Solar questions

Well I used 4 brackets with VHB tape and reading the more recent comments it seems less than ideal. Options are cabling the panels to a solid anchorage point like the roof AC frame. Prying the panels off and redoing them with 6 or 8 brackets. Or?

Teleman wrote:
Well I used 4 brackets with VHB tape and reading the more recent comments it seems less than ideal. Options are cabling the panels to a solid anchorage point like the roof AC frame. Prying the panels off and redoing them with 6 or 8 brackets. Or?

I wouldnt take anything off now that there on, maybe just add a couple in stratigic locations to stiffen it up. if you have a diagram where you braced it, I could easily give you my opinion on where to add brackets.

Steve

Consider well nuts. Try them on the added brackets and if you like it, do it on other brackets too.

I went up on the roof today to see how I could add brackets. The Z brackets I have require nuts and bolts on the bottom surface of the frame and there is almost no clearance to get to them. But frankly those panels are really on there! I pulled up on them pretty hard and they aren't budging. How would you remove them if you needed to? Painstakingly cut the VHB tape off the bracket with a razor blade?

That's why I don't recommend Z brackets. Cut the bracket in half as high as possible. Add an aluminum L bracket to the panel and drill a bolt hold to reassemble. There is also a flat vibrating blade/saw that can saw the tape.

Oscillating tool is a better descriptiion.

I'm not planning on removing them but it's good to know how. How would you get the tape residue off the roof?

Teleman wrote:
I'm not planning on removing them but it's good to know how. How would you get the tape residue off the roof?

dont use it in the first place haha.. seriously though the tape is not nessasary but if it makes you feel its more secure then what the heck. on my roof it wouldnt have done anything as I have a solid aluminium sheet roof that is hardly atatached to the wood underneith at all, and in some places there is no wood under it, so I hade to find studs to run screws into and such.

Steve

StirCrazy wrote:

Teleman wrote:
I'm not planning on removing them but it's good to know how. How would you get the tape residue off the roof?

dont use it in the first place haha.. seriously though the tape is not nessasary but if it makes you feel its more secure then what the heck. on my roof it wouldnt have done anything as I have a solid aluminium sheet roof that is hardly atatached to the wood underneith at all, and in some places there is no wood under it, so I hade to find studs to run screws into and such.

Steve

My roof is fiberglass so tape is the recommended method.

StirCrazy wrote:

Teleman wrote:
Well I used 4 brackets with VHB tape and reading the more recent comments it seems less than ideal. Options are cabling the panels to a solid anchorage point like the roof AC frame. Prying the panels off and redoing them with 6 or 8 brackets. Or?

I wouldnt take anything off now that there on, maybe just add a couple in stratigic locations to stiffen it up. if you have a diagram where you braced it, I could easily give you my opinion on where to add brackets.

Steve

SIMPLE! Get some L-Brackets similar to these but tall enough to get to your solar panel side framing:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/ReliaBilt-RB-1-5-IN-BL-W-CORNER-BRACE-4-CT/5001634683

Then, if you want your panels to be more secure than they are now just add 1, 2, 4, etc to each panel (again with VHB tape) and the panels will be guaranteed to be held down better than they are now.

I have 3 RVs and I am in the process of putting solar on the newest one (I've got solar on the other two already). I put 4 brackets bolted/screwed in (EPDM roof) as well as VHB tape. I felt good about them so I Dicor'ed everything. Then, my safety 1st brain told me, "Let's make them a little stronger" so I just added some L-brackets for bonus strength.

The best part? You can add more brackets in less than 20 minutes.

Good luck!
Chris