The Tuesday live chat with the SOLIX F3800 team went well with a lot of participation and a lot of learning. Here’s the cleaned up transcript for your edification!
Anker SOLIX F3800 & Home Power Panel FAQ
Q: When will the smart home power panel and home backup kit be available as individual purchases on anker.com?
A: The home power panel will be available for individual purchase on March 20th. The home backup kit is a bundle that includes the F3800 and the home power panel, and is available now.
Q: How many expansion batteries can I stack on top of the F3800?
A: The maximum recommended number of expansion batteries is two.
Q: How long is the Dual Power Hub Cable?
A: The cable is 4 meters long in total.
Q: If the grid is down, can the Home Power Panel still take input charge from solar?
A: When the grid is down, the F3800 can only charge from solar via the XT60 connectors, not through the rooftop solar connection via the home power panel. However, it will discharge as needed to power appliances.
Q: Is the SOLIX F3800 able to do an auto-failover for critical circuits, like a refrigerator?
A: Yes. With the home power panel, you simply remove the fridge circuit from the main electric panel and it will automatically switch to battery power. Alternatively, you can plug the fridge directly into the F3800 without additional components.
Q: When you have two F3800s, are they synchronized to do 12,000 watts in single phase?
A: No, the devices are not synchronized. You will get 6,000W per unit for a combined total of 12,000W (two-phase).
Q: DC inputs seem to be the fastest way to recharge. Can you recommend other ways to charge besides solar?
A: You can use the XT60 ports to charge the unit while also using the 240V AC input.
Q: How do I integrate two F3800s with the home power panel, home power kit, double power hub, and my existing rooftop solar system?
A: If you have two F3800s, you don’t need the double power hub, as the home power panel has two ports for them. The double power hub is needed only if you want to connect two F3800s without the home power panel.
Q: Will there be a product available to connect two F3800s for full 50 amp, 240v power, similar to the EcoFlow dual voltage hub?
A: Yes, a double power hub will be available this summer.
Q: How do the XT60 solar inputs work?
A: The XT60 ports should be usable together. If you’re having trouble using both ports simultaneously, please contact Anker support.
Q: When the home panel is connected, is the 110VAC input ignored for charging?
A: Yes, the AC port is unavailable when the unit is connected to the home power panel. Use the XT60 port for charging in this case.
Q: With the home panel installed and a power failure, which F3800 outputs are active?
A: The USB and car socket ports are active during an outage, but the AC outlets are not.
Q: If the home power panel fails, will it pass through power from the grid?
A: Anker is still working on a solution for this scenario.
Q: If I’m using the F3800 as a backup during peak hours and the battery depletes, will the power source switch back to the grid?
A: Yes, the system will automatically switch back to the grid to begin charging again.
Q: How do I integrate an F3800 and Home Power Panel with a grid-tied Enphase system?
A: The system is compatible with Enphase as long as the grid is up. If using the system solely for off-grid backup, consider the Anker X1.
Q: If I purchase two F3800s with the smart home power kit, do I also need the 50 amp home backup kit?
A: No, the smart home power kit includes everything you need to connect to solar panels, including a transfer switch.
Q: When the double power hub arrives, will the Anker app show one 12,000W unit or will I need to switch between the two F3800s?
A: The system will not be displayed as a single unit in the app. You will need to switch between the two F3800s to monitor their individual status.
Q: When using the double power hub with two F3800s and eight expansion batteries, will the system act as one unit with all batteries draining simultaneously, or will the batteries drain in sequence (two from each F3800 followed by two from each expansion battery)?
A: The system operates with “balanced” depletion. This means all the batteries, including those in the F3800s and the expansion batteries, will drain simultaneously. Additionally, the double power hub will only function in single phase, so you won’t see a combined output of 12,000 watts.
Thanks to everyone who joined us for this live chat.
Our next live chat – theme and scheme to be determined – will be Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. PST on Facebook Messenger. Join the Facebook F3800 group today if you’re not already involved.