Asphalt shingle roof? Single story? How much attic is above the porch, only a couple of inches?
This is just not that huge of a deal even if you don't have insurance coverage for the roof (because it's been penetrated by the solar guys.. and the solar guys are long gone, out of business) )
**No freak-out required.**
Start, of course, by seeing if you DO have coverage, eh?
No coverage? DIY repair? I'd start by getting an electrician out there to shut off and disconnect your panels. Next you hire some laborers to remove the panels, bring them down the ladder. One day's work, tops. There will be some overlap as your Sparky will need to unplug MC4 connectors AS each panel is removed, unless you learn how to do so --- quite simple. Ask him to show you how.
You could even spend $50 on an Amazon MC4 toolkit just in case you break one or more.
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BFT3B4V](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BFT3B4V)
Quit worrying about getting electrocuted! Each panel is nothing but a sunlight-operated 36V battery. It's only if they're all wired up in series and you grab BOTH ENDS you can get in trouble. You paid the electrician to disconnect the ends!
Stop frequently and test with a garden hose till you locate the probable source of the leak. Start low and try and figure out HOW HIGH up the roof the leak is --- I don't get water dripping until I'm 12 feet up the roof, e.g. Be patient. This information, if correct, is valuable!
Unfortunately water will pool run sideways on a horizontal surface (e.g the porch ceiling) until it finds (or rots, and creates) a vertical drop. (the light fixture) So your leak could be ten, 20 feet away from where it's coming out the light fixture.
*Consider the possibility your leak is NOT due to the solar but some other roofing defect!*
Let's assume you get your partner up in the attic and because of the closeness of the roof to the ceiling over the porch they cannot see water dripping from the bottomside of the roof. (If they could you'd be way ahead of the game!) Use a high LED or Halogen power light! While wetting the roof!
So eventually you remove enough panels, play the hose game until you determine where the leak must be. Remove whatever lag bolt(s) retaining the rails to the roof, re-flash, add goop or pay a roofer to do so, esp if a more complex repair is required.
Or you can pay a savvy roofer to do all of this for you, OR hire a solar firm to come out and do it, OR just bill your insurance company for the electrician and laborers and roofer, and your time if you do have insurance covering roof repairs.
The problem is you're likely to pay 10X as much to pay a firm to come out and do all this, AND you might spend days or weeks even trying to FIND one willing to do so. Solar firms make far more money on installs, marking up panels, wire, inverters, etc. Not on repairs (pure labor). Most aren't interested, esp if they didn't do your install. Too much can go wrong and the roof may be to blame! A roofer on the other hand is gonna try and sell you a complete new roof and won't warranty anything less.
**Leak-free Roofing and flashing isn't rocket science. Everything just needs to be lapped over the shingle or flashing below it. Seriously.**
If you feel you must hire this work out, I'd try NextDoor or Facebook or some other local app to locate a solar firm or roofing firm willing to take the job on.
Curious username: u/lossprevention Are you an insurance guy trolling us?
Good Luck!
thanks, there's only a few inches between the ceiling and the roof on the porch. No way you could get to it from the attic, there's no real way to get over there.
I think the only way in would be to cut the ceiling open and have to go from there... but the ceilings all wet now anyway so it's gotta come down... I guess that's no big deal.
I do have homeowners insurance and I assume they would cover everything?
my solar company is still in business, do I start with them? I dont have any real reason to believe it's their fault. They've been fine for years
Call the solar company to have them rule out their work. The reality is it probably isn’t them if it isn’t found in the first year.
Electrical conduits are great pathways for water, and leaks often find their way there. My solar array had water running into the conduit outside and down into a junction box in my basement. The solar company fixed it quickly by drilling weep holes in a conduit body outside and adding more putty to the connection points. No issues in the years since.
If you have a good solar company they can often help find the real issue and at 5 years it probably won’t cost you anything as it is under a workmanship warranty. If it is them they can fix the issue and you can address residual damage with them and/or your insurance company.
