AC500 6 Months Later - The Good + Bad Before You Buy

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An in-depth 6 month review of the AC500 and pair of B300S LFP batteries used to backup my home during outages and save on my monthly electric bills by powering some appliance off grid.
To get a walkthrough of all the features, check out my first impressions video:
• BLUETTI AC500 + B300S ...
tl;dr it's a super powerful unit with a 5,000w AC inverter, excellent UPS modes to let you save on your monthly electric bills by taking certain appliances 'off grid', powerful 30A DC output, excellent input and output options on the B300S battery, and more. For cons, I had some firmware issues (now fixed), customer support can be slow (though it's improved), the display could be better, and I wish the B300S had a high power output.
Buy on Amazon:
amzn.to/42OdGST
Buy on Bluetti.com:
shrsl.com/43csc
Chapters ------------------------------------------
0:00 Intro
0:26 Home backup
1:34 AC output + efficiency
2:20 UPS modes
3:21 Charging
4:05 Solar
5:22 Fan noise
6:12 DC output
7:26 B300S battery
8:36 Cons
11:54 Wrap up
I was provided a review unit from Bluetti in exchange for this video but all opinions are my own.
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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
uppbeat.io/t/prigida/holding-you
License code: GUXVFFNIYJYKZHQS

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Опубликовано:

8 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 61

@petenelson8136 7 месяцев назад

Thanks for the review. I bought an AC500 last year and finally got it installed in my new house (construction delays). After watching your video I checked to make sure it was set up for PV priority. I've also purchased the 420W portable solar panels, but still have to finish setting them up = just need to put connector ends on the wires outside the house and plug them in. I'll work on getting that finished this weekend. I've got the AC500 set up as a UPS for my critical loads (couple of freezers, couple of refrigerators, my furnace and Energy Recovery Ventilator). Had it wired so that when I go RVing I can take it with me in my 5th wheel and switch the circuits the Bluetti was working as a UPS on to grid power only. I also had the house set up for generator backup (my 240 volt option so I can power my well pump, and charge the Bluetti) and when RVing if the power goes off the generator can be used to power the house (our son live adjacent to our property so they could start the generator). Love the portability of the AC500, and I'm planning on setting up a permanent solar array to provide power but until then the portable one will have to do.

@todd.parker 7 месяцев назад

Sounds like an awesome setup. I installed some rooftop panels feeding my AC500 and have things like my fridge running off grid. It’s great.

@theponyshow 11 месяцев назад

Thanks!!! Great video. I’m new. Great explanation

@boonskyler Год назад

Glad you mention 220 output to feed house panel to replace gas generator.

@Jasonoid Год назад

Excellent pros and cons list, Todd! Glad to hear Bluetti support is improving... that's a big deal! I also use my AC500 daily to power multiple circuits in my home. My power has gone out 3 or 4 times since I got mine and this beast kept the lights on and the fridges cool without a sweat!

@todd.parker Год назад

Yeah, I had much better luck with support in this round, sow good to test ‘em, I’ve been having fun running parts of my house though I think the family is getting sick of the random mishaps that have been happening when I forget to keep an eye on things!

@user-hh6ex9md4w 6 месяцев назад

That sounds amazing! It's great to hear about the AC500 keeping your lights on and fridges cool during power outages. If you're looking for a reliable backup power solution, I highly recommend checking out the Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series. It has a massive capacity, fast recharging, and even waterproof technology. Definitely worth considering for outdoor enthusiasts and RV lovers like us!

@Noelshepherd Год назад

Good job on the video! I have the AC300 with 4 expansion batteries. I live in Florida and on 2 recent occasions had no electricity for a week. I’m extremely happy with the AC 300 setup. I use it every day to power critical loads in the house. I did experience problems getting answers from the tech team when researching the product. Overall, I’m extremely happy with the purchase.

@todd.parker Год назад

Very cool!

@user-hh6ex9md4w 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for sharing your experience with the AC300 and your positive feedback on the video! It's great to hear that it has been a reliable power source for you during those extended power outages. The Segway Portable PowerStation Cube Series sounds like another excellent option for outdoor enthusiasts and RV lovers. With its massive capacity, fast recharging, and comprehensive protections, it seems like a solid choice for backup power. Thanks for the recommendation!

@Flowing23 Год назад

Excellent review, thank you.

@todd.parker Год назад

Thanks for watching!

@davemiller6155 Год назад

Great Video! I took notes.

@todd.parker Год назад

Glad it was helpful!

