Advice re Cheese Wire/Piano Wire required to Remove Solar Panel

Personally I would cut through the brackets and then cut again at the level of the join between pu sealant and plastic. Resorting then to a razor scraper to plane off the sealant from the fibreglass roof. When you repair the damage with gelcoat or gelcoat filler, leave it a little proud of the surface to be sanded back with progressively finer grade sand paper or wet and dry ultimately. Will leave a smooth watertight finish, ready to mount new brackets made from 50x50 aluminium angle properly
 
tacr2man said:
Go to a windscreen replacement outfit , and buy some screen removal wire , its specially designed to cut PU .
Make up a couple of handles and use a short sawing motion .
Click to expand...
That's a good idea.
I removed 2 panels (12 brackets) on my last van broke at least 4 clay/cheese cutting wires. Took about half hour to an hour per bracket.
Also found that silicon remover softens the PU a bit. Cleaned up the roof with a blunt chisel & silicon remover.
 
What about trying mig welding wire very thin and strong
 
I have used very successfully the stripping string from cat5 (ethernet) cable, or telephone cable, it is put inside these cables to help stripping outer plastic off
Stop an openreach van he will cut some for you
If he is awake

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Good morning All,

First, the solution.
1590055686564.png



By inserting the knife under the 'foot' and pushing through the mastic and repeating several times along the length of each foot, at 90 degs. the solar panel was removed in minutes.

Now, to assuage the curiosity of those of you, here was (still is!!! )my problem.

Prior to starting this job I had one panel. The previously mentioned 'Numpties' didn't fit MC4 Connectors to the panel (they had been removed previously as the panel was free standing with a small PWM Controller glued to the rear.) Said Numpties 'Hard Wired' the panel (they did a good job of that) and then glued and screwed the panel to the roof. They made a right Royal %^$£& of that.

Before I started on the below job, my first job was to install a pair of MC4 connectors on both the panel and the wires coming out of the gland.

The roof now has an array of three panels. Before installing, each of them was tested and showed a voltage of 20+ V.

Each of the three panels is plugged into a manufactured 3 to 1 MC4 connector. (x2). The panels are connected in parallel.
At the outlet of that connector the voltage measured is a healthy 20+ v.

The 3 into 1 is then plugged into cables going through the roof via a gland.

However, before the cable could enter the Controller (I have removed the wires) The voltage is now reading 12.6v It would seem that the controller doesn't 'See' this Voltage and is not working. (If I've got that bit right.)

Could it be as simple as Emmit making a mullock of fitting that MC4 connector where the wire goes through the gland?

The reason I had to remove the panel is obvious. I couldn't get to any of the connections because there's no space under the panel where all the connections are.

So, There you have it.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions, solutions.
 
Get your self an Erbauer Multicutter from various suppliers. I got mine from Screwfix for cutting the bottom of a door from to get the flooring boards underneath when laying parquet floor. Brilliant as can be laid on the base with damage to base.
 
can you test for continuity from one end of the cable to the other, use another length of cable if necessary ??
 
Ian Bosman said:
Get your self an Erbauer Multicutter from various suppliers. I got mine from Screwfix for cutting the bottom of a door from to get the flooring boards underneath when laying parquet floor. Brilliant as can be laid on the base with damage to base.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I've got the panel off. (See above)
That was the 'easy' bit ????

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Not a solar panel, but a bath lift fixed with Sika to a wall. Same problem.
I searched for a chemical softening/removal answer but in vain.
Crown Tools of Sheffield make a flush cutting saw, which has a very thin flexible blade. This worked a treat and cutting gently from alternating sides/angles had the offending article free.
A good woodworking store should be able to supply.
 
MisterB said:
can you test for continuity from one end of the cable to the other, use another length of cable if necessary ??
Click to expand...

I could put the two wires 'inside' together without obviously having the panels plugged in 'Upstairs'' but I've a feeling that doing that wouldn't help. If i've got 12.6 v which I have, what would that prove?
 
Thursdays Child said:
Not a solar panel, but a bath lift fixed with Sika to a wall. Same problem.
I searched for a chemical softening/removal answer but in vain.
Crown Tools of Sheffield make a flush cutting saw, which has a very thin flexible blade. This worked a treat and cutting gently from alternating sides/angles had the offending article free.
A good woodworking store should be able to supply.
Click to expand...

Thank you but see above. I've done the deed. Do you have an answer to my problem (Under the photo of the knife)
 
I HAVE NOW REMOVED THE PANEL. THANK YOU TO ALL CONTRIBUTORS.

I HAVE POSTED MY PROBLEM RE ELECTRICS IN THE SOLAR PANELS FORUM ON MHF.
PLEASE READ AND IF YOU CAN HELP IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU
 
Emmit said:
Not screwed by the numpties that fitted it. The word 'Numpty' or 'Numpties' has been used by me in previous threads re this panel.
Therein lies a clue.
Click to expand...
Or drill out the rivets?

