A secondhand tiny home on wheels left its new owner with an unexpected puzzle: a water heater that wouldn't work and an inverter showing disconnected batteries.
Here's what to know
When the tiny home buyer contacted the seller, they were told everything had been "working just fine." Still, they couldn't get the system up and running.
In Reddit's r/SolarDIY, they said the batteries registered 5.4 volts and that cables ran to the inverter. However, they suspected something was wrong with the battery setup because their research revealed positive-to-positive, negative-to-negative, or positive-to-negative connections.
"These batteries are some third chaotic option of both," they explained.
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What can be done?
The advice from commenters was to avoid powering up the system and clarify the batteries' voltage rating. The owner said that the batteries were rated at 6 volts and 225 amp-hours.
"Guessing previous owner or someone replaced that inverter just before he sold it," one commenter said.
"It looks like that inverter is 48v DC so I'm wondering if those 6 batteries are 8v each, wired in series to get the 48v," another observed.
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The buyer ultimately determined that resolving the mismatch might require new batteries.
EasyHome also offers a way to compare battery storage quotes. Pairing solar with batteries can provide another way to manage electrical costs, allowing you to store power for when it's most needed, and provide backup power during outages.
Where can I learn more?
Water heater and electrical surprises have sent other homebuyers and homeowners looking for help.
• An Illinois trailer buyer discovered the water heater wasn't up to code after paying cash as is.
• A homebuyer considered switching back to gas after the seller installed a cheap electric water heater.
• A U.K. homebuyer found scorched electrics needing repairs, with the seller offering £2,000 toward a £6,000 bill.
• A new electric water heater stayed cold for 18 hours, prompting commenters to blame installation problems.
• After a homeowner's water heater stopped heating, plumbers warned a melted switch signaled venting trouble.
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