Whether you decide to get your solar panels cleaned by a professional or if you want to do it yourself, you must be aware of a few preventive and maintenance tips that will prove to be helpful in the long run. Maintenance of your solar panels should not be that difficult if you keep yourself well updated. Let’s begin with a few basics right now:
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Inspection Of Your Solar Panels
You should inspect your solar panels for any damage or wear and tear at least once a month. If you can do it once every two weeks, nothing better than that. Your solar panels are very much prone to damage and a lot of debris and dirt can get accumulated on them as time passes by. Even the flowing air and the dust particles that it brings with it can cause dirt and grime to get accumulated on these panels. You don’t want any of that to lessen the power of your solar plant. It is important to inspect these panels as frequently as you can or at least once or twice a month. You will be able to identify any potential areas of problem that may require immediate attention such as the presence of pests or cobwebs, water damage, unwanted vegetation, and other nuisances.
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Looking To Clean Your Solar Panels On Your Own?
A lot of homeowners decide to do this little task on their own. It is a great way to ensure timely solar system maintenance and it also saves them a lot of money. If you want to maximize the effectiveness of your solar energy plant, you must take care of the dirt and debris that gets collected on them. Along with that, if there are any leaves and snow, remove them as and whenever you visit your roof for a regular inspection. Remember, solar panels are made of glass. Do not use any rough or coarse material to clean them up. You can use a clean cotton cloth dipped in a bit of cleaning solution if you want. Do not use any detergent-based cleansers because they will only leave smudges and streaks on your solar panels. You can either use a bit of water or a little bit of spirit. You can also dilute the alcohol or spirit with a little bit of water and that mixture is going to take care of a lot of residue and stubborn dirt that has accumulated on these panels.
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Say Goodbye To Shade
This is another solar panel maintenance tip that you should be aware of. If you have any unwanted foliage growing about on your roof, you should trim it off regularly. You do not have to uproot any of that if you like a little bit of greenery around your property. You can always keep the vegetation or plant but make sure that it does not interrupt the path of the sun as it reaches your solar panels. This will make sure that there is ample sunlight available for your solar plant to work. You must also keep your solar panels at a location and at an angle so that they are able to receive maximum sunlight without any interruptions in the first place. But if somehow you see an interruption such as an overgrown tree, make sure to trim it off just enough for ample sunlight and to reach the panels.
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Do You Know How To Examine Your Solar Panel Components?
You should learn how to examine your solar panel components such as the various tubes, the tank, the connecting pipes, the valves, levers, and similar attachments. There is also a mounting rack and a network of wires that you must pay attention to. Make sure that none of these components are entangled with one another. You will also have to look for leaks and water damage every time you carry out an inspection of your solar heating plant. If there is any broken glass or any wiring that has come out of the frame, get it repaired immediately. If you want to do it on your own look for a DIY tutorial on YouTube on solar panel repair and maintenance before you mess with any such wires and connections all by yourself.
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Check Your Energy Usage
This is also a very vital aspect of solar panel maintenance because unless you keep a check on the energy usage of your solar panels, you won’t be able to ascertain whether the whole system is forming efficiently or not. You can get a few monitoring gadgets in the market that give you statistics about the output data of your solar panels directly on your smartphone. You can install their mobile apps on your smartphone and get a gist of what the total amount of energy production has been throughout the month. This helps you spot any dead panels or any component of the machinery that might not be working at all or as efficiently as you would want it to. You can also determine whether there is a loose connection between any of the panels and the inverter or not.
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Do Not Use A Shovel To Get Rid Of The Snow Or Ice
If you get a lot of snow in your city or region, it is advised not to use a shovel to remove any of it. According to the various guidelines laid down by the United States Department of Energy, using a shovel without proper training or any other equipment to remove ice or snow from your solar panels is never advised. Make sure that you hire a professional to do the needful if you are not qualified to do the same. If you do that anyway, you will be putting your solar panels at a major risk of breakage and severe damage.
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Maintain Proper Water Supply
What are you going to do if enough water does not reach your solar panels in the first place? This is going to render the entire system useless. You have to make sure that the plumbing you install gets an ample amount of water into the solar heater tank so that you have enough hot water throughout the day. If there is any obstruction in the plumbing or water pipes, get it looked into and resolved immediately. Look for any debris or gunk that might be stuck in between those pipes and get it cleaned out as soon as possible.
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Cleaning Kit Solar Panel Maintenance And Cleaning
This is a very critical question and it is constantly on the minds of homeowners who have installed a solar panel heating system on their rooftops. These solar panel cleaning kits are a very handy investment that you should think about making as soon as you get these panels installed. These come with biodegradable soaps, soft fibers, and very soft-bristled brushes along with a mixer bucket. There are instructions provided in the manual and you must follow all of them without deviating at any step. Make sure to use just the right amount of soap and not too much of it unless you want smudges and streaks later.
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Say No To Hard Brushes And Abrasive Sponges
You should never use any abrasive sponges or harsh soaps on your solar panels. These materials just end up scratching the glass which is not helpful at all. The best way to clean your solar panels is using a clean cotton cloth with a little bit of clean water. Make sure that you use only biodegradable soap and nothing else if you want to use a cleaning solution at all. Just as pointed out above, do not use any abrasive material at all and always go for soft clothes that do not leave any spots or scratches behind.
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Use Safety A Harness And Ropes
If you must get on your roof on your own to clean your solar panels, make sure to use a safety harness or at least a rope to keep yourself in place. You should not lose your balance under any circumstances. Your roof can become a little slippery and this may result in an increased possibility of you slipping and falling. You may slide off the roof and get yourself injured which is not something that you want while cleaning your solar panels.
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Invest In The Right Pest Control Measures
There are chances that your solar panels and their wiring have gotten impacted a lot by a few pests such as mice, fat wild rodents, intrusive squirrels, and the like. These pests can cause a lot of trouble with your solar panels and their upkeep. You need to invest in the right pest control measures to keep them away from your property and your solar panels as well. Similarly, if you find any birds nesting close to your panels or inside the crevices of the panel frame, make sure to transfer them to the nearest tree or to a place where they are more secure. You can also install a protective fence around your solar panels to make sure that no pests can intrude.
Conclusion
Your solar panels are a major investment. You should take all the necessary measures to protect it. You should know that they can last you for about 25 to 30 years if you take proper care of them. You will thank yourself later for being this diligent and caring for your solar panels.
Universal Solar Direct is Solar Panel Installer company. We install solar panel in Nevada, Florida, Arizona, Utah, Indiana and nearby places.