I Nearly Walked Off This Solar Job.

When it ends up being one of those jobs you wished you'd never started! From Asbestos to birds this one nearly made me give up!
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⏱️Timestamps
00:00 Should Be Simple
02:55 Asbestos
04:32 Special Shoutout
07:01 Back To Lee
08:22 Grinder
10:07 What Next
12:33 Explain Yourself
14:42 Wrap Up
17:09 Back To The Loft
18:57 Connections
21:30 Final Finish
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This video is for entertainment purposes only please do not attempt to copy or recreate it. Do so at your own risk.
#sparkylife #electricianlife #artisanelectrics

[@artisanelectrics]

Request a quote from Artisan Electrics here - app.openquote.net/company/artisanelectrics

[@mfx1]

As long as what you use to attach the the unistrut is MCS approved I can't see the issue, after all are the roof joists etc. that you would need to attach to MCS approved? No they're not. The unistrut is effectively an existing part of the house and it's clearly survived well, it's not even rusty. Seems to me that "MCS approval" is yet another industry body revenue generating scheme, it has no legal basis and it pretty much looks like you just replaced perfectly good steel strut with an almost identical aluminum replacement..

[@black.phoenix.]

Wayne looks to be a very energetic and bright personality guy. More of him please.

[@sRadio-xg4yr]

Agreed, a natural on camera :)

[@Ben-gm9lo]

Thumbs up for Wayne. Camera candy!

[@travisbro]

i can tell wayne knows his stuff, plus he makes the content better

[@hughmarcus1]

I ran an asbestos company for 15 years. Wayne is doing everything by the book because he’s on video. Normally he’d nip up that ladder crack a couple of corners off the tiles & take a photo. All the white suit & mask stuff is technically required but in practice is seriously OTT. What that roof is, is fibre cement slates. The asbestos content would be between 5 & 8% & to quote the HSE the asbestos fibres are firmly bound within the material. Unless you start smashing the tiles with a hammer the risk is negligible. We used to provide safe systems of work for solar installers that allowed them to drill whatever holes were necessary on those roofs & ensure no debris was created. It’s actually not that difficult

[@bullhurley-uv8ys]

​@@hughmarcus1 can I pick your brain? What's the risks/ your views on pulling old rewireable fuses with asbestos liners?

[@Trenchfoot1]

​@@hughmarcus1 Hugh, was your company UKAS accredited?

[@hughmarcus1]

@@Trenchfoot1 No UKAS is only for the big boys. I looked into it, but it was going to cost £15k per year & economically unviable. The joke about UKAS is that the big boys subbed out the messy, dirty jobs to local companies like ours. 2 reasons, they didn't have staff with experience of messy demolition sites & they often had silly rules that said they didn't inspect anything more than 3 mtrs above ground level - not much use if you were demolishing anything more than a bungalow.

[@notbadforasparky4791]

Early PV Panels were mounted on Uni-strut as standard. There simply wasn't any specific mounting systems available.

[@Leebobs1983]

Get Wayne on more videos... what a legend

[@nigelburton7408]

So lucky the customer was congenial. Unfortunately the thumbnail suggestion that you might 'walk off' a job means you have demoted into the same catagory as all the rest of the cowboys. If you under quote as your survey was crap, your fault and deal with it with lessons learned for next time😊

[@martyndix2290]

We need more of Wayne! Get him out that office more often!! No disrespect to anyone else but he knows what he is doing and adds a new dimension to the content.

[@shaynemacdonald3051]

Who ever did the survey should of been sacked.

[@darrenjlobb]

Your staff are a credit to you and your company Jordan. Always a good watch, thanks for taking the time.

[@steveeggleton876]

Pair of ladders works wonders when checking out roofs and doing surveys and quotes, lot cheaper and more professional than a mistake.

[@pdavis2207]

I would not have insisted on replacing the unistrut unless the customer wanted to replace the existing roofing.

[@Deiphobuzz]

That unistrut is just fine and was one if the first methods to mounts solarpanels. Looks like its all zinc coated? Why replace it with inferior aluminium..

