Hello! I just scored 6 Fafco 4x12 panels for $150 on craigslist including the connecting hardware, vacuum release, ect. I figured they would be in pretty lousy shape at $25 a piece, but they're actually in pretty good condition compared to the last set of panels I bought for our last pool, and I'm excited to get them put up!
So, in talking with the guy I bought them from, they were on his roof, but the installer had placed the panels in such a way that most of each panel was on his tile roof, but the bottom headers were on his asphault shingle roof. He ended up having a major leak, because the bottom headers were not allow water to freely flow off the roof because you get leaves, dirt, ect collecting there over time which causes water to pool.
I woke up this morning and started to think about my last setup - I built a large rack in the yard for the panels because getting them to my roof would have been a major PITA But, in having them on the rack, I too noticed that I had a ton of debris collecting under the panels, especially underneath the lower headers. Now that I'm about to mount these on my roof above my Patio and a room at the back of the house, I don't want to have a similar issue that may cause a leak / standing water down the road from rain, ect.
I've been searching the site, and the internet, but I can't completely figure out what I need. Is it normal for the headers to just sit on the roof, with some mounting strap holding it in place? Is there a way to get the headers lifted slightly so that ran water and debris can freely migrate downhill? Or, do you just mount this, and then every so often, head up there and clean out from under the panels?
Any insight would be much appreciated!
So, in talking with the guy I bought them from, they were on his roof, but the installer had placed the panels in such a way that most of each panel was on his tile roof, but the bottom headers were on his asphault shingle roof. He ended up having a major leak, because the bottom headers were not allow water to freely flow off the roof because you get leaves, dirt, ect collecting there over time which causes water to pool.
I woke up this morning and started to think about my last setup - I built a large rack in the yard for the panels because getting them to my roof would have been a major PITA But, in having them on the rack, I too noticed that I had a ton of debris collecting under the panels, especially underneath the lower headers. Now that I'm about to mount these on my roof above my Patio and a room at the back of the house, I don't want to have a similar issue that may cause a leak / standing water down the road from rain, ect.
I've been searching the site, and the internet, but I can't completely figure out what I need. Is it normal for the headers to just sit on the roof, with some mounting strap holding it in place? Is there a way to get the headers lifted slightly so that ran water and debris can freely migrate downhill? Or, do you just mount this, and then every so often, head up there and clean out from under the panels?
Any insight would be much appreciated!