I used the "special photovoltaic" wire to connect the panels to the combiner box. I had purchased 50' of the 10awg wire and five each of the special MC4 connectors and the tools. The insulation is supposed to be weather and UV resistant. Shown are the plastic wrenches used to assemble the connector.
I ran the wires into the combiner box using weatherproof bulkhead fittings. But I covered the entry with clear silicone caulk anyway. To keep the cables from moving I used a long piece of the 4" wide Eternabond roof repair tape. This was the last task on the roof.
The next project was installing the Trimetric 2025-RV. I opted for simplicity and routed the cable along the same path as the solar cables. This meant that it is installed on the side of the closet. I mounted the remote for the inverter in the same location.
It may make more sense to install this somewhere more central like in the kitchen but this was way easier. With SteveA's help, I disposed of the old RV queen mattress and put in the memory foam mattress that I picked up on. Amazon.
Since I was done on the roof, I installed the bicycle rack in the rear receiver. And hung the garage sale Specialized RockHopper bike on the rack. I noticed that the front bead of the new tire was coming off so I quickly deflated the tire. Another project but this one can wait. Another item that I seemed to have forgotten was the ibuprofen. Lots of muscle aches today. I think it's from climbing up and down the ladder to the roof.
How do you know all this stuff? Your brain amazes me. I love you, see you soon.
ReplyDeleteI echo Bridget...how do you know all this stuff?
ReplyDeleteThe things they used to teach in kindergarten…
DeleteLots of reading. https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com is a great starting point.