Solar panel fixings

Wully

Wully

Full Member
Posts
6,108
Likes
18,270
Anybody know where I might source nylon bolts with a flat bottom somthing like this one in photo I’m going to put some solar panels on that I bought last year the panels are decent quality stick down but have 8 fixing holes was thinking of not sticking them down but just using these bolts stuck to roof and sealing round the edge and fixing some sort of wind break flashing just before panel on front edge. 7BF0E674-85FC-4417-ADAB-3A63F275986B.jpg could do with the bolts having a bigger base as to give more sticking surface any help appreciated.
 
Can't you use the plastic corner mounts on you panels, I'm not sure you'll get enough adhesion using the fixings you've shown.
 
Not sure how rigid the stock down panels are but wouldn’t they just ‘flap’ about for want of a better word the way you want to mount them.
Could you not stick them to a piece of plastic sheet say 10mm thick and then use standard panel brackets ?
 
Just don’t want to stick them directly to roof jumped the gun and bought these panels thinking no holes or fixings just stick them down but Dethleff make the roofs on there new vans flexible expand and shrink under different weather and stresses and to help drainage bit of a pain and I’m realy restricted to space with skylights air con and satellite I’ve heard stories about these stick on panels only lasting a few years so thought about these nylon bolts with wing nuts would make it easier to take off and on that’s why I went down the rd of the efoy to save all this palava but thought I’d fit them as there just lying around may look at fixing them to some checker plate I havel and fit as standard or just sell the feckers and buy a few tubs of fuel for my efoy.
 
well if going to bolt down the plastic fitting for panels then make slots to allow for flexing and use nylon washer each side to allow a slight movment how is the awning fixed if the bus is flexing in the heat curious
 
oldish hippy said:
well if going to bolt down the plastic fitting for panels then make slots to allow for flexing and use nylon washer each side to allow a slight movment how is the awning fixed if the bus is flexing in the heat curious
Click to expand...

Good point Barry awning is fixed to edge of roof but about 6 to 8 inches in from that roof has a type of bump to allow water drainage and this flexibility first time I seen it thought roof had de laminated but it’s part of construction. I wanted to straddle this numb using that type of flat bottom fixing
 
The flexing is only going to be normal expansion and contraction isn’t it, you sure they are baffling you with sales bull?

The new flexible panels are good and you can get long warranty with them like rigid, if you have those just stick them down Wully
 
Looser cruiser said:
Anybody know where I might source nylon bolts with a flat bottom somthing like this one in photo I’m going to put some solar panels on that I bought last year the panels are decent quality stick down but have 8 fixing holes was thinking of not sticking them down but just using these bolts stuck to roof and sealing round the edge and fixing some sort of wind break flashing just before panel on front edge.View attachment 64158 could do with the bolts having a bigger base as to give more sticking surface any help appreciated.
Click to expand...

Get some made up i.e countersunk screws welded to a larger piece of stainless plate so you can have a larger area to apply adhesive to. I would be wary of using wing nuts without some positive locking .
 
wel the only way i see it is to put a bump in the middle of panel stick back and front and lift center of panel by putting a piece of wood a few mm thick then taking it out when they are fixed down so if it does stretch then the panel should pull flat only my thinking it could be stupid

as regard flexi panels had one on front of old van for years like a go faster stripe down the curve of the roof stuck with sika flex just made sure that the front edge had a bead all the way along it
 
Hi Wully,

I'm going to use these because like you I don't want to glue my semi flexible panel to the roof but I do want to save the weight compared to normal panels.

Regards,
Del
 
Looser cruiser said:
Just don’t want to stick them directly to roof jumped the gun and bought these panels thinking no holes or fixings just stick them down but Dethleff make the roofs on there new vans flexible expand and shrink under different weather and stresses and to help drainage bit of a pain and I’m realy restricted to space with skylights air con and satellite I’ve heard stories about these stick on panels only lasting a few years so thought about these nylon bolts with wing nuts would make it easier to take off and on that’s why I went down the rd of the efoy to save all this palava but thought I’d fit them as there just lying around may look at fixing them to some checker plate I havel and fit as standard or just sell the feckers and buy a few tubs of fuel for my efoy.
Click to expand...

Frankly I suspect that this is your best option Wully. It seems to me that you're putting the panels into service just because they're there, not to solve a problem.
If you need some more solar power it's probably best to get something that's ideal for the job. Do bear in mind how much your brilliant Moho is worth! It really doesn't need a ha'pence of tar.

Colin :):):)
 
get a tube of Everbuild 145 butyl mastic and stick 2 flat things together ,then see how much effort it takes to pull themapart the next day.
i reckon this stuff would do it , with a bit of Gorilla tape along the front edge to stop the wind getting under. and it can be removed years later with white spirit
 
Looser cruiser said:
Anybody know where I might source nylon bolts with a flat bottom somthing like this one in photo I’m going to put some solar panels on that I bought last year the panels are decent quality stick down but have 8 fixing holes was thinking of not sticking them down but just using these bolts stuck to roof and sealing round the edge and fixing some sort of wind break flashing just before panel on front edge.View attachment 64158 could do with the bolts having a bigger base as to give more sticking surface any help appreciated.
Click to expand...

LARGE HEAD Slotted Pan Head Machine Screws Stainless Steel Sizes M2 up to M8 | eBay
 
The roof skin will naturally expand and contract at differing rates
to the panel if of made of differing materials, but the actual
movement taken over the width and length of say a metre
will be tiny.

This difference can be easily accommodated if the adhesive
sealant used to stick and bed the panel down is fairly thick
say 3 or 4mm strips. The main thing is making sure its
sealed all round the edge wouldn't want water and crap to
get under, with no way of easy access for cleaning.

Anyone interested or concerned enough need only look up
'thermal coefficients of linear expansion in materials' and work
out how much the movement difference between the roof and
panel will actually be over a determined temp. range.
 
hairydog said:
I would advise against those brackets for a semi flexible panel. Yes, they will hold it down, but they are not going to stop it vibrating and flexing slightly.
Despite what people say, the panels fail because of flexing, not through overheating
Glue it down all over. If you are concerned about removability, choose your glue carefully.
Click to expand...
So what glue sticks and allows you take them off? I've heard that they are nigh on impossible to remove in one piece

Regards,
Del
 
alwaysared said:
So what glue sticks and allows you take them off? I've heard that they are nigh on impossible to remove in one piece

Regards,
Del
Click to expand...
i just put this on another panel thread. i would experiment with everbuild 145 and gorilla tape on the edges . it never dries and can be removed with white spirit
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top