Inverter showing a red light or fault code?
Status lights are your inverter's way of telling you what's wrong. Here's how to read them on the most common Colorado systems — and the one safe reset worth trying before you call.
Safety first: every check below can be done from the ground with equipment covers in place. Never climb on your roof, open an inverter or electrical panel cover, or touch wiring — solar equipment carries lethal voltage even when the sun is down. When in doubt, just call us.
Safe checks you can do yourself
Note the light color and any code — take a photo
Before touching anything, photograph the inverter's lights and any code on its display. Green generally means normal, blinking green often means starting up or updating, and red/amber means a fault. That photo saves a diagnostic trip if you end up calling us.
Enphase systems: check the Envoy and the app
Enphase microinverters live under your panels, so the box you see on the wall is the Envoy gateway. A red network light usually means a connectivity issue (see our 'not reporting' guide). Open the Enphase App and look for event messages under Menu → Events — 'AC Voltage Out of Range' after a grid disturbance often clears on its own within a day.
SolarEdge systems: read the display or the mySolarEdge app
SolarEdge inverters show error codes on the built-in display or in the mySolarEdge app. Write down the exact code (e.g. 'Error 18xC7'). Some codes are temporary grid events that self-clear; codes about isolation, arc faults, or ground faults are serious — don't attempt any reset, just call.
The one safe reset: cycle the solar breaker once
If there's no burning smell, buzzing, or visible damage, you can turn the solar breaker in your main panel off, wait one minute, and turn it back on. The inverter takes about five minutes to restart and reconnect. If the fault light returns or the breaker trips again, stop — do not keep resetting it.
Give grid-related faults 24 hours
After outages, brownouts, or utility work, inverters often flag voltage or frequency faults and then recover on their own once the grid stabilizes. If the fault persists a full day after the grid is back to normal, it needs professional diagnosis.
When to stop and call a pro
Inverter faults beyond a single safe reset need a licensed electrician — inverters carry lethal DC voltage even when the breaker is off. Call us if:
- The fault light or code returns after one breaker cycle
- You see any code mentioning ground fault, arc fault, or isolation — don't reset these, just call
- There's a burning smell, buzzing, scorching, or a hot breaker — turn the solar breaker off and call immediately
- The inverter display is completely dead on a sunny day
- You're not sure what the code means — a photo and a phone call cost nothing
Still stuck? We'll fix it.
Our licensed Colorado technicians repair every major brand — even systems we didn't install. Call and a real person on our Denver team picks up.