PowerHouse Solar, Inc

PowerHouse Solar installed a seven-panel *** pool solar system for Mr*** in 2010.PowerHouse Solar gives a standard one-year installation warranty on the scope of all work performed by PowerHouse Solar. *** gives a 15-year warranty on the solar panels themselves, (excluding freeze
damage)Therefore, it is critical to winterize the solar at the end of each swim season to maintain the factory warranty.PowerHouse Solar does offer a seasonal staand shut-down service for all homeowners, at an additional cost.PowerHouse Solar offers this winterization service as an added benefit to all solar pool customersWhen our customers opt for this service, PowerHouse Solar will cover any leak repair, or damage as a result of freezingFreeze Damage is easily identified by leaks on the bottom six inches of the panelWater trapped in the bottom of the panels expands and cracks the tubes in the solar panels. PowerHouse Solar cannot warranty winterization done by the homeowner. The original installation was done correctly based on the *** installation manual guidelines, plus our years of installation expertiseEach roof system is designed and plumbed for proper drainage when winterizedAn extra spigot was added in the gutter originally because of the special roof configuration around a kitchen nook, but that does not preclude the need for winterization work done on the roofThe nature of this customer's roof layout requires proper winterization ON THE ROOF.A free winterization is included in every new pool solar system, and a PowerHouse Solar technician did that winterization on October 28, The winterization process at Mr***'s home cannot be properly done without going up on the roof to remove the end caps and properly drain the system of all waterThe homeowner was fortunate to make it through several winters (from to 2015) without freeze damageIn June 2016, one solar panel was replaced due to freeze damage, and the customer paid for the replacement panel and the labor. In December 2016, the homeowner complained that the panels had water in them, even though he had already shut his system downA service call was made and an additional isolation valve was added at no cost; he only paid for the service callAt that time, the homeowner admitted that he is unable to go up onto the roof.The homeowner has chosen to do his own winterization over the yearsHe has not contacted PowerHouse Solar to have any winterization doneNow that more panels are suffering freeze damage from years of improper winterization, the homeowner wants his system to be replaced for free. The homeowner contacted PowerHouse Solar on July 20th, and our lead technician was there the next day to inspect his systemThe homeowner was aware there would be a service charge for the visitAt that point, the homeowner said there was "water coming down the gutter"Upon inspection, it was found that there were two panels with obvious freeze damage (leaks at the bottom of the panels) due to incomplete winterizationA third panel qualified for replacement under warranty (because the leak was at the top of the panel)When the assessment was relayed to the homeowner, he immediately became defensive and threatened to take PowerHouse Solar to courtThe technician turned off the solar, and left the pool filtration so that it could function normallyHe felt threatened, and left without leaving an invoice or receiving payment for the service call. *** ***, owner, spoke with Mr*** regarding his concerns*** relayed the *** warranty policy regarding freeze damage and that PowerHouse Solar does not warranty work done by the homeowner, but does offer the winterization service*** then consulted with the technician, and it was determined that the freeze damage is a result of the panels not being drained completely by the homeowner before winterThe winterization requires going up on the roof to remove the end caps, which Mr*** has admitted he is unable to do. In reading the Revdex.com complaint and the homeowner's desired settlement, there is no need to re-plumb the system because the installation was installed correctlyIn response to#request: the panels are unable to "refill" when the system is properly winterized. #request: there is no design and installation problemDue to his roof configuration, there is not another preferred design layout. #request: one panel can be replaced under ***'s warranty; two have freeze damage and can be replaced for the cost of the panels. #request: the system was plumbed correctly and works well, as designedThe leaking was due to cracking from freeze damage, caused by the incomplete winterization.Again, *** and PowerHouse Solar are not responsible for damaged panels caused by lack of proper and complete winterization.PowerHouse Solar is regretting that Mr*** did not opt to have his system winterized each yearMost of our pool solar customers are able to do the winterization themselves, but e do have some regular customers that we service yearlyPowerHouse Solar is willing to replace the one panel under warranty through ***If Mr*** opts to replace all three panels (the warranty panel, and pay for the two freeze damaged panels), PowerHouse Solar is willing to reduce the fee to $(This is our cost for the panels and three hours labor.) We are sorry that we have an unhappy customer and will work to regain his trust in PowerHouse SolarWhen properly maintained, customers can enjoy 15+ years of enjoyment in a warm swimming pool.*** and *** ***.PowerHouse Solar

