# Solar Panel Install



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

A company that sells solar equipment called today asking if my company wants to do installs for them. They only sell the equipment. They want ot sub-out the installs to me in this area. My question is about the mounting hardware on a shingled roof; have any of you done the install of the mounting brackets? What about the {2} penetrations for the water lines to and from the solar panel? Do you plumbers seal the roof? This company expects me to seal the roof after I do the install. I don't want to be responsible for weather-proofing a roof. I am not a roofing contractor.

I have installed the panels and solar W/H's before but only on existing brackets. I don't have a relationship with any roofing companies. I may have to sub-out the roofing work if for no other reason than to avoid the liability.


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## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

keep in mind, not all roofs are shingled. rubber roofs, standing seem steel, steel shingle, rubber roofs....... i dont do flashings on any roofs. as for solar, i have no opinions.


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

make friend's with a roofer, to do your bracket's. there has to be some roofing company u deal with..( you know , that's not a pipe leak. you need a roofer..) separate the two.. this also keeps you off them steep pitch roofs trying to fasten brackets. dealing with big ass ladders and roofing stuff etc. if they expect you to seal the roof.. that would scare me.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

piper1 said:


> make friend's with a roofer, to do your bracket's. there has to be some roofing company u deal with..( you know , that's not a pipe leak. you need a roofer..) separate the two.. this also keeps you off them steep pitch roofs trying to fasten brackets. dealing with big ass ladders and roofing stuff etc. if they expect you to seal the roof.. that would scare me.











Agreed. They'll have to get a roofer to seal the penetrations. A plumber isn't licensed to do roofing. That takes a roofing contractor.


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## Letterrip (Jul 28, 2013)

Tommy, we have installed many permitted solar systems and have never been asked by the inspectors to sub out the roof penetrations. No problem with leaks either. If the panel is removed/reinstalled for a reroof, then the roofer absolutely makes the seal, but we deal with it on a new install


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

I'd be more concerned with the building inspector requiring a structural load sign off from an engineer from the extra weight on the roof

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## Hoosier Plumber (Nov 28, 2013)

Tommy plumber said:


> Agreed. They'll have to get a roofer to seal the penetrations. A plumber isn't licensed to do roofing. That takes a roofing contractor.


Why not work with a roofing contractor and sub him out. Get his prices for the most common type of work you will run into then add it into the price of the install. NO carrot dangling, no I'll get you lots of work if you discount your prices. Pay him what he asks as long as he is honest and you both make money. 

I'm finding more and more these days that customer residential or commercial are wanting the whole project done by one company. If I sit back and wait for someone else to hold up their end and sub me or work "With" me I am setting myself up for disappointment. 

While its a bit unusual as far as a plumber subbing other trades I am doing more and more of it to get projects moving forward and deadlines met. 

Have a job to quote right now that will involve a G.C. and a electrician. The customer is from just outside the area and doesn't know anyone but me and doesn't want to deal with making those calls and appointments when I know what needs to be done and how it needs to be done to accomodate the changes we are making to his plumbing system. 

Matter of fact we are working on details to sub work from a large entity where I will have to sub an excavator until we can do it all in house. 

The more I do it the better the sub-contracting is working out. Then again I'm big on the logistics and drive hard to make deadlines.


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## Letterrip (Jul 28, 2013)

plumbdrum said:


> I'd be more concerned with the building inspector requiring a structural load sign off from an engineer from the extra weight on the roof Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


Weight is really minimal in the grand scheme. Typically a couple hundred pounds with water. Wind load can be an entirely different animal. Had one structural guy for a city insist that we put a mount at every truss that the panel crossed. Typical installation has 4 mounting points. 6 if you want to overkill. This panel had 14. 

I believe that most manufacturers have approved drawings that have been calculated for typical installations. You may want to ask about that.


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

I don't think weight is a probem .. I would worry about leaks.. you are the last one to touch it.. weather it was a roof leak or plumbing leak...the customer could care less.. it's leaking.. your the plumber.... and you know the phone call your going to get..


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

It's a requirement here to have a stamped affidavit from an engineer

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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Letterrip said:


> Weight is really minimal in the grand scheme. Typically a couple hundred pounds with water. *Wind load can be an entirely different animal. Had one structural guy for a city insist that we put a mount at every truss that the panel crossed. Typical installation has 4 mounting points. 6 if you want to overkill. This panel had 14. *
> 
> I believe that most manufacturers have approved drawings that have been calculated for typical installations. You may want to ask about that.