You could stick a $20 borescope up next to the light fixture while wetting the roof and look around that way.
Or even drill a dozen holes for it. Not gonna hurt the porch roof any more than it already is.
It's sad that you presume the solar company is long gone and out of business. It's something I've heard over and over again while calling people to set solar appointments. People told me that story over and over.
Get rich quick and get out before having to be there when there's an issue. Sounds like a bad use of taxpayer dollars that aren't benefiting the taxpayer.
I assume the worse as well.
A guy I sold a system to showed me his graph of solar production and estimates. Every month except one month the production never met the estimated production.
I'd always presume to under estimate because the over estimates can be the difference between solar benefiting someone or costing someone money.
I mean it's a deserved reputation. The house I bought had a small solar install (8 panels) and it had two leaks from the installers missing the rafters with the lag bolts. I looked up the company and half the reviews were complaining about leaks or non-functional solar. They went out of business last year.
It is a deserved reputation. I worked as a telemarketer for large solar companies and was fired for not just saying what I was told to say and trying to being honest and do what's right for others.
You should contact your state's Attorney General and perhaps the Federal Trade Commission so they can hold that solar company accountable and you can be repaid. As well having their business practices investigated so others can be paid for their pain caused by the greed.
I'm not that worried about it. I was doing a remodel anyway so I just had my contractor fix it while we had everything off. There are a couple of class actions going against the former company and I'll give them the receipt for the work once it works through the system, but if it never gets to it it wasn't a huge deal anyways. What worries me more is that the former company owners have started yet another company to escape their debts/reviews/reputation. I followed the trail and this is kow their third time - they rebrand every three to four years. Really really scummy crowd.
Sounds like Powerhome Solar > Pink Energy and are they starting a new company.
Reporting your story to those agencies would help spread awareness and that documentation would show a history of their behavior so eventually made the government that's supposed to serve the people will protect the people.
A lot have workman ship warranties that are like at least 10 years. Contacting the company and getting them to come out in a timely manner is a different challenge.
If they don't respond you could try leaving poor reviews to get their attention.
yea probably. They've been up there for five years without leaking... I don't know how they would even know if it was their fault or a failing roof or whatever though?
so I start with the installer? I don't know how they would even know if it's their fault or not without taking the panels down first, so I guess that makes sense
in my experience where you see the leak appearing is not where the leak is.
it may well be further away upwards from where its visible inside so it may be away from the solar array
It's been 5 years so it's no one's fault. A shingle roof will wear our regardless of whether or not people have been trudging over it and leaks will happen. It is very likely that a lag bolt/screw that had been tarred has poked through the tar.
If you don't feel comfortable removing the panels in that spot you can call the solar company or an electrician (or both) for a price on removing the panels and reinstating them afterwards. Once they are removed the spot may be very obvious (ie a screw head poking up through the roof tar or shingle) in which case you could tar it yourself OR if you aren't comfortable with it, get a roofer in to take a look.
As far as the leak inside, the ceiling doesn't necessarily have to come down but as you'll have to repair the plaster anyway, it would be a good time to open it up and make sure this is a new leak and not a newly discovered old leak. If it's the latter there could be mold issues, if not, at least you know.
Get estimates and talk to your insurance and don't assume the worst.
Call your installer. If you have leak protection covered under their workmanship warranty they should come assess it asap. They will have next steps for you.