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tonyidle said:
Or drill out the rivets?
Click to expand...
Thanks but sorted. (Sharp knife through mastic.)
Rivets bet. feet and panel are vertical and about 50mm from roof so I couldn't have done as you suggested.
Thanks anyway (y)
 
Ian Bosman said:
Get your self an Erbauer Multicutter from various suppliers. I got mine from Screwfix for cutting the bottom of a door from to get the flooring boards underneath when laying parquet floor. Brilliant as can be laid on the base with no damage to base.

missed off the word "no" before "damage"
Click to expand...
 
Hi Ian,

Don't know what happened there. I did respond.
I managed to remove the feet from the roof using a thin, very sharp knife that was flexible. Did I mention it was sharp???LOL
Thank you anyway. Your suggestion is on the list of tools to ahhm! jump into the toolbox sometime.
 
Emmit said:
Greetings All,

I will not go into reams but, after fitting three Solar Panels I now have to remove one!!!

It's situation means that I can get at the Puraflex 40 I used to stick it down and this is where your advice is required.

If any of you have used piano/cheese wire can any of you recommend any particular type, ie braided, single strand etc.

Oh! and by the way. Save yourself some money should you want to tackle sticking a solar panel on the roof.
There is NO WAY any of the three solar panels are going to come off without a big fight using Puraflex
and I am so glad that on this occasion there is a 2-3mm bead between the roof and the feet of the panels.
Click to expand...
Hi there Emmit,
A guitar string will probably be even thinner.
 
A very sharp knife would be the best option;)

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Gellyneck said:
Your a very, very, very, very, very bad man!;):giggle:
Click to expand...

But he happened to suggest, (Post me telling the World) of the method I used. Very successfully
 
if you are getting a worse voltage from 3 panels than from 1, it suggests one is faulty pulling down the others. Or worse still one wired arse backwards, but you wouldn't do that. Or would you?
 
Emmit said:
Good morning All,

First, the solution.
View attachment 389783


By inserting the knife under the 'foot' and pushing through the mastic and repeating several times along the length of each foot, at 90 degs. the solar panel was removed in minutes.

Now, to assuage the curiosity of those of you, here was (still is!!! )my problem.

Prior to starting this job I had one panel. The previously mentioned 'Numpties' didn't fit MC4 Connectors to the panel (they had been removed previously as the panel was free standing with a small PWM Controller glued to the rear.) Said Numpties 'Hard Wired' the panel (they did a good job of that) and then glued and screwed the panel to the roof. They made a right Royal %^$£& of that.

Before I started on the below job, my first job was to install a pair of MC4 connectors on both the panel and the wires coming out of the gland.

The roof now has an array of three panels. Before installing, each of them was tested and showed a voltage of 20+ V.

Each of the three panels is plugged into a manufactured 3 to 1 MC4 connector. (x2). The panels are connected in parallel.
At the outlet of that connector the voltage measured is a healthy 20+ v.

The 3 into 1 is then plugged into cables going through the roof via a gland.

However, before the cable could enter the Controller (I have removed the wires) The voltage is now reading 12.6v It would seem that the controller doesn't 'See' this Voltage and is not working. (If I've got that bit right.)

Could it be as simple as Emmit making a mullock of fitting that MC4 connector where the wire goes through the gland?

The reason I had to remove the panel is obvious. I couldn't get to any of the connections because there's no space under the panel where all the connections are.

So, There you have it.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions, solutions.
Click to expand...
Hi
Can I ask what cable you used for the down drop from the 3 to 1 connectors to the solar controller?
 
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TheBig1 said:
if you are getting a worse voltage from 3 panels than from 1, it suggests one is faulty pulling down the others. Or worse still one wired arse backwards, but you wouldn't do that. Or would you?
Click to expand...

Sorry TheBig1. Just seen your post (above)

I wasn't getting a 'worse' voltage, The wires weren't wrong way around either.
Simply put, there was a duff connection. All well now. (In fact I could sell some Lekky to the National Grid.) (y) .'
 
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MarZar said:
Hi sorry I ment what cable from these 3 way connector down to the solar controller
If this cable is too small could it be your issue?
Cheers
Click to expand...
See the answer I gave above. It's all sorted now. Thank you.
 
Gaston aires said:
Ours is a flexible solar panel stuck on with Sickaflex. If I had to replace it, I would just stick another one on top of the original. Can’t imagine ever getting the original one off.
Phil meboots
Click to expand...
Phil, it came off in about 20 minutes. Took me another 3 hours to remove the adhesive though.
 
Howard B said:
Phil, it came off in about 20 minutes. Took me another 3 hours to remove the adhesive though.
Click to expand...
I also used the piano window removal style tool, took ages and got very little done. I go tht feeling possibly clogging..
Resorted to the carving knife being careful bit by bit at first buut with wedges under as it opened. Well easy, 15 mins tops. Cleaned the rest up done. The wire has been assigned in the drawer probably never to be seen again.

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