Do you "clean" your inverter?

[bobfromnj]

Inverter Maintenance:

According to the Installation Guide for the SMA Sunny Boy 6000, under maintenance, it is recommended that “regular maintenance” be performed on both the 2 underside fans and the handle covers. Since my inverter is in the garage is this necessary and how often should it be done?

Pages 78-80 "The Sunny Boy is fitted with two fans on its underside. The fan intakes and handle covers should be cleaned periodically with a vacuum cleaner. For more thorough cleaning, completely remove the fans"

"For optimal heat dissipation of the device, the handle covers must be clean. Clean the handle covers regularly"

Thanks,
Bob

[Sunking]

Always no matter where it is located. Best tool is a vacuum cleaner with anti-static hose and brush attachment. Using your logic is like saying you should never change your air filters in your home heating and cooling system.

[bobfromnj]

Always no matter where it is located. Best tool is a vacuum cleaner with anti-static hose and brush attachment. Using your logic is like saying you should never change your air filters in your home heating and cooling system.

What logic are you referring to? I didn't know how often it should be done and weather you would do it more often if the inverter was outside collecting more debris. So with that being said...how often should it done?
Thanks

[Sunking]

Once a month or as needed.

[bobfromnj]

Once a month or as needed.

That's pretty funny, are you serious? Do all solar installers go to their customers home every month to clean their fans?

[inetdog]

That's pretty funny, are you serious? Do all solar installers go to their customers home every month to clean their fans?

Had a 1964 Datsun pickup truck whose owner's manual recommended daily cleaning with a feather duster to preserve the paint....

[Mike90250]

That's pretty funny, are you serious? Do all solar installers go to their customers home every month to clean their fans?

No more often than fridge repairmen go to houses to vacuum the coils and fins under the fridge.
The cleaning is the proud owners responsibility. I think monthly is a bit overkill. Each install would
be different, I'd check it at 6 months, and see if there is any buildup. The hotter the location, the
more the fans run and pull grunge into the housing.
There is something to be said for the Xantex GT series, with no fan & massive heat sink that takes all of 3 minutes to clean off yearly.

[bonaire]

Fans? Huh.

No fans on my PowerOne Aurora's - only big heat fins. Reminds me of the old 2-stroke dirt bike cylinders that I used to ride as a kid.

[bobfromnj]

No more often than fridge repairmen go to houses to vacuum the coils and fins under the fridge.
The cleaning is the proud owners responsibility. I think monthly is a bit overkill. Each install would
be different, I'd check it at 6 months, and see if there is any buildup. The hotter the location, the
more the fans run and pull grunge into the housing.
There is something to be said for the Xantex GT series, with no fan & massive heat sink that takes all of 3 minutes to clean off yearly.

Thanks Mike, that makes more sense. My system is in about 14 months and I just completely checked it and could not find a speck of dust. For that matter my entire garage doesn't have a speck of dust in it. Extremely neat.

I will kind of check it about every 6 months, right after I do my fridge.
Thanks

[bobfromnj]

Had a 1964 Datsun pickup truck whose owner's manual recommended daily cleaning with a feather duster to preserve the paint....

So that's what I have been doing wrong. That's pretty funny.

[inetdog]

So that's what I have been doing wrong. That's pretty funny.

It also had a very complete troubleshooting section for engine problems. Among them:

If <symptoms of fuel starvation / lean mixture> "Check the grass ball" (=glass bowl= fuel filter)
And
If <symptoms of flooding / very rich mixture> "Oil level is too high" ( =carburetor bowl float valve adjustment. In Japanese the words for lubricating oil and for fuel/gas are the same.)

But in the end, the straight-four engine with OHV and pushrods just kept on going.....
Finally had to retire it after being forced to drive it out of the woods on two cylinders because of broken valves.

[Sunking]

That's pretty funny, are you serious? Do all solar installers go to their customers home every month to clean their fans?

Installers could careless. They prefer yo never you clean anything as they will clean your pockets out when needed and as often as Necessary.

Which part did you not understand?

Once a month?

or

As needed?

[FloridaSun]

But in the end, the straight-four engine with OHV and pushrods just kept on going.....
Finally had to retire it after being forced to drive it out of the woods on two cylinders because of broken valves.

My first Datsun was a '64 Bluebird station wagon. Great car. That lil 1200 CCs and 4spd stick would do great in the mountains. The original positive ground system was a pain tho till I rebuilt it to negative ground.

Clean your fan, dust your fanny as needed... just common sense.

[bobfromnj]

Thanks

I think monthly is a bit overkill. I'd check it at 6 months

Thanks Mike, I think that is more realistic then some other recommendations on this post. I certainly value your opinion.

[solarIdiot]

Thanks Mike, I think that is more realistic then some other recommendations on this post. I certainly value your opinion.

If its mounted somewhere you can easily check it I would at least look at it every month. You may think its overkill but overkill never hurts. (i guess it kills )