I mean it's not a problem until it's a problem, enjoy life. It won't rain around here for another year at least lol.
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Water ingress into Powerwall+ inverter in garage
- Thread starter kairojya
- Start date
Electrph
Member
this is spot on !Sounds like some typical stuff I’ve experienced working at large companies.
i have been employed for a very large company last 6 years .. cannot tell you how many times two or more departments have gone to war arguing who is responsible for correcting the most mundane things
this is spot on !
i have been employed for a very large company last 6 years .. cannot tell you how many times two or more departments have gone to war arguing who is responsible for correcting the most mundane things
It totally is, isnt it? Usually it boils down to someones budget getting impacted because of supporting X or Y (who is gonna pay for it, internally). Sucks when customers get caught in the crossfire of that stuff, though.
Took a quick look last night at my recent install (few months ago). Looks like the installers drilled holes in the bottom of the various conduit fittings. See below. Not going to climb on the roof to verify those, but safe to assume if they did it to the ones at ground level, they did it to all of them.
Update
The advisor I spoke with last week called me back yesterday like he promised. He has been thorough and helpful. However, he was annoyed to learn that I had not been contacted from my local install/maintenance office regarding them scheduling a technician to come out and look at, and fix, my issue. He said he spoke to a manager from the maintenance team and my job is something they will be working on, and that they should have contacted me already and scheduled the job. He will follow up with that manager and follow up with me next week to see if they have called me and scheduled the job.
Separately, and I believe unrelated, today I had a Tesla employee from the Quality Assurance team perform a Quality Audit of my Tesla Solar and Powerwall+ install. My install was last month (6/24). My inspection passed within days of install but I’m waiting for PTO. It hasn’t rained here in nearly two weeks, so there isn’t any water visible in the inverter at this point. However, the auditor wrote in the report that none of the conduit fittings have drain holes, like you all have discussed in this thread. He also had me email him pictures I have from when water has drained into the unit, and he wrote it up in the report. Based on what he’s seen, he said my job requires a “rework” or qualifies for it.
The advisor I spoke with last week called me back yesterday like he promised. He has been thorough and helpful. However, he was annoyed to learn that I had not been contacted from my local install/maintenance office regarding them scheduling a technician to come out and look at, and fix, my issue. He said he spoke to a manager from the maintenance team and my job is something they will be working on, and that they should have contacted me already and scheduled the job. He will follow up with that manager and follow up with me next week to see if they have called me and scheduled the job.
Separately, and I believe unrelated, today I had a Tesla employee from the Quality Assurance team perform a Quality Audit of my Tesla Solar and Powerwall+ install. My install was last month (6/24). My inspection passed within days of install but I’m waiting for PTO. It hasn’t rained here in nearly two weeks, so there isn’t any water visible in the inverter at this point. However, the auditor wrote in the report that none of the conduit fittings have drain holes, like you all have discussed in this thread. He also had me email him pictures I have from when water has drained into the unit, and he wrote it up in the report. Based on what he’s seen, he said my job requires a “rework” or qualifies for it.
jimm01
Member
This my biggest frustration with Tesla. One Tesla has to fix and was a major problem with Solar City.
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(moderator note: I editted your post above as it seemed to have duplications of the quote you intended to quote. If I got it wrong, you can PM me what you want in there and I will re insert).
jimm01
Member
that red button switch reminds me of the emergency gas pump switches at Costco’s gas stations when we had an ICE car and would buy gas there. Strange they installed both the button and switch during your install. The traditional AC Disconnect switch is easy to look at and know what position it is in. Not sure how one judges the button one. Also think kids might think a red button is more fun to push but that’s just how my mind works looking at it.
The RSD switch is in my garage with the Powerwalls, and the AC disconnect is outside by my meter and gateway. I’ve seen some split installs like mine have the same RSD switch mounted outside (remote from the Powerwalls). My Powerwall install crew told me that they have started installing this new RSD recently, even though it is not required, because Tesla is hoping someday this will be the only RSD needed. They hope to not have to also add an AC disconnect blade switch.
