The Bluetti AC200P and AC200MAX are some of the best solar generators in the market.
They both have a 2kWh LiFePO4 battery that lasts a lot longer than the lithium-ion batteries in most solar power stations.
The AC200P produces 2000W of power while the AC200MAX is rated at 2200W, with both having a surge output of up to 4800W.
Both solar generators come with versatile outlets, multiple ways to charge and fast charging capability that lets you recharge their large batteries in just a few hours.
We can confidently say that these two are some of our favorite 2000W solar generators. That’s not to say they are flawless.
Reviews are overwhelmingly positive but a number of users have encountered several issues using their solar generator.
What’s In This Guide?
Contents
In this troubleshooting guide, we highlight these problems as well as any other issues to expect with your Bluetti solar generator. We also provide the best solutions for each problem.
To learn more about each solar generator, read our in-depth review of the Bluetti AC200P and AC200MAX.
Tip: If you experience a problem with your solar generator that’s not covered below, refer to the troubleshooting section of the user manual. Sometimes the solar generator displays an error code that makes it easy to diagnose the problem. You can also contact Bluetti customer support.
Battery Level Drops Even With Nothing Plugged In
One of the most common problems users have encountered is battery level going down even when the solar generator is not in use.
All batteries self-discharge over time, but it takes a long time. Lithium phosphate batteries have an especially slow self discharge rate of about 5% per month.
But some users say they’ve noticed battery level sometimes drops by as much as 50% in a few hours, with nothing plugged in.
This could be a problem with the internal circuitry or the display. But the most common culprit is the inverter.
The AC200P and AC200MAX have powerful 2kW inverters. The larger the inverter, the more power it consumes if nothing is drawing power from it. You can lose up to 30% of stored power in a day.
Solution: When you are not using any of the AC outlets, always shut down the inverter by turning off the AC power switch. I also recommend turning on Eco Mode available in both models. It automatically turns off the inverter if there’s little or no power drawn for four hours.
If you still experience abnormal battery discharge, contact customer support.
Battery Doesn't Last Long When Powering Small Appliances
Something else several users have noticed is that the battery in the AC200P and AC200MAX lasts less time than expected when powering a small appliance.
A 70W mini fridge seems to use more power than it’s supposed to.
This is another downside of the large inverters in the Bluetti solar generators. They are inefficient when the power draw is low. In other words, the smaller the appliance you plug in, the higher the inverter power losses.
Solution: Always make sure you are drawing at least 800W from the inverter. You can do this by powering only high-draw appliances like a coffee maker and blender or multiple small or medium size appliances like a TV, fridge and fan that draw a combined power of more than 800W.
For smaller appliances like CPAP, mini fridge and lights, use the DC outlets to bypass the inverter. If your appliance does not run on DC power, it’s easy to find a DC to AC adapter.
To charge devices like a laptop, bluetooth speaker or smartphone use the USB ports. Both the AC200P and AC200MAX have USB-C PD and USB-A outlets. They also have a couple of 15W wireless charging pads.
Solar Generator Won’t Power/Charge Anything
To be clear, I have not come across users complaining that their Bluetti doesn't charge or power their electronics. All the outlets on the Bluetti solar generators work fine.
It’s just a potential usage issue I want to highlight.
If you plug in an appliance or a device and it doesn't run or charge, there are two possible causes.
The Fan Stays On All The Time
Solar generators have internal fans to keep the battery and other components cool. The fans come on when temperature exceeds a set point - they are not supposed to be on all the time.
One of the things some users of Bluetti AC200P and AC200MAX have noticed is that the internal fans are constantly on. This is an issue because the fans are fairly loud especially in a small space like an RV, a camper or a tent.
It’s normal for the fans to run when you are charging the solar generator or when you’ve plugged a large appliance or multiple appliances.
The battery charging or the inverter producing power are both processes that produce heat.
Solution: If the fans continue running even after the battery is at 100% and you’ve not plugged in anything, it’s likely that the ambient temperature is too high. Try moving the solar generator to a cooler place.
If the fans keep running when you plug in even small appliances, try using the DC outlets instead and then turn off the inverter. This will keep the solar generator cooler and keep the fans from turning on.
