Solar Limpets

[dansk]

...ty...

 

[Matt_M]

We used SolarLimpets on a 4kWp job we installed recently. They saved lots of time and are now our first choice for small tile installs.

The install we did was in Landscape and SolarLimpets supplied some brackets to accomplish this.

The rails we used were Shuco.

 

[saint]

I'm keen to do our next 10x6 tile job with these limpets but what i can't work out is what happens if the position the limpet needs to sit is where two tile meet rather than a whole tile?

I can see that if the job were landscape with vertical rails you could just move the limpet up or down one course of tiles and fit to the joist. but if its horizontal rails this would be more difficult.

Can some one who has used these advise?

thanks

 

[Worcester]

@Saint the limpet always takes a whole tile, there are lots of ways to compensate if it doesn't meet spot on with a rafter - you could trawl through all the videos on Youtube, or, they are all in one place here: Solar Limpets – No More Broken Rosemary (Plain) Tiles of Slates! « Avontech Renewable Solutions

 

[provr6]

On a slate roof, what stops the water penetrating through the screw holes or underneath the limpet where the tiles lap, is it just the mastic? On their website they appear to use a metal washer without a neoprene washer like you get with a hanger bolt, is that correct?

 

[saint]

@provr6. CT1.... do a search on youtube.

 

[provr6]

I should have watched their video with the volume up.

The CT1 does look impressive but it's still a sealent and only one line of defense. You could just use a hanger bolt with CT1 as the same principle.

To me the most weathertight soloution would be to remove the slate, bolt a slate hook to the rafter (add CT1 if you like around the holes - 1st line of defense), flash with lead, 2nd line of defense, and replace undrilled slate with a slate hook - 3rd line of defense.

I can see the appeal of the limpet over the above as it is a much quicker/easier way of fixing. I don't think it is likely to leak, just as I don't think the hanger bolt method would leak either - certainly not straight away. If the limpet didn't have the 2nd screw fixing at the bottom, you could lead flash over the top of the fixing.

 

[Worcester]

It's not just a sealant, it is also an adhesive and a very strong one at that, The full adhesive version, power grab 'n' bond, test at Queens University Belfast
"The bonded area was 2 x 20 x 200 = 8000mm² and the bond strength was 0.67 N/mm² which equates to 543 Kilograms per 20cm². This is actually mind blowing. This incredible adhesive is replacing the need for mechanical fixings."
UNIVERSITY TESTS POWER GRAB
How to Stick Metal Together - CT1

 

[sambotc]

I agree, with the above. The amount of stick hanger bolts get, yet this uses a similar principle. The weather tightness relying on the installer doing a good job with the mastic.

The rosemary tile replacement looks very good though, just not convinced on the need for limpets on slate when hanger bolts would do the same job. Just to add, i've never used hanger bolts because I frowned on the principles, these limpets seem just as liable to leak in the future, but without any kind of guarantee to fall back on as the mastic is what makes the seal and the installer is the one applying it. At least the MDPE washer supplied with the bolts could be used as evidence if they did fail in 15+ years down the line.

 

[saint]

If you haven't used CT1, try it on some spare tiles / slates. i think you will be impressed. Its not a mastic from Homebase!

 

[provr6]

If you haven't used CT1, try it on some spare tiles / slates. i think you will be impressed. Its not a mastic from Homebase!

I did the same thing on spare slates with Geocel sealent and hanger bolt. It didn't leak but was concerned about future problems if the mastic went brittle.

 

[Worcester]

Comparing Geocel with CT1 is a bit like comparing Chewing Gum with Superglue :rockon2:

 

[jwulster]

Oxford Solar PV - We use the limpets whenever possible, great on both slate roof and small clay tiles.
I have used the slate hanger bolts as well and I think the limpet is much easier to use and gives great access to the rest of the roof when you use timber between the limpets as a ladder!
Really worth a try....