I have a question about the Eco mode for the AC setting while the unit (Elite 30V2) is plugged into an outlet. For clarity, here are my settings:
Working Mode: Standard UPS
AC-ECO: On
AC-ECO Shutdown: 1h
AC-ECO Power: 17W
The unit itself is plugged into the outlet
After more than a few hours of the unit being used at less than 17W, the AC setting is still turned on. Any idea why that is the case? Is it because my unit is plugged into the outlet or is there a different setting that I still need to check? Thanks all!
When plugged into grid, the unit is in pass through charging mode and always on.
Eco mode, when activated, is only for when the unit is not connected to the grid, to save battery when the low load threshold is reached for a period of time you set. When used as UPS, Eco mode should be turned off.
Ah that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation! Do you know if there is a way to automatically turn off the AC at certain times? My use case is I use my Bluetti as a UPS that is connected to an external monitor and a laptop. Every night, I don’t need the AC setting turned on so I’d like to have it turned off without having to manually press the AC button.
There is no automatic method of turning off AC. That said, AC can be turned off via Bluetooth, leaving the E30 powered on, but you will have some self consumption.
I’ll give you 2 of my realworld uses;
I use an AC70 in UPS mode for my fibre optic box and WiFi router. It is permanently on 24/7, charged from the grid, in pass through mode. The draw is approx 25W, Eco mode is turned off and the battery is always at 100%. Every 6 months or so, I swap it out for a 2nd AC70 I own and deplete the battery of the one normally used, then recharge it and finally swap it back to normal use on the WiFi etc. UPS only activates in a grid out.
The 2nd example is an AC2A. I use Starlink mini when camping, placed on the dash of the 4x4 and powered by the AC2A for evening use in my caravan. The WiFi range is good for this remote use. When I want to shut down Starlink for the night, I use the Bluetti App from within the caravan to turn the AC2A off, which obviously shuts Starlink down, without the need for me to go outside or to the vehicle. However, the next time I want to use Starlink, I need to physically go to the AC2A and turn it on. Doing this saves any parasitic load leaving the AC2A idling. The odds are, that the AC2A would need a solar recharge in between uses anyway.
Since you have the Elite 30V2, I would advise you switch your UPS mode away from “Standard UPS”. This mode will always be on and consistently try to keep the battery at 100%. The problem with Lifepo4 batteries is they have a flat voltage curve and the BMS can “drift”, so if you are always at the top end of the SOC spectrum, you might eventually experience a loss of battery life due to this phenomenon. TLDR the BMS sucks at times. There is a mode called “Custom” where you can set an SOC range (say 20% to 90%). When the unit reaches 90% it will discharge until 20% then recharge to 90%. This effectively puts the BMS into training/learning mode all the time. To actually drain the battery you’ll want to subject it to a load, otherwise, no balancing/collaboration will occur. Preferably a constant AC load, like a fan or heater so the waveform is constant and the BMS can keep up easily.
UPDATE: I might have found the solution. I could put a smart plug (e.g., Kasa smart plug) to one of the AC outputs and move my power strip that has my laptop and monitor plugs into it then schedule it to turn off at night unless you guys think it’s dangerous.
Hi, I have my Elite 30 setup similar to what @sealy1986 described with Time of Use toggle switch on. This gives the ability to specify a a time period when you allow the grid to charge your unit. For example I primarily use my Elite 30 for its UPS feature between 5 and 10 pm so I want it charged to 90% during that time period.
As an aside, the ECO feature did at one time work as your original question asked about. That was prior to a firmware update at the end of last year. I reported it and you may want to check it out. It’s entitled “Does Bluetti do any Software Regression Testing”. Another “feature” that likely was introduced at that time was the inability to manually shut off the Elite series by pressing the off button if the unit is plugged into the grid. You need to unplug it from the wall outlet. This was reported by another user @PVSteve in his post “Elite 100 V2 Won’t Turn Off - Broken Update”.
Hi @LightningBolt, I understand your question, but not being knowledgeable enough about LIFEPO4 battery charging I can’t give a definitive answer. Only what I have read online….
From articles I’ve read when power stations are in UPS mode each time they top off the battery doesn’t count as a full cycle, only a fraction of a cycle.
For example assuming our BLUETTIs are in Standard UPS mode and connected to the grid it will top off the battery to 100% when battery drops to about 98% from internal consumption by the unit. This cycle will continue indefinitely in this state. In the Customized UPS setting seen above the unit will charge once to 90% during the Time of Use window and then allow it to drop until it reaches 10%. Unless you have a DC load connected it’s highly unlikely to get anywhere close to 10%. My experience is the unit goes down to about 70% from self consumption before the next days charging cycle begins. So typically my unit charges once a day from 70 to 90%.
Assuming what I read is true this is still just a fraction of a cycle.
If you turn off the Time of Use option the Customized UPS mode it will act much like Standard UPS except it will only charge to 90% and recharge when it drops to about 88%.
