Charging-Discharging

I’d like to run a small freezer continuously full-time on the AC200P powered with solar panels. That is why I bought the AC200P. Before purchasing it, I called Bluetti and asked if I could run my freezer while it was charging and was told yes, definitely. So, I purchased it.

My Bluetti arrived and I am reading as much as I can before turning it on. One issue is the contradictory information of the FAQ I just found on the Bluetti website vs. the Bluetti manual.

On the webpage BLUETTI AC200P Portable Power Station | 2,000W 2,000Wh under the FAQ section, it says,

“Q5: Can I charge and discharge AC200P at the same time?

A: Yes. However, we do NOT recommend as doing so will damage the battery.”

This seems to say, you really should not power anything while the solar panels or AC or both are charging the battery. WTF?

However, page 14 of the manual says,

“Q: Can it be charged and discharged at the same time?

A: Yes, it supports pass through charging for both AC and DC loads. We recommend if you

do this that you make sure to fully charge the AC200 at least once per month to extend

battery life.

Then, on page 12 of the manual, under Input, it says,

“It supports charging while discharging, and does not support UPS function.”

The first part saying, “supports charging and discharging,” agrees with page 14. The second part about the UPS is a separate issue not of interest to the essence of this discussion.

So, which is it? It cannot be both – they are contradictory.

People who live off-grid would not be able to do so if charging and discharging did not occur simultaneously. If the Bluetti cannot do this without damaging the battery, this seems like a major flaw. Is that FAQ wrong? Or is the information given me via my phone call and the information on page 12 and page 14 of the manual wrong?

Does anyone have any insight to this and know which is correct?

You can charge and discharge at the same time. The manual leaves a lot in terms of clarity at times.

It is the WEBPAGE FAQ that says it is not recommended to charge and discharge at the same time or the battery will be damaged.

I understand but you can still charge and discharge at the same time. The reason for the caution is that if you discharge at a high rate and charge at a high rate at the same time, substantial heat builds up. Heat degrades batteries at a more rapid rate than room temperature batteries. Yes you can charge and discharge at the same time, but I would keep the size of the load and charging wattage to a maximum that did not keep the temps at max operating temp for a regular basis.

For the AC200Max, if I plug it into grid power and then plug an AC load in, does it just pass through grid power until that is disconnected ?

Or does it start using the battery then recharge simultaneously once SoC reaches some point ?

Thanks Scott-Benson. That clears it up. You might have someone add your excellent statement to that FAQ webpage question for others that are considering a Bluetti. It makes it all so much more understandable and does not scare people off. My load is only 44W so that should not cause any heating issues. Thanks so much.