Roof leak after solar panel installation

shibli

Hi 

Not sure if anyone has had experience when solar panels have been fitted and then experience a roof leak ? Had mine fitted this summer and with the heavy rainfall recently I now have a leak coming through one of my bedrooms near where the panels are fitted, which previously never had any issues with rain, assume it's related to maybe a broken tile or something similar during installation ? Anyway have called back the installer who will have a look.

TIA

ecraig

I would expect some unlucky people to experience a leak when their roof has been altered, if the alterations result in some damage or cracks somehow. 
It's a tale of bad luck. Do you not have a felt or membrane under the tiles?

inspectorperez

Think you might actually have had a stroke of luck discovering the leak in a relatively short period of time after the installation.

A friend of mine had his installation carried out back in 2012 and only discovered last year that there had been a leak which had slowly permeated through to a bedroom ceiling within a built in wardrobe area. Fortunately there were a few days left on the installation warranty and the reparation cost was covered under the policy.

The reparation work carried out uncovered a broken roof tile which could only have occurred during the original installation so the fix was a relatively straightforward affair. Needless to say the costs would not have been insignificant as scaffolding was required and some of the panels had to be removed.

After 9 years of course there was internal remedial work also which was covered by the policy.

Hopefully your situation is as straightforward.

PennyForThem_2

Actually aren't installers insured against this?  The installer shouldn't compromise the roof, and if this scenario looks likely, surely the installer should advise the owner.

However - the owner should also have advised his home insurer before installation - are solar panels covered on the roof?  If not, owner is compromised, TBH, from claiming against insurance.

Raxiel

PennyForThem_2 said:

Actually aren't installers insured against this?  The installer shouldn't compromise the roof, and if this scenario looks likely, surely the installer should advise the owner.

However - the owner should also have advised his home insurer before installation - are solar panels covered on the roof?  If not, owner is compromised, TBH, from claiming against insurance.

Agreed that one should always be pro-active, although I called my insurers (LV, formerly L&G) to tell them about the installation and they just told me that panels are covered as standard and that was that.

Alnat1

I had the same response from Hastings when I called to inform them we were having solar installed.

CS did put me on hold for a while to go check, came back and said it was now noted on our account record but it would be covered under the standard policy and no changes were necessary.

shibli

ecraig said:

I would expect some unlucky people to experience a leak when their roof has been altered, if the alterations result in some damage or cracks somehow. 
It's a tale of bad luck. Do you not have a felt or membrane under the tiles?

Yes have felt fitted underneath the tiles.

shibli

I do have hosue hold insurance but have never informed them we had solar panels fitted, but surely it's the installer to check it out first.

diystarter7

For almost any insurance, if changes are to be made, tell the insurance outfit. The onus is on the insurance person to tell their insurance as NOT all properties are insured.

OP, I hope you get it sorted ASAP.

These solars on roof I'm glad we have none where we live, not sure if its to do it with being a conservation area in part or not but those things are not only ugly, but when the roof leaks, often more costly to get it repaired. 

A co-worker had these done years ago and they had dead pigeons under them and the company cam back out and did something to prevent this. Not sure if they have changed the design etc since to prevent this.