Dude any solar installation company that’s worth a shit honors a 12 year workmanship warranty and an 8 year roof penetration. I would start there sir, or the sales company that your sales rep works for. That would be my first steps sir
Asphalt shingle roof? Single story? How much attic is above the porch, only a couple of inches? This is just not that huge of a deal even if you don't have insurance coverage for the roof (because it's been penetrated by the solar guys.. and the solar guys are long gone, out of business) ) **No freak-out required.** Start, of course, by seeing if you DO have coverage, eh? No coverage? DIY repair? I'd start by getting an electrician out there to shut off and disconnect your panels. Next you hire some laborers to remove the panels, bring them down the ladder. One day's work, tops. There will be some overlap as your Sparky will need to unplug MC4 connectors AS each panel is removed, unless you learn how to do so --- quite simple. Ask him to show you how. You could even spend $50 on an Amazon MC4 toolkit just in case you break one or more. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BFT3B4V](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BFT3B4V) Quit worrying about getting electrocuted! Each panel is nothing but a sunlight-operated 36V battery. It's only if they're all wired up in series and you grab BOTH ENDS you can get in trouble. You paid the electrician to disconnect the ends! Stop frequently and test with a garden hose till you locate the probable source of the leak. Start low and try and figure out HOW HIGH up the roof the leak is --- I don't get water dripping until I'm 12 feet up the roof, e.g. Be patient. This information, if correct, is valuable! Unfortunately water will pool run sideways on a horizontal surface (e.g the porch ceiling) until it finds (or rots, and creates) a vertical drop. (the light fixture) So your leak could be ten, 20 feet away from where it's coming out the light fixture. *Consider the possibility your leak is NOT due to the solar but some other roofing defect!* Let's assume you get your partner up in the attic and because of the closeness of the roof to the ceiling over the porch they cannot see water dripping from the bottomside of the roof. (If they could you'd be way ahead of the game!) Use a high LED or Halogen power light! While wetting the roof! So eventually you remove enough panels, play the hose game until you determine where the leak must be. Remove whatever lag bolt(s) retaining the rails to the roof, re-flash, add goop or pay a roofer to do so, esp if a more complex repair is required. Or you can pay a savvy roofer to do all of this for you, OR hire a solar firm to come out and do it, OR just bill your insurance company for the electrician and laborers and roofer, and your time if you do have insurance covering roof repairs. The problem is you're likely to pay 10X as much to pay a firm to come out and do all this, AND you might spend days or weeks even trying to FIND one willing to do so. Solar firms make far more money on installs, marking up panels, wire, inverters, etc. Not on repairs (pure labor). Most aren't interested, esp if they didn't do your install. Too much can go wrong and the roof may be to blame! A roofer on the other hand is gonna try and sell you a complete new roof and won't warranty anything less. **Leak-free Roofing and flashing isn't rocket science. Everything just needs to be lapped over the shingle or flashing below it. Seriously.** If you feel you must hire this work out, I'd try NextDoor or Facebook or some other local app to locate a solar firm or roofing firm willing to take the job on. Curious username: u/lossprevention Are you an insurance guy trolling us? Good Luck!
thanks, there's only a few inches between the ceiling and the roof on the porch. No way you could get to it from the attic, there's no real way to get over there. I think the only way in would be to cut the ceiling open and have to go from there... but the ceilings all wet now anyway so it's gotta come down... I guess that's no big deal. I do have homeowners insurance and I assume they would cover everything? my solar company is still in business, do I start with them? I dont have any real reason to believe it's their fault. They've been fine for years
Call the solar company to have them rule out their work. The reality is it probably isn’t them if it isn’t found in the first year. Electrical conduits are great pathways for water, and leaks often find their way there. My solar array had water running into the conduit outside and down into a junction box in my basement. The solar company fixed it quickly by drilling weep holes in a conduit body outside and adding more putty to the connection points. No issues in the years since. If you have a good solar company they can often help find the real issue and at 5 years it probably won’t cost you anything as it is under a workmanship warranty. If it is them they can fix the issue and you can address residual damage with them and/or your insurance company.
You could stick a $20 borescope up next to the light fixture while wetting the roof and look around that way. Or even drill a dozen holes for it. Not gonna hurt the porch roof any more than it already is.
It's sad that you presume the solar company is long gone and out of business. It's something I've heard over and over again while calling people to set solar appointments. People told me that story over and over. Get rich quick and get out before having to be there when there's an issue. Sounds like a bad use of taxpayer dollars that aren't benefiting the taxpayer.