[@barrieshepherd7694]

I'm not a structural engineer but couldn't one have been found to assess if the old unistrut mounting system was "fit for purpose" and adequate for the new panels? To my uninitiated eye it certainly looked robust enough. A quick look shows that MCS Rules fundamentally require good practice & fit for purpose. If it was my property I would have been content with an engineers assessment and if that was positive I would not have had all that additional roof work done.

[@thesteelrodent1796]

an engineer's assessment could be more costly than swapping the mounting system

[@camperchris]

Wayne was a natural, we need more of Wayne :)

[@JorgeAMG187]

More Videos of Wayne please

[@craiglaing2417]

Awesome job guys 😎👌 You truly are Artisans

[@marymadigan9707]

Very nice and tidy workmanship guys I’m just in awe of the work ye carry out and all the fantastic knowledge ye have collage really paid off ye know your stuff 😎😎🇮🇪

[@ua420]

That black skirt paddin looks cool but it should greatly reduce cooling (efficiency) of the pannels because of lack of air movement behind the pannels.

[@shropshireladoutdoors743]

Save me saying it should use mesh

[@Cheradanine]

It doesnt make that much difference. I had my panels integrated flush into the roof. On the hottest day last year there wass about a 20% drop in generation, but on most days it is barely noticeable. A lot less than the hassle of pigeons nesting under the panels!

[@feetachemail]

You have no right to complain. A simple visual inspection would have shown you all of those problems before you even started the job.

[@johncorbett1130]

Simple without any scaffold

[@robevans8625]

@@johncorbett1130 or a ladder

[@Tom-2221]

Tricky situation Jordan - on the one hand this stuff would have been quite hard to spot prior to putting up scaffolding. But on the other hand I can see how the customer might find this frustrating. I think you handled it well though, communication is key and if they were aware of the limitations of the estimate you gave then fair enough.

[@michaelorton6808]

excellent workmanship.

[@st200ol]

The old rails would have been fine compliant or not, but I guess you needed to make the bill up to 25k somehow. ;-)

[@artisanelectrics]

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[@waynenrich]

Good job as always Jordan and team

[@Jaxonmcguinness]

Wayne looks to be a great addition to the team more please

[@connordines667]

Great video! Great install! 😊

[@shropshireladoutdoors743]

You think so

[@johnfenlon458]

Wow, That's Amazing to change new solar panels and install safety protection etc. Great work! Thumbs up! Cheers!

[@artisanelectrics]

Thanks John!

[@sukhi17]

What a great video! Sad it ended! 😂 I wanted to see more!

[@artisanelectrics]

Thanks!

[@chrisgilbert9290]

Can’t believe you haven’t got a uni strut socket….😮

[@JCCarpentry]

Wayne’s a legend

[@Michael-xs5ef]

Wayne's piece to camera - very lucid - more please !

[@MadMatty72]

Great job Wayne, what a pleasant chap. More Wayne I say.

[@NaydenSpirdonov]

There is a shading from the chimney probably putting some optimisers at leas on the shaded panels will be good.

[@briandalrymple9986]

Man, you get it easy to instal and run the solar dc cabling. In NZ we have to run the DC cables inside a continuous solar rated pvc conduit when installed internally in the roof space/attic and internally within the house. This conduit is to be labelled “dc solar”, at regular intervals and is medium density walled. The electrical standards we use are predominantly ASNZS:5033 and ASNZS:4777 which are very specific to how things are undertaken due to the recognised issues and dangers involved in having uncontrolled dc voltages and currents from the panels to the inverter.

[@buckshee]

Our solar PV regs in the UK are still very minor compared to ac stuff. I watch these videos and sometimes I can pass a comment on stuff the guys could do better but also the flip side is I see things they do that I realise would be good to bring into my ways of carrying out what I do.

[@briandalrymple9986]

@@buckshee I hear what you are saying for sure. In the electrical service there is room for continual improvement and, lotsa stuff that appears OTT too. I recon we only need two or three reps: 1- is it electrically safe, 2- will it kill anybody, 3- will it start a fire…. I am not intending to be critical by any stretch of the imagination. The wiring system that scares the whatsit out of me is the American 120volt system and needing to wire lighting in 1.5mm, and ranges capable of 60Amps.

[@buckshee]

@@briandalrymple9986 When it looked at the distribution boards they still use in the states it scares me, also their regs seem to come on a pamphlet and don’t get me started on wire nuts.