Something else to check is the amount of clearance around the solar generator. If it’s too close to the wall or another object, it might be struggling to stay cool hence the fans keep running all the time.
Make sure you leave enough clearance around the solar generator and use it in a well ventilated room. Also, keep it a good distance away from any source of heat like a heater or a fire.
Solar Generator Won’t Charge With One Solar Panel
This is a problem unique to the Bluetti AC200P. I haven’t seen any such complaints regarding the newer AC200MAX power station.
Users say they’ve tried to connect a single 12V solar panel to the AC200P but it doesn't charge.
Even Bluetti themselves say that a single 12V panel will not charge the AC200P, even if it has a high output of 200W or more.
The issue is the input voltage range of the solar generator. It’s 35-150 VOC (open circuit voltage). You need at least two 12V solar panels.
12V solar panels have a VOC of about 22V, so a couple of them gets you over the 35 VOC minimum required for the AC200P.
In contrast, the solar input voltage range for the Bluetti AC200MAX is 10-145V. So you can charge it even with a single solar panel.
The Solar Generator Keeps Showing Error Codes
When you encounter a problem with your Bluetti solar generator - it’s not charging, won’t power an appliance etc. - the first thing to check is the display.
Bluetti AC200P and AC200MAX display error codes to make it easy to figure out what has gone wrong. Check the error code and look it up in the user manual to see what it means.
You can also click on the fault code for more information.
For instance, error code 006 means the wall outlet is not producing enough voltage to charge the solar generator. Error code 001 means the solar panels are delivering too much voltage while error code 031 means you’ve overloaded the inverter.
The Wireless Charging Pads Are Finicky To Use
The wireless charging pads on top of the AC200P and AC200MAX solar generators are handy for Qi-enabled devices, but they can be frustrating to use.
The charging area is small so you have to keep your phone perfectly centered for it to charge. Any movement disrupts charging.
This is an especially big problem when you are on the road or when the solar generator is on uneven ground.
Solution: Place the solar generator on a level surface to use the wireless charging pads. When on the move, charge your phone the normal way with cables to avoid this problem.
The Solar Generators Are Heavy
This is one of the most common complaints from owners of the Bluetti AC200P and AC200MAX solar generators.
The power stations are not as portable as they expected. This can be a problem if you plan to use the solar generator for camping or outdoors.
The reason they are heavy is the type of batteries they use.
We love lithium phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries. Compared to traditional Li-ion batteries, they are more stable, safer, and last incredibly long (3500+ cycles).
The biggest downside of LiFePO4 batteries is their lower energy density. So they have to be bigger and heavier to store the same amount of power as a lithium-ion battery.
On average, the two Bluetti solar generators are 20lbs heavier than 2kWh lithium-ion solar generators.
If portability and mobility are important for you, you have two options.
One, buy a roller cart to help you move the heavy solar generator around. Bluetti sells a trolley that can support most of their solar generators.
Two, get a lighter lithium-ion solar generator like the Jackery Explorer 2000 Pro(48lbs) or the EcoFlow Delta Max(43lbs).
In contrast, the Bluetti solar generators weigh about 60lbs.
Bottom Line
Though Bluetti hasn’t been around for long, it is a good and reliable brand. The brand’s parent company is Maxoak, which is based in China.
Generally, Bluetti products have high ratings and mostly positive reviews. As with any solar generator, there are a few niggles here and there as we’ve highlighted above, but none serious enough to make us think twice about recommending this brand.
Usually, if you use the solar generator as directed in the user manual you’ll experience no problem.
What we cannot be 100% sure about is the longevity of Bluetti solar generators. But that’s because they’ve not been in the market long enough.
The 2-year warranty is good but we hope they last a lot longer than that. Based on the lifespan of the LiFePO4 batteries inside the solar generators, we expect them to last between 5 and 10 years.
If you experience a major problem with your Bluetti solar generator, you can always contact customer support. Bluetti’s customer service has mixed reviews, with some customers saying that it took forever to reach them.
But many customers also say they got good service and even had their faulty units replaced.
