Overview

We are seeing a temporary increase in the warning "contactor fault" which could be an incorrect message. 

Investigation Notes

From our onsite investigations, we have found that the warning in some cases is presenting in error but there is an issue with the voltage onsite. In this example, this article will go over. The actual fault was voltage-related. 

A point to note here would be that the issue may not be a direct result of a DNO issue, it could be due to general electrical issues within the property circuitry. 

Where to check?

The first place to check when you do find this warning displaying would be within the menu of the reading on the zappi showing the message (menu>readings). You may find that when you view this screen the current voltage is already on the low side of the DNO range. This is a good indicator that there is a voltage issue on the property which will cause the warning on zappi. 

Warning: When zappi is rebooted the data logging within readings will be reset.

When you check the voltage, the main point to note will be the voltage min reading as this shows the lowest point of power since the last reboot. 

Signs that you are having voltage issues are but not limited to:

• Quick voltage drop (5v or more) when a load is placed on the property. 

• Voltage drops outside range (that will be more intermittent). 

The low voltage caused zappi to "drop" the main contactor (allowing it to open the circuit) at this point zappi then reported an "output fault or contactor fault" rather than a bad voltage range. 

You also can check within the event log on zappi to understand if any other issue occurred before the contactor fault warning showed. To do this navigate to Menu>Event Log - Then choose a period you wish to review. 

As you can see in our example above, before the contactor fault was displayed, a message "Bad Voltage Range" was displayed, this confirms the investigation is correct in its outcome that the warning may not be genuine and an underlying issue is there.

What to do?

If you do find your zappi is suffering from a low or high voltage, the local DNO must be informed of this so they can monitor and rectify it. For more information regarding your voltages and the warning "Bad Voltage Range" see our article that covers this -> Bad Voltage Range Warning

If the fault is not a result of voltage issues, please contact myenergi technical support via the details at the bottom of this article. 

Onsite Engineer Notes:

Our onsite engineers noted "Zappi was saying it had seen a MIN voltage of 199V at some point. Started a charge session and watched the current voltage drop to 204V very quickly from 230V. We tested the wiring right back to the incoming supply isolator and observed the same voltage drops when switching on other high loads in the house so not linked to zappi at all."