[@timbrooks2763]

Uni strut great tip, pop your claw hammer claw in the grove and a slight twist will allow your socket to drop on :)

[@markdauncey927]

I'd have gone with the unistrut for several reasons: It looked pretty solid for much the same wind load. It avoided messing with what might have been asbestos slates. It avoided replacing drilled through slates. It would have avoided increasing costs for your customer. The unistrut fixing through the slatrs should havebbeen picked up even during a cursory in loft inspection.

[@pwaelectricalltd29]

Great new content.

[@producerdude]

More Wayne please! He's a natural!

[@stefanovanenio]

Always, always, always carry out a roof survey. Most roofs are going to be OK, but a roof survey would have highlighted the bodge job and saved the uncomfortable conversation. I must say though, 99% of clients who have PV installed are really decent people, so it does make the chat a lot easier. Great job guys

[@scottgordon1781]

So what exactly was wrong with the existing rails ?

[@TonyRule]

8:34 Get better sockets - thin wall, like Koken. Also, you can just undo the nut behind the Unistrut on the threaded rod, spray a bit of WD-40 on the exposed thread on top, and the ones inside will spin off by hand.

[@adamnoon9059]

Great vid, would love to see more of Wayne on the tools!

[@DorsetSaferRoads]

can you do a video talking about pros and cons of the various inverter/battery manfs please! having a tough time making a decision! Especially on the subject of integration with things like home assistant

[@darren100880]

Wayne is awesome in front of the camera 👍

[@MarcusNailor]

Wayne for the win! 🙌⚡

[@ha4641]

Thanks to the vids. At what point are you required to install optimisers?

[@sdgelectronics]

SPDs and associated connectors should be in a metal din rail enclosure, surely?

[@lewispearson]

Whats the latest you guys have heard about the availability of the libbi? I'm hearing it keeps getting pushed back to address bugs.

[@SeanyyBoy_]

Can't wait to see the Libby install mate! Hope you show all the connections. Are the Libby batteries AC coupled?

[@connordines667]

Can be either

[@ppdan]

20:34 It's to lengthen the arc and make sure it is extinguished when switching off. The resistance of an arc is proportional to its length so having 2 contacts in series is roughly like having one contact that opens twice as much. Actually in this case there are 3 contacts to lengthen the arc (one on the negative and 2 on the positive wire).

[@shuhel02]

Siliconing the gap between the wall and trunking 👍

[@JustMeTalking]

22:00 .... and a whacking big chimney stack casting shadow over them all...

[@bigjd2k]

The old fixings look totally over-engineered and bombproof and if not leaking, I'd just put the new panels on, after all it's been there for ages without any problems.

[@gavjlewis]

TBH I would have not even suggested removing the old panels. 2kW system to a 2.9kW system. 900w peak hardly seems worth it. Just replace the inverter with a hybrid inverter if the customer wants a battery system. If the customer wanted more solar then my first suggestion would be a couple of 455w panels on the garage roof @9:45.

[@nikgray6635]

Live dc buried in the fabric of the building unprotected and unable to be isolated close to the source and the state of the roof after it was "repaired". If youre going into the solar game youve got a lot to learn especially if youre documenting it. Shambles.

[@Akz-xc1gu]

Wayne is the new Corey 😂🎉

[@irqanonimous3278]

You should seperate the dc leads by atleast 5 cm, you might get a arch that will persist untill the inverter.

[@RB-lt8kt]

The DC cables are live when there is daylight even when cloudy not just sunshine. Nice to see proper scaffolding and safety barriers. Do the ladders need a side bar ? Harnesses ? what did the job cost ?

[@stephenbaxter3369]

My sister just had a first time solar installation completed on her house. Apparently the preparation of documentation etc was quite taxing. Expecting that the payback period will be 1/2 that is was 18 months ago.

[@hammertime822]

what are the best magnetic impact drill bits?

[@aarbee_]

waynes very popular eh 🤣 what a lad get him out the office more 😁

[@OMGitzEDD]

what's happened to the old panels ?im looking to do a little solar back up for my garage and i don't want to buy all new gear if it doesn't work

[@markiansumaylo3532]

May i know what is the brand of suction cup lifter you use to lift the panels?