@johnnysweekends Год назад

Dude your editing skills are mad!! Wow. Great video Todd! I miss our chats. Hope to be back in a couple months 😂👍🏼

@todd.parker Год назад

Hey man! Been missing you on the ‘gram. When are we going to get you back?

@johnnysweekends Год назад

@@todd.parker it’s a process for sure but I think when accounts are fully closed like 140 days 😂 I doubt I’ll ever be able to get a FB again. After much reading many have never been successful

@todd.parker Год назад

Oh dang. We need another way to connect. Hit me up at my email here

@johnnysweekends Год назад

@@todd.parker funny I dont even see in your about section.. 🤷🏼‍♂️

@todd.parker Год назад

@@johnnysweekends You can hit me up at toddparker.yt@gmail.com

@thudang5298 Год назад

Solid breakdown. Thank you. =)

@todd.parker Год назад

Glad it was helpful!

@kevinhenry177 Год назад

Todd another great video! If I was going to get a single power unit for van life which one should I buy and why? Yes I would want to use my induction single burner, for cooking and also a small Insta pot. Thanks for all the great videos so much useful information every time! I am definitely a fan of your videos.

@todd.parker Год назад

So glad my videos are helpful. For a van, unless you have a lot of space and need a lot of power, the AC500 might be a bit overkill. You could probably get away with an expandable 2kw unit like AC200MAX or Delta Max, or Anker 767.

@williameddy7217 Год назад

Good information! Thanks

@todd.parker Год назад

Glad it was helpful!

@jasonbroom7147 Год назад

Excellent video, with lots of good points covered. Knowing what you now know about this off-the-shelf, whole-house solution, would you go with this again or would you build a modular, component-based solution that address some of the shortcomings you mentioned in the video?

@todd.parker Год назад

Going with a server rack system with all-in-one inverter/charger would definitely be cheaper and more robust but I think this is very appealing because it’s plug and play and has lots of nice features like the solar priority UPS modes all in a tidy, modular package. If you’re comfortable with DIY and have a place to mount all that gear, that’s probably the way to go but this is more of a polished consumer ‘appliance’ with lots of safety features built in.

@vanvee88 Год назад

I think your videos are great, so well done. Does the AC500 allow you to stay plugged into the grid and only use when solar and batteries are unavailable? Solar first>Battery>grid? Thanks.

@todd.parker Год назад

You can’t directly power anything from solar because it’s so variable but you can connect a load like a fridge and run it in solar priority UPS mode which means it will only charge the batteries from solar unless they drop below x%, then it will pull from the wall which is pretty much what you’re asking for

@teuton6167 Год назад

Great video. I have a question on your hook up to your house electrical panel. It looked like you are not using the 30 amp output but instead are using one of the regular 20 amp ac outputs. Can you briefly explain how that works, and perhaps provide a link to what equipment you used for that? Thanks!

@todd.parker Год назад

I have a pair of Goal Zero transfer panels that have standard 20A plugs as inputs and 4 circuits so I can power 8 circuits total. I have some older videos on the setup if interested

@teuton6167 Год назад

I found it and watched it-thank you.

@cscs237 Год назад

Great setup! Wondering tho - what happens when the batteries get run down? Do we need to replace the entire setup?

@todd.parker Год назад

The battery modules are separate so you can swap them out. Since they are LFP chemistry, you can cycle them from 0 to 100% every day for 8.2 years and still have 80% of the battery capacity left so they will last a very long time!

@markp87PR7 Год назад

Hi Todd, have you not had any SOC management issues? My EU model has a real problem managing battery balance. I have had all the firmware and software updates, carried out battery re-balancing and nothing is making things better. I'm seeing 14-16% variance between batts 1&2 on first charge cycle, which only gets worse on discharge.. 17-18% difference within 2-3 days, when I use 90% max SOC. Min SOC is not managed so battery can drop to 0% and the AC500 uses an average to manage Max SOC, so 97% Batt1 and 83% Batt2 is usual after a full charge. I am loathed to to invest in my planned PV array when I still have this fundamental instability. I am still talking to Bluetti but the customer service team appear to be sales people not technical people. At the moment I could not recommend the AC500 until Bluetti gets its act together.... Polished video by the way 🙂

@todd.parker Год назад

I’ve been surprised at how well they have stayed balanced. I’ve never done anything to calibrate them and they are usually within 4-5%. Just checked and they are 64/71% which is the most they’ve diverged but they’ve been working non-stop for months powering loads. That’s a bit more than I’d like to see but I’ve heard Ecoflow Delta Pros need a lot of fiddling to keep in sync so I figure it’s no too bad

@markp87PR7 Год назад

@@todd.parker Thank you Todd, when I charge to SOC100% I see similar divergence to you on discharge. But set at 90% it goes haywire quickly. I'll keep on at Bluetti, just hope they can sort it out. Watch out for the minimum SOC setting it's still not working, drops to zero without stopping. Thanks again for your reply, I appreciate it.