It’s taken many phone calls and emails, talking to many people in several departments, I had a crew with Tesla maintenance/ops come inspect/fix my water ingress issue today. I unexpectedly had a scheduler call me Wednesday around 11:15 AM EST trying to see if I would be available that same afternoon for a crew to come out. I missed their call, and talked to them a couple hours later when it was too late to still have someone come out that day. They were able to schedule me for today (Friday).
The crew wasn’t well informed about my issue, they were just told that I had a “roof leak” and seemed like they expected to be going into my attic today. This is despite me providing pictures of the water in inverter to both my project advisor via email, and in person (and email) to my install auditor.
It hasn’t rained enough here in weeks for any water to be left in the inverter, but the crew took my word for it and believed the pictures I had. They seemed dissatisfied with the lack of weep holes in the LBs like you all pointed out earlier in this thread. After inspecting everything and discussing with their manager over the phone, they added weep holes in the LB which wraps around the edge of roof, and the one on the exterior wall where the conduit passes through that wall and into my garage where the inverter and Powerwalls are. They mentioned that they may need to add duct seal somewhere along the conduit on the roof but I’m not sure if they did, or where they would have. They did add duct seal inside the horizontal conduit where the roof wires pass through the wall into my garage. The thinking is that it can help prevent water from running along the wires and off into the inverter, and that water will instead drain out of the new weep holes in the LB there at the wall.
There was rusty debris already collecting at the bottom of the LB where the where’s transition from coming from the roof and pass through the wall to my garage.
The crew also did some cable management on the roof as some wires were hanging between the panels and the roof. They also removed an empty sealant tube which I started noticing recently that was stuck in between the roof and the lower trim piece around one of my strings of panels.
I’ll follow up after we get significant rain.
The crew wasn’t well informed about my issue, they were just told that I had a “roof leak” and seemed like they expected to be going into my attic today. This is despite me providing pictures of the water in inverter to both my project advisor via email, and in person (and email) to my install auditor.
It hasn’t rained enough here in weeks for any water to be left in the inverter, but the crew took my word for it and believed the pictures I had. They seemed dissatisfied with the lack of weep holes in the LBs like you all pointed out earlier in this thread. After inspecting everything and discussing with their manager over the phone, they added weep holes in the LB which wraps around the edge of roof, and the one on the exterior wall where the conduit passes through that wall and into my garage where the inverter and Powerwalls are. They mentioned that they may need to add duct seal somewhere along the conduit on the roof but I’m not sure if they did, or where they would have. They did add duct seal inside the horizontal conduit where the roof wires pass through the wall into my garage. The thinking is that it can help prevent water from running along the wires and off into the inverter, and that water will instead drain out of the new weep holes in the LB there at the wall.
There was rusty debris already collecting at the bottom of the LB where the where’s transition from coming from the roof and pass through the wall to my garage.
The crew also did some cable management on the roof as some wires were hanging between the panels and the roof. They also removed an empty sealant tube which I started noticing recently that was stuck in between the roof and the lower trim piece around one of my strings of panels.
I’ll follow up after we get significant rain.
Oh dang, I forgot to update on my 
holes too....
So Sunrun came out to my house and they agreed the LB for the conduit housing the rooftop home run needs a drain hole on the LB.
But on the big U-shaped conduit, they came up with a novel way to interpret 2017 NEC 225.22. @wwhitney will appreciate this.
So here's a pic of a "conduit" between my TEG2 and backup loads 200A load center. (PS, those are some damn sweet azz placards).
And here's the big U shape that goes from the TEG2 to the Enphase Envoy.
According to Sunrun's the NEC expert dude... he says there is no fundamental difference between the conduit in the first picture or the second picture. Since the first piece of conduit doesn't need any drain/weep holes, then the longer U-shaped conduit is also exempt from needing drain/weep holes.
I said "ok... but the short/stubby conduit is 'arranged to drain into both the Gateway and Load Center'... and both of those have weep holes in the bottom. So that means gravity at its lowest point will have drainage. However, the U shape has no drainage at its lowest point."
He countered saying this rule was meant to only encompass long-run conduits... and since the conduit between two sub panels is short there is no drainage requirement. That's why your outdoor AC condenser could have a conduit putting power to the compressor and there is no special drainage.
