Solar combiner box

Colo Native wrote:

red31 wrote:

Colo Native wrote:


I already have the wire with tyco connectors.

open up the box on the back of the panel and get rid of them!

hook anything to them you'd like.

That is easier said than done as they are direct wired besides I have the wire with connectors already. The deal on the panels was to good to pass up.

so you've opened em and looked.

with wires with connectors already, hook it up already!

I used a 2" conduit LB since I was going to pull through conduit all the way to the location on the exterior for entrance. A 4" junction box serves the same purpose. There are gasketed box entry fittings available. I use ones that accepted two MC4 wires and filled the center with caulk, once pulled.



Box entry:



Entrance location:

If you look at that combiner box link, he has all the wires coming out of a single hole with a short, horizontal pipe extension. You could lengthen that extension (if you want) and fill it with good flexible caulk making sure each wire is covered with goop. Don't think it would leak.

red31 wrote:

Colo Native wrote:


I already have the wire with tyco connectors.

open up the box on the back of the panel and get rid of them!

hook anything to them you'd like.

That is easier said than done as they are direct wired besides I have the wire with connectors already. The deal on the panels was to good to pass up.

Colo Native wrote:


I already have the wire with tyco connectors.

open up the box on the back of the panel and get rid of them!

hook anything to them you'd like.

Almot wrote:

Colo Native wrote:
I was looking at the boxes at Home depot but there is limited space for wires need to have 6 wire openings due to the fact that there water proof connectors are for one wire

My connector is for 2 wires #10. Don't remember from where - probably McMaster. Waterproof, but this didn't matter for me as the install was in series, only needed something to hold the wire on the fridge vent wall.

Why "6" wire openings? Did you check the link for Y-splitters that people suggested in your other thread? 2 #10 wires in, this is one connector. 2 #4 wires out.
3 connectors total, 1 small and 2 big.

I already have the wire with tyco connectors. I can get double fitting from AM solar $3 each

Colo Native wrote:
I was looking at the boxes at Home depot but there is limited space for wires need to have 6 wire openings due to the fact that there water proof connectors are for one wire

My connector is for 2 wires #10. Don't remember from where - probably McMaster. Waterproof, but this didn't matter for me as the install was in series, only needed something to hold the wire on the fridge vent wall.

Why "6" wire openings? Did you check the link for Y-splitters that people suggested in your other thread? 2 #10 wires in, this is one connector. 2 #4 wires out.
3 connectors total, 1 small and 2 big.

I was looking at the boxes at Home depot but there is limited space for wires need to have 6 wire openings due to the fact that there water proof connectors are for one wire

pigman1 wrote:

Calkidd wrote:
Thus is what I am going to do.

Combiner box

Pretty much what I did. I did use pre-made electrical ground bars I got from Lowes. I glued a PVC divider between the hot side and the ground side, used waterproof cable connectors where the panel wires come in and my heavy weight down wires to my controller leave from the bottom of the box with a conduit connector and a conduit going all the way down to the RV basement. I also bring each pair of panel wires (six 140W panels) into the box individually and connect them to the bus bars with a mini fuse in the + side. This allows me to connect or drop off individual panels without having loose hot wire ends touching things they shouldn't. Also makes troubleshooting individual panel output easy.

How did you make the wire entry water proof?

Almot wrote:
$6 4x4 PVC weather junction proof box from Home Depot. Comes with a rubber gasket. The sun will do a number on it. Should last some years, depending on the area.

AM Solar have a J-box that mounts on the side of fridge vent, $60. It's "supposed" to go under the vent hood, but on finished installs I see the soft hood plastic bulging a little there.

No fridge vent so the other one is $80