I am rejecting this response because:The response from PowerHouse Solar was simply an attempt to obfuscate the real issue.I have no problem with *** or their products.I am NOT contesting that the damage to the panels was caused by ice due to water being in the panels during the winter.The issue is that the system installed by PowerHouse Solar was refilling the panels AFTER the solar heating system was shut down After I discovered the problem and notified them, this was verified by TWO PowerHouse Solar technicians!There is NO WAY that Mr*** can claim that this did not cause freezing risk to the panels.To correct a few comments in PowerHouse Solar's response to my complaint:The original installation was done correctly based on the *** installation manual guidelines, plus our years of installation expertise Each roof system is designed and plumbed for proper drainage when winterized.- Per the *** manual, "two (isolation) valves are manually operated to isolate the solar system from the filtration system." The system as installed had only one pipe with an isolation valve Had the second valve been installed (which was done AFTER I discovered the problem and the damage was done)the system could not have pumped the water back into the panels.An extra spigot was added in the gutter originally because of the special roof configuration- The spigot at the roof line is the ONLY spigot that was installed There were no spigots cut into either the feed or return pipes, which means that these remainfull of water through the entire winter exposing the pipes to freeze damage.In December 2016, the homeowner complained that the panels had water in them, even though he had already shut his system down A service call was made and anadditional isolation valve was added at no cost; he only paid for the service call.Here is the meat of the matter! What I observed and was verified by two technicians from PowerHouse Solar is that when the pool pump was turned on, eventhough the solar heating system was turned off, water was gushing back into the panels After inspecting the system and the existing valves, the lead technician returned to install an isolation valve (which should have been there in the first place) Rather than cut in a new valve he elected to swap an isolation valve for the existingcheck valve, which is why you find only labor costs on the invoice Question? Why was I charged to have PowerHouse attempt to rectify its own problem?When the assessment was relayed to the homeowner, he immediately became defensive and threatened to take PowerHouse Solar to court.- We actually sat down on some chairs on the patio and discussed other possibilities for causing the damage, since he had observed the water pumping back up lastautumn, had installed the isolation valve, and was the last one on the roof draining the system after the valve installation It is only reasonable to believe that at that point he expected neither me nor anyone else to follow him up to the roof to complete "winterizing" the system He discussed the possibility of plumbing the feed and return linesthrough the overhanging eave instead of the current configuration, but I was not interested at this point....and threatened to take PowerHouse Solar to court- I told him that I was upset with the monies I had already spent, and did not feel I should have to pay for further repairs I asked him to escalate the problem to Mr***, so I could get a resolution to this issue and did NOT have to take PowereHouse Solar to court, which appeared to be my only other recourse This statement was reiterated directly to Mr*** during the one time he bothered to actually speak to me.He (technician) felt threatened- I am a year old heart attack survivor of average height and build who had hernia repair surgery the week prior to this visit I could barely walk Travis is a large, healthyyoung man I doubt he felt threatened Upset or flustered possibly - Travis worked hard to attempt to provide good customer service; I know he was displeased at the outcome.Threatened? No.Conclusion - The system as designed and installed by PowerHouse Solar neither was, nor currently is properly plumbed Another existing problem along with the ones mentioned above is that the check valve was removed, which according to the *** Installation Manual "prevents the water in the panels from flowing backwards through the filter and backflushing it into the pool." The system, as verified by your own technicians, allowed water to be pumped back into the panels exposing them to ice damage.The offer by Mr*** after all the expenses I have incurred so far (all of which have provided him a profit) and still do not have a properly plumbed system, is to allow me to pay for all parts.But he won't tack on his profit margin That is not an offer It is an insult.I would appreciate it if Mr*** would take the time and follow up discussion with his technicians if necessary, to review the sequence of events and issues discovered with my system and return with a more reasonable offer so we can move forward with this issue.Sincerely,*** ***

We would (and have) highly recommend Power House solar and the installation of PV systems...we are absolutely thrilled with our unit installed by PowerHouse. We just had Bruce and his assistant out to give us an estimate on increasing the capacity (since we have now added a hot tub & like never having a PG&E bill...we want to keep it that way) and installing heat pump water heater. We had Bruce and his crew install our original 3.4Kw Photovoltaic system and inverter on our house 2 years ago & we could not be happier. His company helped us with all the rebate, etc, paperwork & made it very, very easy for us. The crew he had install, which worked over the holidays to make the end of the tax year deadline, were professional, nice and very pleasant young men. Both of us have worked in the California desert, where we managed organizations with PV/Solar and were off-grid. We have extensive experience in dealing with batteries and generators and know the inherent issues that are simply present in those systems...that's why we are thrilled we are tied into the grid and don't have to worry about the extra. My husband is always showing people his iPad/iPhone app that give an instant readout to the amount of power currently generating by our system.