We decided to do solar hot water while we were remodeling the house. It seemed the right thing to do, and we believe in sustainable technology. We decided to use a local alternative energy company here in town to install the two 4 x 8 panels on the roof, and install and plumb the drainback tank and holding tank. The two panels were installed on a rainy day, which surprised me. I came home to find the guys on the roof, attaching panels to the mounting rack in a pretty steady rain. I'm not sure that gave us the best result (more later). The panels were installed at a 36 degree angle to better utilize the available sun in the winter. They're on the south-facing roof plane. I dig them...they look eco-cool, don't you think? Note: You can also see one of the new stainless steel chimney caps in this photo.
Once the system was in, we found that the closed loop would not hold pressure. It's currently cut open with a pressure test on it, and the gauge went from 70psi to zero in about 30 minutes. The installer's best theory is that there's a bad panel, though I'm not sure why they went up on the roof without being pressure tested. The head guy had to go out of town until the 28th of October, so we'll see when he gets back.
We had a night and day of gentle rain, and I have now discovered that three of the eight roof penetrations they made to attach the panel rack and for the water supply/return lines are leaking. So, my previously perfect, water-tight roof now has three leaks in it. Can't say I'm impressed so far. The image below is a leak they created where they drilled the hole in the roof for the water supply line (and I'd rather see someone use an asbestos pad when soldering this close to a rafter...instead of scorching it, but that's just me). I'm hoping that in the next week, these guys will sort it all out. It hasn't gone as well as I had hoped. I'll hold my fire for now, and give them a chance to prove themselves. More to follow on this...hope I can recommend them when all is said and done. They are nice, enthusiastic young guys who believe in what they're doing. You gotta love a sub who shows up driving a bio-diesel car! For now, I'll give them time to sort it all out.
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