[@NordenEngineering]

Galvanised unistrut was what was used in the early days on solar panels it will last years longer than the extruded aluminium rails your fitting but as you pointed out you had to use an approved product. I didnt like the drilling through the tiles although it was well supported underneath I couldn't see how it was water proof P.S. There are purpose built 17mm sockets made for unistrut.

[@freddiewithers9617]

Nice work! Who is the manufacturer of those bird protectors? Also would help wind deflection. They look really smart

[@UndercoverFerret404]

How much do you lose on encapsulating the panels like that? They'll get quite a bit hotter, when there isn't room for any airflow.

[@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse]

Its to prevent birds nesting underneath though I guess it could be done in stainless steel mess too.

[@MacdonaldEdinburghElectrical]

What roof tiles are you using for passing the cables through ?

[@sk83rboy00]

Did you fit optimisers for each panel? Just asking as the chimney looks like it creates a lot of shading and need to take into account your shading factor? Also no mechanical protection on the dc cables going through the roof into the loft?

[@buckshee]

I mentioned this to an MCS guy before and was told that as they are double insulated as long as they aren’t squashed on anything they are fine 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@neilpowell9312]

Do the DC cables and the AC cables not need to be run in seperate trunking? Either that or the 50x50 trunking you use here actually comes with an option to create 2 different compartments, therefore separating the cables as required?

[@oninbridders]

Another inverter packed up.

[@rowifi]

What was wrong with the original panels?

[@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse]

Nice neat install but do you not think by design the panels should have a local means of isolation on each panel be it even in the roof space ,so the cabling to the main panel is not always live when future work is done on the installation?

[@artisanelectrics]

Never heard of doing it that way

[@edc1569]

Add dozens of extra points of failure and arcing, not a great plan.

[@kingsbridge]

Wayne is great. More Wayne

[@Pulpdiction1999]

The optics of this, I nearly walked off the job because it was a bit hard. Wouldn't be calling you, we've already established you're a top dollar company but a bit of agro and you're thinking of walking off. My solar installers turned up at 9am and it was fully commissioned by 2pm, 14 panels across 2 roofs, not sure why it takes you days to fit a few panels.

[@electrician_25]

That's what companies that want millions of pounds do

[@Jhongerage]

Same here, except the weather was awful and the installers mate was off sick... So he showed up and did it single handed in the rain. All done before darkness set in, in October. There's a small premium I'd pay for slightly neater consumer unit wiring, but not 3 days labour worth.

[@SW-gu1wy]

That bird protection makes it all look a bit like a spaceship 😂. But seriously just wondering about the restriction of airflow under the panel with this type of bird protection. Will the panels get hotter than panels without this protection, or even with the mesh bird guard? Thanks. Great videos 😊

[@johncorbett1130]

Second load of panels and kit, ££££££ Bet he wished he had never gone for solar 😊

[@maxusboostus]

How old were the panels and inverter that ware removed?

[@ohgoaway3610]

Isn’t this a feed in tariff system? With a high FIT income and deemed export?

[@Trevor_Austin]

If this system had an MCS certificate it would have been attracting the highest PV rates, 68p/kWh. Why forgo the generation and export tariff?

[@andynoakes]

100% - I think the inverter had packed up, so that would have been a cheap swap over and keep the extremely generous FIT rate.

[@VinoVeritas_]

​@@andynoakes What about replacing the panels? Had they packed up as well?

[@VinoVeritas_]

Good call. The Feed In Tariff scheme rules allow the replacement of certain equipment, but not all of it on a willy nilly basis.

[@HowardBurgess]

This job doesn’t make much sense. In addition to losing the FIT payments, they’re only going from 10x200=2000W to 7x400=2800W. Even accounting for a slight degradation in performance over the years, seems a lot of expense (and waste) for an extra 800 watts.

[@martinwhitaker5096]

Indeed... Maybe move the inverter when replacing it so it's no longer in the attic and everyone wins.

[@jensschroder8214]

you built a solar skirt around it, but how are the solar panels vented on the back?

[@mitch123456789]

I like Wayne. More of Wayne please. Wayne Wayne Wayne

[@barricade1205]

Please do a weekly show

[@wimcruycke895]

Hi,I have a question and hope you can advise. I’ve had recently a new RCBO consumer unit with surge protection installed. I have a 5kw Solar pv hybrid system. The Solar ac feed is fed through the top of a 25a RCBO into my consumer unit. Is this ok? Can rcbo’s be fed from the top?