@todd.parker Год назад

Ah, gotcha. I’ll keep an eye on it. Thanks for the heads up

@chefpaolo3190 Год назад

hi can someone tell me what is the best solar panel for ac500 and ac300 togheter ? thanks

@todd.parker Год назад

It depends on your installation but theses are designed for large arrays of residential solar panels like you’d have on your roof. You can use smaller ones but this is meant fur high power. Look for used panels.

@chefpaolo3190 Год назад

@@todd.parker i need to use about 14 amp 110v equipment... a commercial fridge and some lights... maybe 10 hours a day... max... i was wondering if the original bluetti are good or go for something else

@SuperLooneyrooney Год назад

@@chefpaolo3190 i use the bluetti sp420 panels for my AC500 set up. this is at an off grid weekend cabin that i use maybe 4 days a month and even then I'm not using alot of power when i'm there so this is not a permanent set up and they are not designed to be a permanent install anyways . I didn't like the thought of leaving panels unattended 24/7 (hail storms damaged the neighbors panels on his roof last summer)

@strobaholic 11 месяцев назад

Bluetti tech support is atrocious. Don’t buy their products until they fix their tech support and customer service. I have 2 AC500 and 6 B300s batteries that don’t work when grid power goes down. Tech support has no clue why this happens or how to fix it. Pointless having a backup power system that doesn’t work when power goes out.

@bradkaral1188 Год назад

"I received a reply within 32 hours". Wow, that's pretty pathetic. Imagine you're in a blackout and you have to wait 32 (business) hours to get an answer to an important question.

@todd.parker Год назад

We’re grading Bluetti on a curve, a few months ago, it would take a week (or never). Progress, but I agree that’s still not good enough

@bradkaral1188 Год назад

@@todd.parker Yes, not even close. We're talking about an item that costs thousands of dollars.

@SuperLooneyrooney Год назад

I'm hoping that they have built up enough of a user base to perhaps outsource some of their technical support to a 3rd party. Let them take 60-70% of the "easier" inquiries and then bluetti in house take the more advanced questions

@laynevines13 5 месяцев назад

Imagine you spend thousands of dollars on a item and not testing it before a blackout

@bradkaral1188 5 месяцев назад

@@laynevines13 Just because you didn't test it, doesn't give the company the moral authority to ignore you. Specious argument.

@daveyd0071 9 месяцев назад

Let me just say this, if you're competent enough to wire your own solar/back-up battery BMS from scratch, it's very hard to justify purchasing a setup like this. You save up to 50%-75% in battery KW/hour storage cost by making your own lifepo battery at 48V 16S. Bluetti cannot compete with the ability of a competent DIY solar setup, no company can for that matter. So study how it's done and save yourselves some serious mula. I built my own 48V, 16S, 15 kilowatt hour battery from scratch for right around $3,200 USD. Whereas the AC500 with a 300S cost roughly $5K. Let's take a look at a single B300S battery, it only puts out 3,072 watt hours for $2,500. My $3,200 battery puts out 5X more watt hours. To get 15KW hours you need 5 Bluetti B300S and that comes out to be $12,500 in LFP batteries. Now wire your homemade 15Kw hour battery to the Bluetti AC200P via XT90 Y-cable direct from the internal battery to the mainboard. This is just one example of a great cost-saving measure.

@daveyd0071 9 месяцев назад

Now if you don't know how to wire a lifepo4 battery BMS, go and buy four ECO-WORTHY 48V 50Ah LiFePO4 batteries already assembled for $2,500 right now and parallel them together, then link it internally to the AC200P as I described above. The output of them is equal to four Bluetti B300S batteries given that the B300s only lets you draw-down up to 80% of the battery's actual power output per unit. The eco-worthy you can draw it down to 100% discharge if you want to, which makes this battery a direct competitor to the Bluetti B300S minus the heating element of course. Congrats - I just saved you Five-Grand, USD.

@todd.parker 9 месяцев назад

I agree that a DIY build is both pretty easy these days and a better value than a power station like this but for someone less comfortable with wiring, there is something nice about just stacking these up, connecting a single cable and knowing everything is safe so it's more of a consumer friendly product that doesn't require any know-how.