Water and solar wiring
Solar panels make electricity whenever light falls on them, so some solar wiring can stay live even with the main switch off. If water is dripping near the inverter, an isolator or any solar cabling, keep clear and call a licensed electrician. Inside the house, switch off at the switchboard if water is near light fittings or power points. Don't touch, hose or climb up to the panels. Safe Work Australia counts work on or near energised electrical installations as high risk construction work, and it's not a homeowner job.
How a solar install can cause a leak
Cracked tiles. Installers walk across the roof carrying panels and rails. Tiles crack underfoot, and a hairline crack can take weeks or a few storms to show up as a drip.
Tiles lifted by the mounts. On tiled roofs, the mounting hooks usually pass between tiles. If the tile above a hook isn't trimmed or seated to suit it, the tile sits proud and lets wind-driven rain in underneath.
Holes through metal. On metal roofs the rails are screwed through the sheets. Lysaght says corrugated roofing should always be fixed through the crests to stay watertight, so a bracket screwed into the low part of the sheet, or a missing seal, sits right where the water runs.
Cable entries. The wiring has to get from the panels into the roof space. A cable hole that isn't properly flashed or sealed is a regular leak point.
Leaves trapped under the array. Leaves build up behind and under panels and dam water. On steel roofs, BlueScope recommends a gap commonly greater than about 75 mm above the rib so the area underneath can clean itself and dry out.
What to do if it started after the install
Catch it and protect the room
Bucket down, belongings moved, and power off at the switchboard if water is near fittings.
Write down the timeline
The install date, the date of the first leak, which rooms, and what the weather was doing. Photograph the stains, and the array from the ground.
Contact the installer or retailer in writing
Describe the leak, attach photos and ask them to inspect. The Clean Energy Regulator says complaints about an installation go first to the approved seller, then to your state or territory fair trading or consumer affairs body.
Know where you stand
Under the Australian Consumer Law, services must be provided with due care and skill. If a problem isn't major and can be fixed, you can ask the supplier to fix it within a reasonable time. If they refuse or take too long, you can have someone else fix it and recover reasonable costs from them.
Get an independent roofer if it drags on
A roofer's written report on the cause, with photos from the roof, is solid evidence if the installer disputes it.
Tell your insurer about any damage inside
If ceilings or belongings are damaged, ask your insurer what they need from you and keep the receipts.
Who fixes it: the solar installer, a roofer, or both?
Repairs under or around an array often need both trades. A roofer replaces tiles and seals screws and flashings. Anything that touches the panels, rails or wiring needs the solar side, and the Clean Energy Regulator says accredited solar installers must also hold an unrestricted electrical licence in their state or territory, apart from limited off-grid cases.
If panels have to come off so the roof under them can be fixed, that's extra work.
If the install caused the damage, the consumer guarantees are on your side. Ask the installer to cover the panel removal and the roof repair, and to confirm that in writing before anyone starts.
Questions to ask before solar goes on your roof
- How will the mounts be fixed to my roof, and how will each one be sealed or flashed?
- Who checks for cracked tiles before your team leaves?
- Can you photograph the roof under the array before the panels go on?
- How much gap will there be under the panels for leaves and water to clear?
- Are your installers accredited with Solar Accreditation Australia, and can I see their licence on the day?
- If the roof leaks because of the install, who comes back, and how quickly?
Your part, and the trades'
You can
- Photographing stains, and the array from the ground
- Keeping the install paperwork and dates in one place
- Contacting the installer or retailer in writing
- Keeping clear of panels, rails, isolators and wiring
Leave to a roofer
- Replacing cracked tiles around and under the array
- Sealing or flashing mounts and cable entries
- Working with the solar installer if panels must come off
- Writing up the cause if there's a dispute
What we'd do
We'd go back to the installer first, in writing, with photos and dates, because if the install caused the leak it's theirs to fix. If they're slow or deny it, we'd get an independent roofer to inspect and write up the cause, then use that with the installer and, if needed, your state's fair trading body. The whole time, we'd stay off the roof and away from the wiring.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.