[@edc1569]

Rcbo doesn’t care which way the current flows. If you have a hybrid inverter it can probably charge the batteries using off peak power which would pull current the other way anyway.

[@oliverdransfield7304]

Where’s Oscar?? He used to be amazing, so energetic! Great job Jordan

[@adzie3229]

Oscar was such a lovely lad 👍 💪🏼

[@4addevelopments139]

I was watching the new Peter Pan and Wendy with the Nephews last night. Didn’t realise Ruben was also an actor and playing the main roll. :)

[@waqasahmed939]

08:10 Tbf I think that's the same for a LOT of us end users. The way I see it I'm spending a few grand on the kit. I'd rather spend say a couple of hundred more on a proper job than pay less for a bad job, and then have to fix it anyway.

[@steviec1871]

I can’t believe anyone over 50 would live long enough to actually save money on electricity especially if these things need replacing every few years..great video though…

[@awesomedee5421]

What is wrong with Unistrut for solar panel? That is exactly one of those things that those are made for. I've seen it at many installations

[@haldo691]

I have 12 panels on my garage mounted on unistrut theyve been up nearly 3years and not escaped yet

[@Nicolas-qb3yg]

@@haldo691, you are not meeting the UK Solar Mafia rule : next step spend £1000s more

[@haldo691]

@@Nicolas-qb3yg yeah MCS is just another cartel if you don't pay for their "protection" you cant sell in their town

[@ja_adam_]

Sorry if stupid question, how do you change a DC isolator for example if the cables are live during daytime ?

[@paulos9304]

At night I'd say lol

[@artisanelectrics]

Very good question. With caution I guess LOL

[@TheFlow2006]

why are there black metal panels around the pv panels? ist it for storm proofing? wouldn´t it be better to leave them off to get the heat away under the panels to get better efficeny? i never seen it here in gemany done like this maybe on an flat roof when they are put at an angle back to back so that it is closed of to the sides but above and below an panel is always an air gap

[@kobirelf97]

They are to prevent birds from getting under the panels

[@Yhoothoob]

Wouldn't the old inverter overheat in the loft?

[@shropshireladoutdoors743]

Top tip don't get sparks to install solar pv just get a proper firm who know what they are doing me and my mate would have had the pannels of and new ones fitted in a day you don't need roofers just good pv fitters and and a good sparky

[@bpomowe224]

Problem is that there's a panel boom, so lot of shoddy people out to make a quick buck. Hard to discern the bad apples.

[@JasonSheehy]

What's normally done with the old solar panels? I realise they're inefficient by modern standards but are they re-used or recycled?

[@artisanelectrics]

Recycled always

[@Cheradanine]

It's no wonder Artisan prices are so high. There was no reason to remove those struts....all youve done is drive the costs for the home-owner though the literal roof.

[@2391Sparks]

Best video yet. The way you protected wildlife the way you did and the way you protected your lads with the azzy testing is a model for how things should be done, take a bow young man… Normal sockets won’t fit in unistrut, you need channel sockets. Get the slimline round ones from Deltec, I do that shite everyday and I’m five years into my Deltecs and they’re still fine…Well done mate 👍

[@mfr58]

So how many years did the old solar system last? Will the old kit get re-used or thrown in a tip?.....

[@haldo691]

Ebay

[@scotspie501douglas7]

where is that board is it a bedroom

[@Deiphobuzz]

Full suit up for a little sample of something that might contain a substance that might make you sick IF you start grinding and snorting it.. im all for safety but this is just getting out of control..

[@TWMelvin1]

Do you think it's fair to charge the customer we for couple major issues missed when quoting - possible asbestos and rails not suitable. Should have been checked in advance imo

[@CastleKnight7]

Do you think it’s fairer that the installer has to pay for these unforeseen major issues?

[@Jay369]

Depends on how the conversations went really.

[@nickbea3443]

@@CastleKnight7 I'm sure there was plenty enough Artisan margin to give away and keep the customer happy. Didn't anyone go into the loft to see the unistruts at quote time?

[@andypaddon8531]

Hi Wayne 🥰