Bought someone else's install, but now have to remove

[Colorado Hail Damaged]

Hi, brand new here so sorry if this is a weird topic. I bought a small structure with someone elses Qcells coupled to Enphase IQ8 inverters. Unfortunately we just had some hail damage that did a number on the roof, but not the panels. Insurance doesn't want to pay to have the panels removed and I was told it isn't a hard job. I can be pretty handy, but obviously want to be safe.

There's a shutoff switch at ground level, which I assume needs to be hit before removal. Then I was thinking the connectors need to be unplugged from the panel and the mounts or clips removed. Simple as that?

 

[Quattrohead]

Yep that's basically it. There is a little two finger tool that will make unclipping the mc4 connectors way easier.

 

[fafrd]

Hi, brand new here so sorry if this is a weird topic. I bought a small structure with someone elses Qcells coupled to Enphase IQ8 inverters. Unfortunately we just had some hail damage that did a number on the roof, but not the panels. Insurance doesn't want to pay to have the panels removed and I was told it isn't a hard job. I can be pretty handy, but obviously want to be safe.

There's a shutoff switch at ground level, which I assume needs to be hit before removal. Then I was thinking the connectors need to be unplugged from the panel and the mounts or clips removed. Simple as that?

It’s straightforward if there are 2 of you.

I disassembled my 7-year-old 12- panel Microinverter-based array this January and was shocked to see how severely the plastic MC4 connectors had degraded.

So depending on how many years ago that array was installed (sounds like only a few), be prepared for some connectors that may not disassemble as easily as they should…

If the panels are being trashed anyway, just cutting the PV wires and dealing with the MC4 connectors after the IQ8s have been collected off the roof is the easier alternative…

 

[Colorado Hail Damaged]

Thank you both so much. I'll be putting the panels back up after the roof is done. Ill look into the tool for the 2 year old microinverters. I plan on roping them down to my wife to put them in the garage for a while until the roof is done.

 

[fafrd]

Thank you both so much. I'll be putting the panels back up after the roof is done. Ill look into the tool for the 2 year old microinverters. I plan on roping them down to my wife to put them in the garage for a while until the roof is done.

Oh, I see that I misread your first post.

So you need to pull down the entire array before gaveling the roof repaired, which will be covered by insurance, and then the array will be reinstalled.

Are you also doing the reinstall yourself?

I’m surprised your insurance company is not covering the cost of uninstall - most roofing companies can uninstall and reinstall solar and I don’t understand why that is not a valid part of your claim.

In any case, forget what I said about cutting PV wires - I thought it was the panels that were damaged and not the roof (and I also thought you were purchasing a salvage damaged solar system and did not understand you were just taking down a working system as a prerequisite to having roof repairs done).

You will need the proper MC4 disassembly tools for your connectors. There are several flavors and they all have slightly different tools.

You can attempt to disconnect using a pair of small screwdrivers but it is exceedingly easy to damage the MC4 connectors that way.

Moving panels on the roof is best done with someone helping you on the roof.

Moving panels down off the roof needs at least one helper on the ground.

When I’ve moved panels on or off the roof, I’ve had my son helping me on the roof and my wife helping from the ground.

I strongly advise you to seek a roofing company that can disinstall the solar. Then try to get the insurance company to over that cost.

If that ends up being a no-go with the insurance company, you may decide it’s worth paying them the extra to do that work or perhaps they have one worker who can help you get that job done for a modest payment on the side.


If you have not installed solar before, you may be getting in over your head.

 

[jasonojordan]

One thing you can do to insure a smooth reinstall is label both sides of every connection that way you make sure you get things back in the proper order using the proper cables. Beyond that and some troublesome connections it should be somewhat straight forward from an electrical standpoint.

If you have not done an install before the racking part may prove to be a challenge for you but you could take measurements of things before hand to insure you keep your spacings correct with the installed values. Other than that making sure you have a good quality sealant and are hitting rafters its not too bad.

here is the link to the tool you want along with extra connectors incase you break/damage one and need to put a new one on.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078B7N3WD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1