Tommy might have some Florida Winds at times....:laughing:


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

I guess it would be a good idea to put panels on a 150 year old house .

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## Nathan901 (Feb 11, 2012)

Hurricane winds in Florida could rip a panel of a roof in a second. 

I'd bore a hole through the crust of the earth and run a geothermal heat line before sticking a damn panel on my roof. 

.02


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> Agreed. They'll have to get a roofer to seal the penetrations. A plumber isn't licensed to do roofing. That takes a roofing contractor.




Not true. If it is incidental roofing work part of a major plumbing job it is covered under our license in Florida. Kinda like how you can change out a electrical breaker when installing a new electric water heater.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Nathan901 said:


> Hurricane winds in Florida could rip a panel of a roof in a second.
> 
> I'd bore a hole through the crust of the earth and run a geothermal heat line before sticking a damn panel on my roof.
> 
> .02


If the collector, hardware and/or roof are not built to local hurricane wind speed specs then sure. I have hundreds of solar installs in Florida that have survived just fine


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Letterrip said:


> Weight is really minimal in the grand scheme. Typically a couple hundred pounds with water. Wind load can be an entirely different animal. Had one structural guy for a city insist that we put a mount at every truss that the panel crossed. Typical installation has 4 mounting points. 6 if you want to overkill. This panel had 14.
> 
> I believe that most manufacturers have approved drawings that have been calculated for typical installations. You may want to ask about that.


You must be by the coast. I've never been asked to put in more than 4 mounts in central Florida inland and all of our systems are engineered.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> A company that sells solar equipment called today asking if my company wants to do installs for them. They only sell the equipment. They want ot sub-out the installs to me in this area. My question is about the mounting hardware on a shingled roof; have any of you done the install of the mounting brackets? What about the {2} penetrations for the water lines to and from the solar panel? Do you plumbers seal the roof? This company expects me to seal the roof after I do the install. I don't want to be responsible for weather-proofing a roof. I am not a roofing contractor.
> 
> I have installed the panels and solar W/H's before but only on existing brackets. I don't have a relationship with any roofing companies. I may have to sub-out the roofing work if for no other reason than to avoid the liability.



If it is a shingle roof I wouldn't fool with subbing it out unless it's stupid cheap to have the roofer do it. We usually take about an hour or less to set the flashings, mounts and loop penetrations on a solar domestic water heating system. Tile, slate and metal roof can be a real PITA though. In those cases it can be cheaper/better/safer to sub-out the mounts and penetrations to a roofer.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Protech said:


> If it is a shingle roof I wouldn't fool with subbing it out unless it's stupid cheap to have the roofer do it. We usually take about an hour or less to set the flashings, mounts and loop penetrations on a solar domestic water heating system. Tile, slate and metal roof can be a real PITA though. In those cases it can be cheaper/better/safer to sub-out the mounts and penetrations to a roofer.












The man who called man stated they won't be installing panes on metal, barrel tile or slate roofs. How he can make that claim I don't know. 

What do you use to seal the penetrations? Roof cement? I think I've heard it called 'bull'.

Thanks for the response.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> The man who called man stated they won't be installing panes on metal, barrel tile or slate roofs. How he can make that claim I don't know.
> 
> What do you use to seal the penetrations? Roof cement? I think I've heard it called 'bull'.
> 
> Thanks for the response.


I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty of how to do it on a public forum. It is not as simple as sealing it up with bull tar though. hit me up with a pm or open a thread in a private area and I'll break it down.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> The man who called man stated they won't be installing panes on metal, barrel tile or slate roofs. How he can make that claim I don't know.
> 
> What do you use to seal the penetrations? Roof cement? I think I've heard it called 'bull'.
> 
> Thanks for the response.


 
I did a lot of solar panels out in Colorado a long time ago and that was when I was much younger than now... its very hard on the back.....

the panels weighed a ton, and 
its best to have a crane to help hoist + manuver and man-handle those things into place on the two story roof..

You must like to work in hot attics and on roofs all day long..... and god help you if you have a leak in the middle of a row of panels... 

Solar panels sound glamorous and different than common plumbing, but it was hard work back then and I would not wish it on a dog...today.


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