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  • Post in thread: Dealing with Pests

    Safe around livestock RatX is a non-toxic rat bait that kills rodents without harming any other species. Rat-X is made from 100% natural ingredients, it can even be used inside food handling facilities. The mice and rats will eat the bait like a food source and Rat-X will cause dehydration. Mice...
  • Post in thread: So this happened today

    I cranked it up and saved it.
  • Post in thread: New to Residential Solar (have questions)

    Thanks for the reply. I just got an email that the replacement rail should be here on Mon, but not holding my breath. ? (same trucking company) I went ahead and started laying panels, because I'm not sure what I need for the wiring part of it. The inspector said I need a fused DC disconnect...
  • Post in thread: Grid-tie net metering install questions

    Tried to make use of the bags and bags of clips and tidy the wiring a bit. Hopefully good enough.... The leads on one side of the panels are too short to attach to the frame AND get to the module connection in the opposite croner, so they are hanging loose a bit.
  • Post in thread: Grid-tie net metering install questions

    I feel like I'm hitting a wall in the homestretch. I was really hoping to do this myself, but I keep hitting obstacles and/or contradictions. The wiring diagram with my "kit" (no other instructions) appears very basic, for example, but I keep running into questions that blossom into more...
  • Post in thread: Wholesale Solar

    Tomorrow will be 6 weeks to the day that I paid for my grid tie system from them and I still don't have all the parts. Maybe it's pretty typical for companies to use LTL trucking companies, but XPO Logistics really screwed the pooch on this one. The inverter was shipped FedEx with no notice or...
  • Post in thread: Firing it up for the first time

    I have 4 of the #10 size plus a #6 THHN ground and it's a sort of snug fit in a 3/4" NM flex conduit. I have buried about 10' of it close to my house, but the rest is still out. Maybe I should cut it off and bump up to a larger size?
  • Post in thread: Grid-tie net metering install questions

    Half of the connectors can be undone pretty easily by hand, but half are covered and have 2 slots where the hooks are visible, but not accessible. The tool works fine on the ones I can do my hand, (just faster) but the spacing is wrong to do the covered ones. I have a 2nd tool, so maybe one...
  • Post in thread: Firing it up for the first time

    I tried local supply places and no luck on spools. I pulled them out and separated them and brought them inside. I'm thinking some extension cord reels might be my best shot and give it another try. If covid weren't exploding here, I would've just called someone to do the final loose ends. This...
  • Post in thread: Firing it up for the first time

    I don't have any spools, but planning to make up something this morning.
  • Post in thread: Grid-tie net metering install questions

    Thanks for the reply. It was a day of spinning wheels and running in circles as the clock keeps ticking with winter weather slowly sneaking up on me. It's a SunnyBoy 5.0 with 16 Astronergy 320w panels. They included a 30A disconnect for the AC side and 16 panel shutdown modules. I think it's a...
  • Post in thread: NEC requirements for Fireman Switch and RSD's?

    The interpretation I heard was that if DC conductors are on or in your home at all, shutdown modules are required. If the inverter is outside and it's only AC coming in, you're good with just a manual disconnect.
  • Post in thread: New to Residential Solar (have questions)

    I'm underway with a 5kW ground mount grid tied system. I have posts in concrete and racking set. (all but one piece damaged by trucking company) While I wait one the one rail, I thought I'd tackle some of the wiring. The package includes a 2 pole disconnect in a box. The wiring diagram shows...
  • Post in thread: New to Residential Solar (have questions)

    Why are there only 7 of 8 rails up? Thank you XPO Logistics. Looks like one of your forklift drivers tried to drive over a bundle of racking.
  • Post in thread: Grid-tie net metering install questions

    I thought about selling the shutdown modules, but it sounds like they communicate with the inverter and monitor each panel's output.
  • Post in thread: Dealing with Pests

    We just got a 2 year old silver lab last year. He's actually pretty good at catching mice. He's caught 5 or 6 outside and 2 in the house.
  • Post in thread: Ground Conductor Exit From Weatherproof Enclosure?

    OK, maybe a stupid question, but I've got a 4 pole DC disconnect between my panels and inverter in a plastic enclosure. There is a ground from the inverter, (with the 2 pos and 2 neg conductors) and there will be a ground from the array racking. The inverter conductors enter thru a 3/4" conduit...
  • Post in thread: Grounding

    We had lightning strike twice in one weekend. Well pump garage door openers, gate opener, printer, modem and 2 routers all got zapped.
  • Post in thread: Grounding

    Seems like all I've seen is solid 6AWG bare copper.
  • Post in thread: Ground Conductor Exit From Weatherproof Enclosure?

    The diagram doesn't show a ground rod, so the array hardware would be tied into the ground of the house. I do have an extra ground rod and clamp laying around, so would it be a good idea to add it?
  • Post in thread: Ground Conductor Exit From Weatherproof Enclosure?

    I went into town to an electrical supply place for the one little part to finish up my install. I asked for a cable sealing gland or strain relief and the guy at the counter kept asking "You mean a Chinese finger trap?" Finally after describing it a 3rd time, he heard me and dug out 2 different...
  • Post in thread: Getting ahead of myself!

    I'm no pro, and I didn't read all the replies, but roof-mounted panels with the intent to wire them later might be tricky. Working at height by feel with long reaches, on connectors that require 2 hands to put together or take apart, doesn't sound fun. (or cheap)
  • Post in thread: New to Residential Solar (have questions)

    I didn't know that about the rapid shutdown modules, the kit just included them. (maybe rooftop is just more common?) Seems to me like the inverter output would go off when the grid shut down all on its own. Is it more of a fire prevention device? I would guess pulling the meter would be the...
  • Post in thread: IronRidge design tool accurate?

    So you are not using Iron Ridge design or parts? They did my plan and I had no problem getting permits. There was a question about the pipes and concrete depth with the inspector and they got back to me pretty quickly, ready to stand behind it. A friend of mine who is an engineer, but in another...
  • Post in thread: Trying to combine 240V AC 30 amp from Inverter to 240V AC 10 amp from panels with micro inverters to go to 40amp breaker in main

    My guess would be for 2 different breakers for the 2 different circuits. (but I'm not an electrician) Maybe a subpanel with a breaker for each that backfeeds a single breaker in the main??
  • Post in thread: Grid-tie net metering install questions

    I was doing some other work today and had an idea. Just before it got dark, I flipped half of my panels to put wiring into areas less than 6' wide. Covering 2 smaller areas sounds a lot easier than covering the whole thing. Still on the fence about keeping the shutdown modules...
  • Post in thread: Firing it up for the first time

    I'm almost to that stage. I have the same inverter and 320 watt panels in a 4x4 landscape ground mount array. I've had so many obstacles delaying this, but I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Today was just another messed up day. I had to run and get a new prescription and...
  • Post in thread: Grid-tie net metering install questions

    I already have it bolted to the basement wall, thinking inside would be a better environment than snow and heat. Maybe I should rethink this....
  • Post in thread: New to Residential Solar (have questions)

    No shade except for a tree to one side that was looking more sick last year. It's still not healthy and now that this is finally happening, I might take it down any day that mood to destroy something hits. (although splitting wood is also good therapy for those days) We have planted trees all...
  • Post in thread: New to Residential Solar (have questions)

    I thought my idea for using the IronRidge hardware to support the posts was pretty slick. I plumbed and braced the 2 ends, then set the cross piece, and hung the center off it. I couldn't picture how just one guy could get the height with a big X like they suggested. A 2x4 over the hole and...
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