working condition of the connected load. Below are the possible reasons why the load LED light can blinks or flashes.
Each time the load icon flashes on the solar charge controller, it shows there is an overload or short circuit. In this situation, what to be done is to reduce the connected DC load. If that didn’t stop the blinking, then check the wiring connection to know if there is a short circuit on the line.
When the load indicator bulb lights on green, it means the system is working normal and no cause for alarm.
If the load light is OFF or not coming ON at all, ot means there is no connected load on the controller.
when the load light keeps flashing yellow light, it means the controller can power the connected load but the power is low.
A flashing red light on the controller indicates overload and the controller is ready to to enter a protection mode if the load is not reduced.
How to troubleshoot and fix solar charge controller flashing or blinking lights.
When fixing a solar charge controller blinking faults, the first thing to do is check the reason why it blinks or flashes a light. Just as we have explained in this article, there are many reasons why your solar charge controller blinks or flashlight. Below is how you can troubleshoot and fix the issue of blinking and flashing light on your controller.
Identify the icon or LED that is blinking on the controller screen. Then go ahead and check how this light blinks or flashes. Then go through the type of blinking that can occur on the charge controller to identify the root cause of the blinking. You can equally check the controller user manual for this information.
The blinking light can be a result of a short circuit, under voltage incorrect wiring, so fix the issues depending on the one your system is having. After fixing the issue the controller will start to function well without beeping or flashing lights.
Important tips on how to operate and maintain the solar charge controller.
The following tips are what you need to know or do to maintain a good operation of your solar charge controller.
- Always go through the controller user manual before making use of it. This is to make you understand the conditions and how the controller operates. And make you know the different blinking lights and what they signify on the controller.
- Install your solar charge controller on a cool dry place that is free from dust or moisture. Avoid extremely cool temperate as it can affect the controller operations.
- When installing the controller, take note of the wire size. Make sure the wire used for the installation is up to the recommended wire gauge. This is to avoid a voltage drop on the cable during operations.
- Inspect the wiring from time to time to know if there is a loose connection, corrosion, or damage on the cable.
- For neat and good work, always make use of a cable lug to terminate your cables before connecting to the controller.
- Make sure your solar panels and batteries connections are compatible with the controller.
- Avoid overloading your system. Too much DC load on the controller will reduce the charging speed of the batteries. Especially when you have a few solar panels.