solar install......water in cables

apf666 · 29 May 2016 at 11:45AM

just a for info really, may be of interest to some

i had an install completed by tp solar (no longer trading)

i had raised a complaint with trade body.......good enough....they arranged for a local installer to attend to do a quote on refitting lower panel array

the installer also did a system check.....when checking the inverter water was present in the cables from both strings. (not much but enough to have to system off)....they checked connections on both rooves........connectors were loose on each array.....capillary action seems to have been at play...and water finds a way....

system now left in powered down state because safety issues and i await an update on what happens next

system installed 16 months ago....

not suggesting other installs are the same.....i may have been unlucky..........but leave to others if they feel checks are needed on their own installs...

regards

af

pw22 · 4 July 2016 at 10:16AM

Just to add to the above - Paul (T P Solar) has recently opened a new company fixing faulty systems - anyone with any problems should contact the relevant trade body etc

michaels · 4 July 2016 at 4:26PM

pw22 wrote: »

Just to add to the above - Paul (T P Solar) has recently opened a new company fixing faulty systems - anyone with any problems should contact the relevant trade body etc

Is that Paul Page who is/was a director of TP Solar and Trade Price Solar (seperate companies) and previously also involved with Trade Price Kitchens (also defunct leaving outstanding debts)?

pw22 · 4 July 2016 at 6:25PM

Yes that is correct

apf666 · 14 July 2016 at 9:13AM

still waiting for repairs......nic move very slowwwwwwwly

hopefully be up and running again before the summer ends!

interesting to see post about tp.......goes on far too often......close down with debts.....too easy to start again with a different name

af

apf666 · 27 August 2016 at 6:13PM

still waiting!!!!............not good

no urgency perhaps as consequential loss is not covered by nic

not confident it will be powered up before summer's end at this rate

theboylard · 28 August 2016 at 9:24AM

I'd tell them you're looking at Small Claims action as their failure to act is costing you FiT. Not sure if that is doable but may shake them up?
I'd also mention their poor service all over social media - try including Radio 4 You and Yours and Martin here at MSE.

For a trade body to be seen as ineffective may put pressure on them?

apf666 · 17 September 2016 at 10:13AM

just a quick update

works have now been approved and a contractor instructed

just wait on install date

quite extensive work needed

will post back here once completed and what had to be done

cheers

apf666 · 12 October 2016 at 10:06AM

1 month from the go ahead......still waiting for an install date............had hoped it would be before summer's end............hoping before xmas now!!!.......

mannnnnnn........

apf666 · 2 November 2016 at 9:59AM

well...

hopefully all powered up again by the end of today...

installers been really really good.........got my first winter virus and feel yuk so great that they just cracked on....but explained stuff as they progressed....

list of problems identified and remedial action taken........... others who used same original installer can decide if their own systems are all as they should be

pretty much a complete uninstall and refit......

inverter....beyond repair...connectors had fused....new inverter fitted..re-sited at 300mm distance from boiler

dc isolation switches fitted.....none prior..only the sunnyboy built in one.....it is recommended that additional switches are installed...(would have prevented fusing of connectors to inverter if separate switches in place)

ac isolator switch replaced....original had been incorrectly wired...when turned off it was still live...not good

generation meter relocated as was over 2 metres high

all cables replaced because of water ingress and malformed connectors.....cables now secured to rails and not able to chaff on roof surface...the old ones had shown wear....and were crushed by tiles as they entered in to loft.....now routed through the felt overlap....originally a hole had just been punched through the middle of the felt...

warning labels now fitted throughout property as required...

upper roof hooks refitted and tiles trimmed/notched etc original rails reused

lower roof...hooks refitted and tiles trimmed etc...new rails as required as multiple offcuts joined together on the original

conduits all sealed and made watertight...grommets and sleeves fitted at cable entry/exit points.....

a million miles better experience than with tp solar....

so a long wait and hopefully now can just forget about the hassle and think about the benefits...

i estimate that i have lost £400 in fit income...£200 in energy savings

possible cost of extended inverter warranty....original inverter extended to 10 years...still waiting to see if sma will allow a transfer of the warranty to the new one.....otherwise i need to pay again...hopefully they will be sympathetic

i think the original iwa workmanship warranty will now be void but perhaps i get cover through the new installer

complaint registered with niceic in october last year.......for me the platinum promise proved vital.....just did not expect things to take so long to get to this point.....

recc washed hands of complaint after tp went bust......think they are pretty useless tbh...

looks like a sunny day here today so hopefully i can watch the geo rack up kw's a bit later

cheers

apf666 · 3 November 2016 at 11:22AM

well

all up and running yesterday....did 4kw's.....nice to see the meter running again

added to the list above

multiple tiles under the array were broken.......mostly where roof hooks had no spacers and the weight of the array was actually on the tile rather than the hook.........some broken where no hooks present......pretty nice of tp hey!

lower array needed new hooks and rails in the end......other than the panels...not much else left of the original install

some good news on the inverter,,,,,,sma have indicated they will transfer warranty over...they are just going to check serial numbers etc match up.......keeping fingers crossed there...

not sure if anyone would like to give a view on the following options.....

accept the situation as is.....be grateful that nic came through in the end and put it to bed.....or

suggest delays in remedial work are not reasonable and ask for loss of fit compensation

i just do not know which at the minute....if inverter warranty could not be transferred i would probably choose the 2nd option....

cheers

solar install......water in cables

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