[DeLuce]

Hi everybody,
I've never done any solar panel cleans before. But this last month x3 of my customers have asked if I can clean them. From 10-16 panels.
I've read a few threads over the years about doing them.
One thing that sticks in my mind is reading about turning some switch on the bank of panels so I don't get a shock if a panel has a crack in it or something. Is this right? What switch is this (currentl?)?
Or did I misunderstand?
Thanks for any info!

[Splash & dash]

Switching it off is a waist of time as you are only isolating the power to the consumer unit the panels are always live unless it’s dark or the panels are coverd

[dazmond]

Hi everybody,
I've never done any solar panel cleans before. But this last month x3 of my customers have asked if I can clean them. From 10-16 panels.
I've read a few threads over the years about doing them.
One thing that sticks in my mind is reading about turning some switch on the bank of panels so I don't get a shock if a panel has a crack in it or something. Is this right? What switch is this (currentl?)?
Or did I misunderstand?
Thanks for any info!

just clean them.you ll be fine.ive  cleaned a fair few since going WFP.i did get little shocks up my right arm when poling some panels once but it was probably static electricity!...im still alive anyway....

[Bungle]

SS was on here the other day giving out advice.

Calling Ste, can you advise op please. 

[Splash & dash]

SS was on here the other day giving out advice.

Calling Ste, can you advise op please. 

Ss will only give advice if you go on his course , technically you should wear electrical gloves , horrible things to use sweat like mad and they will give you blisters,and rubber boots

[DeLuce]

OK fellas. Thanks for the advice lol. I can do the rubber boots bit 

[Solar Steve]

The rubber boots won't do diddly squat to protect you if you get a shock from one of the panels. True story.

[Solar Steve]

Hi everybody,
I've never done any solar panel cleans before. But this last month x3 of my customers have asked if I can clean them. From 10-16 panels.
I've read a few threads over the years about doing them.
One thing that sticks in my mind is reading about turning some switch on the bank of panels so I don't get a shock if a panel has a crack in it or something. Is this right? What switch is this (currentl?)?
Or did I misunderstand?
Thanks for any info!

just clean them.you ll be fine.ive  cleaned a fair few since going WFP.i did get little shocks up my right arm when poling some panels once but it was probably static electricity!...im still alive anyway....

Erm, no Dazmond. You were getting electrocuted! If you knew about static electricity, you'd know why it wasn't that.

A prime example of dangerous work by untrained people, lacking knowledge of what they are working on. When will people realise that electricity kills?

You always seem a really nice guy and always give very good advice to people. On this occasion though, you are definitely wrong I'm afraid. I'm sorry to say it to you because you are one of the better guys on here.

[dazmond]

i had rubber soled boots on and rubber gloves on at the time which i normally have on anyway...how come im still alive then if i was getting electrocuted?its only happened on this one domestic job......ive cleaning a fair few panels over the years......

[Slacky]

Solar panels produce direct current, as opposed to alternating current, which is what we hve running around our houses.

When you're electrocuted with alternating current you know about it, it 'throws' you. You feel it. It hurts, but it also throws you from the object from which you got the shock.

A direct current shock attracts you to the object from which you have received the shock. If you had been shocked Daz you wouldn't have been able to release your grip on the pole you were cleaning with.

[dazmond]

Solar panels produce direct current, as opposed to alternating current, which is what we hve running around our houses.

When you're electrocuted with alternating current you know about it, it 'throws' you. You feel it. It hurts, but it also throws you from the object from which you got the shock.

A direct current shock attracts you to the object from which you have received the shock. If you had been shocked Daz you wouldn't have been able to release your grip on the pole you were cleaning with.

so what do you reckon it was then matt?i was defo getting little shocks up my right arm(poling arm).a bit like pins and needles.its never happened since though....

[Slacky]

DT's? 

[Slacky]

All I know is this what happens when you get shocked with DC current.

[Bungle]

Solar panels produce direct current, as opposed to alternating current, which is what we hve running around our houses.

When you're electrocuted with alternating current you know about it, it 'throws' you. You feel it. It hurts, but it also throws you from the object from which you got the shock.

A direct current shock attracts you to the object from which you have received the shock. If you had been shocked Daz you wouldn't have been able to release your grip on the pole you were cleaning with.

so what do you reckon it was then matt?i was defo getting little shocks up my right arm(poling arm).a bit like pins and needles.its never happened since though....

You might have had a stroke.

[Smudger]

Solar panels produce direct current, as opposed to alternating current, which is what we hve running around our houses.

When you're electrocuted with alternating current you know about it, it 'throws' you. You feel it. It hurts, but it also throws you from the object from which you got the shock.

A direct current shock attracts you to the object from which you have received the shock. If you had been shocked Daz you wouldn't have been able to release your grip on the pole you were cleaning with.

so what do you reckon it was then matt?i was defo getting little shocks up my right arm(poling arm).a bit like pins and needles.its never happened since though....

You might have had a stroke.

 


but what was he stroking at the time !!

my guess it was a twitchy nerve

Darran

[Splash & dash]

Yet again half truths and no help from steve no suprise there is it : he thinks any publicity is good he just comes o hear to try and get people to go on his web site to benefit himself and massage his massive ego
When are you going to tell has the rest of the storey about the electrocuted window cleaner ? Or will you disappear from the forum again untill you want to self promote again ?

[Solar Steve]

Yet again half truths and no help from steve no suprise there is it : he thinks any publicity is good he just comes o hear to try and get people to go on his web site to benefit himself and massage his massive ego
When are you going to tell has the rest of the storey about the electrocuted window cleaner ? Or will you disappear from the forum again untill you want to self promote again ?

I'm not answerable to you or anyone else on here. I told Dazmond what was going on. The fact that people need to ask about technicalities PROVES they should not be doing what they are doing. Whether people want to believe or agree me or not is up to them. We cleaned 1.3m panels last year with zero electrocutions of any kind. Dazmond likely cleaned a few hundred or few thousand and openly admitted he got a shock. That puts things into perspective doesn't it?

Don't paint me as a charlatan. I just know more about this subject than most others.

[Slacky]

When you say 'we cleaned 1.3 million panels last year' would it also be fair to say you subbied out the cleaning of 1.3 million panels to be cleaned as opposed to 'the staff we employ on a full-time basis cleaned 1.3 million panels'?

[Perfect Windows]

Yet again half truths and no help from steve no suprise there is it : he thinks any publicity is good he just comes o hear to try and get people to go on his web site to benefit himself and massage his massive ego
When are you going to tell has the rest of the storey about the electrocuted window cleaner ? Or will you disappear from the forum again untill you want to self promote again ?

I'm not answerable to you or anyone else on here. I told Dazmond what was going on. The fact that people need to ask about technicalities PROVES they should not be doing what they are doing. Whether people want to believe or agree me or not is up to them. We cleaned 1.3m panels last year with zero electrocutions of any kind. Dazmond likely cleaned a few hundred or few thousand and openly admitted he got a shock. That puts things into perspective doesn't it?

Don't paint me as a charlatan. I just know more about this subject than most others.

Steve,

I've defended you on here in the past.

You regularly point out that solar panel cleaning can be dangerous.

Your failure to post (to the best of my knowledge) even a single word on how to mitigate that risk may be at least part of why you receive the reception you do.  It's a forum.

Vin

[Smudger]

Steve -  so Daz reckoned he got a shock even wearing rubber gloves and boots - how would this be possible without the current being earthed ?

Vin makes a great point regarding the forum

Darran