[RE-wrenches] installs/installers..

[toddcory at finestplanet.com]

Ahem, yes... right here in Mount Shasta. Thanks guys.
 
Todd
 
 
On Saturday, May 7, 2011 12:34pm, "R Ray Walters" <ray at solarray.com> said:


Even a bad solar installer isn't going to use cut up extension cords; that install was DIY or a "knowledgable" inebriated neighbor. I lived in the backwoods for many years, and saw even my own work get turned into horror systems.
As far as your competitor doing bad work, we had the same problem for years with a guy who was finally run out of Taos by the inspector and a growing list of angry customers.
He's now in California doing Wholesale Solar.
Your best bet is to turn him in to the AHJ for illegal contracting, along with pics of the work., but make dang sure he really did it. Enough complaints and eventually they'll get him.
Luckily much of the system can survive without OCP; the array is current limited and won't pop an OCP anyway, and the house wiring can't actually fry at 2500 watts continuous, so a battery wiring issue will be the most dangerous situation. (batteries on NEC systems are not really protected from the most likely dangers like a wrench being dropped across the terminals)
I've rewire dozens of such monsters, and you don't even want to have your fingerprints on it without having approval to completely rewire it.
Also, for budget cabin systems  like that, we would often just supply parts and a wiring diagram, and let them keep the liability.
It can get cost prohibitive and unnecessary to bring the whole system up to NEC 2011, my own beautiful house has 103 yr old Knob & tube wiring that is going great. I only added AFCI breakers and replaced all the lights with low current CFs.
You have to suspend some of the code junky in you, and proceed with common sense, or don't proceed at all.
Definitely not for the faint of heart, Good luck,



R. Walters
[mailto:ray at solarray.com] ray at solarray.com
Solar Engineer



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