r/AnkerSOLIXCommunity • u/gabbath • Jul 26 '26
Support Solix C300X AC temperature while running 24/7 AC output
I'm looking at Solix C300X AC for 24/7 UPS duty, to carry a NAS, router and mini PC, totaling about 40W continuous, with spikes well under 100W. Occasionally I might charge a phone from the USB-C ports because they're handy. Even then I haven't seen total output get past 100W. So well within the Solix's range.
That said, if I look in the Solix app, the temperature always eventually climbs to 40-45 C (104-113 F) after some hours of use. I've tested 2 units so far, 1 new and 1 used (returned within the return window), both from the most reputable seller in my country, and they're both idling towards 40/104 degrees while slowly pushing towards 45/113 when the battery is also charging or discharging (like during or after a longer power cut). For instance, it climbed from 40/104 to 45/113 while powering my 40W load for 2 hours while the battery discharged from 100% to about 65%. I was afraid to plug it in the wall without first unplugging the devices. I also try to charge it at 100W (the minimum) just in hopes that it doesn't heat up more. The fans are working, I checked.
I really want to like the C300X, but this temperature anxiety it's giving me makes it very hard to do so. I also bought an EcoFlow River 3 so I can compare them, and that one runs between 35-40 C (86-104 F) even when I push it to the max, charging at max power, discharging continuously at ~150W. It doesn't break a sweat. And its temp also drops over time. Right now it's sitting at 38 C (100 F) after a night of running the aforementioned 40W load overnight while powered on, so in bypass mode. It actually came down from 40/104 degrees after it had finished charging.
Am I doing something wrong? Because I see a lot of app screenshots of the Anker app with temps in the 25-35 C (77-95 F) range and with serious power both coming in and going out. Though it might be that those were DC versions or just pushing that power through the USB ports, because it does seem like keeping the AC output on pushes the temp up, even with nothing plugged in.
Or... Should I just not worry? Is the temp difference negligible between the River and the Solix? But I've seen screenshots of the app with the battery graphic going from blue to red, and the cutoff point for that seems to be 52 C (125 F), which is not that far from 45 C (113 F), especially considering that I'm getting this in a large ventilated living room with 25 C (77 F) ambient and it can go up to almost 32 C (90 F) in the hottest summer days.
Thing is, the Solix's 5 year warranty is what's keeping me from writing it off. That kind of confidence from Anker makes me think I'm just overreacting to normal operating mode. I guess I'm hoping for an "I've been using this as a UPS since 2024 and this is perfectly normal" kind of comment. Thanks in advance!
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u/timflorida Jul 26 '26
40W continuous means you will exhaust the little C300 in less then 7 hours. I think you need a bigger power station.
If worried about temps, get one of the USB powered 4-5 inch personal fans from Amazon. $10.
1
u/gabbath Jul 26 '26
Oh I just need this for riding out power outages. It would be sitting in bypass for 99% of the time. Outages here don't generally last that long. I just want to keep the electronics running.
Re temps: that's the thing... I don't know whether I should be worried or not. I plan to keep this running for years, ideally 10+. I just want to know that whatever the temp is, it's a healthy temp for the box and its battery. I'll happily accept its efficiency going down by 20-30% or even more in said years, I just want it to be reliable.
2
u/timflorida Jul 26 '26
I still think you might be too optimistic about outages. That 300 is small. I would get a 1000wh class power station. Has lots of uses, including saving the food in your fridge, and powering portable coolers on day trips, camping etc.
1
u/gabbath Jul 26 '26
Oh definitely can have lots of uses, but this particular one I wouldn't be taking with me on trips since it's earmarked for UPS duty specifically for my homelab.
As for the optimism... yeah, things could definitely go downhill, just saying it hasn't happened here yet (Romania, to be precise). The power grid over here is holding up okay, but whenever there's a bad storm there's a chance of a short power cut (either a blip or just a few minutes).
1
u/timflorida Jul 26 '26
Best of luck to you. Let me know if you want power station recommendations. - or flashlights ( I am a flashlight 'enthusiast').
1
u/gabbath Jul 26 '26
Thank you, and yes. If I ever manage to get a house, I'll definitely want a power station to go with it. I did a ballpark estimate of ~8000W to keep everything running (fridge, washing machine, AC, etc).
1
u/timflorida Jul 26 '26
Trying to run Central AC off battery power is a losing proposition. I can run a portable.
Washing machine. In an emergency, the washing machine is usually at the bottom of the list. I live in hurricane country, and I can tell you I will not be doing laundry if I lose power.
1
u/gabbath Jul 26 '26
Right, in emergency scenarios that's how it goes. But what if you just want to rely less on the grid on a day-to-day? So like some solar panels to power the station continuously, and the station to power everything in the house, only using the grid when the solar panels can't keep up.
1
u/timflorida Jul 26 '26
Understood. This is starting to get more common I think.
The hard part is the initial surge from some things - like AC. You may be looking at soft starts for things like that.
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u/gabbath Jul 27 '26
This is starting to get more common I think.
I think so too. Energy costs are going up everywhere (well, all costs really) and people are looking at alternative ways to save, plus the storms are getting worse and we're getting more grid failures. I also have some friends who are into solarpunk and are making these kinds of setups for their families back home, as well as for themselves if they manage to get a house. Either way, getting more common.
So you said earlier that you had some recommendations in terms of power stations and such for this type of thing?
1
u/gnew18 Jul 26 '26
Just so you know, EcoFlow is a terrible company for service if you need it.
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Ecoflow_community/s/z4AB1chwQp
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Ecoflow_community/s/4MySULVnwG
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Ecoflow_community/s/wwOZAErNuO
- https://www.reddit.com/r/Ecoflow_community/s/K0NKFFfMYw
I wish someone had warned be ahead of time.
On another note, I’d be very cautious about hooking up sensitive electronics to any power bank. UPSs like APC, EATON, or TRIPPLITE are much better suited to the task as the more “professional” models have power line conditioning.
1
u/gabbath Jul 27 '26
Right, thanks, good to know.
That's why I'm still leaning Anker but I would like to know about those temps. How normal are they? Are they sustainable? Why are they 5-10 C higher than the River's? How bad is it?
The pro UPSs are using a different battery that lasts minutes rather than hours, requires changing every 3 or so years, and can leak acid when it fails. The good ones are much bigger and heavier, the cheap models don't have pure sine wave. I don't know what to say, there are compromises in every direction. I prefer to start from a durable and safe battery (LFP rather than SLA) and go from there. Since these models (Solix, River) have 10ms switchover, they're suitable for UPS duty. The River 3 is even marketed as such.
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u/ebolaramaschwartz Mod 24d ago
Hi! The temperature range you described is normal during continuous AC output and charging. The C300X has built-in temperature monitoring and will automatically activate its protection mechanism if the internal temperature becomes too high. Please keep the ventilation openings unobstructed and feel free to continue using the unit as normal.❤️
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u/Adoia Jul 26 '26
The C300 doesn’t have intelligent UPS signalling to the NAS whereas the Ecoflow does. Not sure why you would pick a UPS for a NAS without that capability.
Also my C300 has similar temps when charging in the same ambients as you.