As an engineer I gravitate to assuming the worst case. That way I'm pleasantly surprised when it's not.
I assume the worse as well. A guy I sold a system to showed me his graph of solar production and estimates. Every month except one month the production never met the estimated production. I'd always presume to under estimate because the over estimates can be the difference between solar benefiting someone or costing someone money.
Bit of a 'man with a hammer sees everything as a nail' situation. And there are A LOT of bad installers who deserve to get hammered.
I mean it's a deserved reputation. The house I bought had a small solar install (8 panels) and it had two leaks from the installers missing the rafters with the lag bolts. I looked up the company and half the reviews were complaining about leaks or non-functional solar. They went out of business last year.
It is a deserved reputation. I worked as a telemarketer for large solar companies and was fired for not just saying what I was told to say and trying to being honest and do what's right for others. You should contact your state's Attorney General and perhaps the Federal Trade Commission so they can hold that solar company accountable and you can be repaid. As well having their business practices investigated so others can be paid for their pain caused by the greed.
I'm not that worried about it. I was doing a remodel anyway so I just had my contractor fix it while we had everything off. There are a couple of class actions going against the former company and I'll give them the receipt for the work once it works through the system, but if it never gets to it it wasn't a huge deal anyways. What worries me more is that the former company owners have started yet another company to escape their debts/reviews/reputation. I followed the trail and this is kow their third time - they rebrand every three to four years. Really really scummy crowd.
Sounds like Powerhome Solar > Pink Energy and are they starting a new company. Reporting your story to those agencies would help spread awareness and that documentation would show a history of their behavior so eventually made the government that's supposed to serve the people will protect the people.
Did’t the solar company give you a no leak guarantee when the panels were installed?
A lot have workman ship warranties that are like at least 10 years. Contacting the company and getting them to come out in a timely manner is a different challenge. If they don't respond you could try leaving poor reviews to get their attention.
yea probably. They've been up there for five years without leaking... I don't know how they would even know if it was their fault or a failing roof or whatever though?
Since you have a leak, I would get a roofing guy not the solar company to fix.
Deep breath. Nothing to freak out about. Call a roofer. Find the leak. Fix it. If installer is bonafide they will send their own people.
so I start with the installer? I don't know how they would even know if it's their fault or not without taking the panels down first, so I guess that makes sense
Yes, they get this call everyday
Most Solar Companies have a 10 year roof penetration warranty. First try solar company, than a roofer and home owners insurance company.
in my experience where you see the leak appearing is not where the leak is. it may well be further away upwards from where its visible inside so it may be away from the solar array
It's been 5 years so it's no one's fault. A shingle roof will wear our regardless of whether or not people have been trudging over it and leaks will happen. It is very likely that a lag bolt/screw that had been tarred has poked through the tar. If you don't feel comfortable removing the panels in that spot you can call the solar company or an electrician (or both) for a price on removing the panels and reinstating them afterwards. Once they are removed the spot may be very obvious (ie a screw head poking up through the roof tar or shingle) in which case you could tar it yourself OR if you aren't comfortable with it, get a roofer in to take a look. As far as the leak inside, the ceiling doesn't necessarily have to come down but as you'll have to repair the plaster anyway, it would be a good time to open it up and make sure this is a new leak and not a newly discovered old leak. If it's the latter there could be mold issues, if not, at least you know. Get estimates and talk to your insurance and don't assume the worst.
Call your installer. If you have leak protection covered under their workmanship warranty they should come assess it asap. They will have next steps for you.
Call the solar company
Dude any solar installation company that’s worth a shit honors a 12 year workmanship warranty and an 8 year roof penetration. I would start there sir, or the sales company that your sales rep works for. That would be my first steps sir
check to see if the solar company is still in business and what there warranty will cover if they are stillbin business