The guy took out his code book and it said for 225.22:
He said this language clearly exempts the U shape from needing drainage since the U is not a "raceway" it is just a short connector. He said Sunrun has installed conduit like this hundreds of times and never put in drainage for the U. He left after putting a hole in the LB next to the Envoy.
Edit: the expert also came to the conclusion I have too many disconnects on my house. He cannot fathom why I have 3 ways to disconnect energy coming from PG&E all sitting within 6 feet of one another. He said he has not seen Sunrun have to put a 200A big azzz disconnect on an install this tiny (7 kWp DC) in the Bay Area before. And he was like "wtf you have like 3 disconnects on each of the 3 batteries this is stupid." He counted that I have 9 more disconnecting means than what would be necessary to be code compliant. So at least he and I agree on something
holes too....So Sunrun came out to my house and they agreed the LB for the conduit housing the rooftop home run needs a drain hole on the LB.
But on the big U-shaped conduit, they came up with a novel way to interpret 2017 NEC 225.22. @wwhitney will appreciate this.
So here's a pic of a "conduit" between my TEG2 and backup loads 200A load center. (PS, those are some damn sweet azz placards).
And here's the big U shape that goes from the TEG2 to the Enphase Envoy.
According to Sunrun's the NEC expert dude... he says there is no fundamental difference between the conduit in the first picture or the second picture. Since the first piece of conduit doesn't need any drain/weep holes, then the longer U-shaped conduit is also exempt from needing drain/weep holes.
I said "ok... but the short/stubby conduit is 'arranged to drain into both the Gateway and Load Center'... and both of those have weep holes in the bottom. So that means gravity at its lowest point will have drainage. However, the U shape has no drainage at its lowest point."
He countered saying this rule was meant to only encompass long-run conduits... and since the conduit between two sub panels is short there is no drainage requirement. That's why your outdoor AC condenser could have a conduit putting power to the compressor and there is no special drainage.
The guy took out his code book and it said for 225.22:
He said this language clearly exempts the U shape from needing drainage since the U is not a "raceway" it is just a short connector. He said Sunrun has installed conduit like this hundreds of times and never put in drainage for the U. He left after putting a hole in the LB next to the Envoy.
Edit: the expert also came to the conclusion I have too many disconnects on my house. He cannot fathom why I have 3 ways to disconnect energy coming from PG&E all sitting within 6 feet of one another. He said he has not seen Sunrun have to put a 200A big azzz disconnect on an install this tiny (7 kWp DC) in the Bay Area before. And he was like "wtf you have like 3 disconnects on each of the 3 batteries this is stupid." He counted that I have 9 more disconnecting means than what would be necessary to be code compliant. So at least he and I agree on something
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From 2017 NEC:
Raceway: An Enclosed channel designed expressly for holding wires, cables, or busbars with additional functions as permitted in this code.
They just don't want to spend more time fixing workmanship issues. They would have to pull the wires out to put the proper drain fitting.
just because they have gotten away with it in the past, doesn't mean its right or code compliant
Raceway: An Enclosed channel designed expressly for holding wires, cables, or busbars with additional functions as permitted in this code.
They just don't want to spend more time fixing workmanship issues. They would have to pull the wires out to put the proper drain fitting.
just because they have gotten away with it in the past, doesn't mean its right or code compliant
Yeah I agree… I’m not going to press them.
Sunrun should hire Wayne. Then they’ll stop doing this big U malarkey.
I still can’t figure out why they didn’t put the Envoy next to the load center panel and kind of raceway through the load center. The thing has 3 breakers in it and has a ton of room.
You are not allowed to use another piece of equipment to run wires through like a j-box and land in another piece of equipment. Load centers are supposed to have only wires inside them which land on the omnibus somewhere inside them.
Often times AHJ allow them when relocating circuits, but it should not be done without thought, and understanding its not strictly code compliant.
That's a common misconception. For the case of panelboard cabinets, see 312.8.
Cheers, Wayne
Great point Wayne! I often learn something from you, and am thankful that you share.
