Six Mistakes To Avoid When It Comes To The Maintenance Of Your Solar Panels

If you want to keep your home's solar panels in good shape and keep up their productivity, you'll need to take care of needed solar panel maintenance. The following are six mistakes that you should avoid when it comes to solar panel maintenance so that you can keep your solar system in the best possible shape. 

Allowing your solar panels to get excessively dirty

Having your solar panels cleaned is one of the most important forms of maintenance. Debris can accumulate on your panels over time which will detract from their functioning. It's best to leave solar panel cleaning to the professionals for a safe and professional job that will be sure not to cause any damage to your solar equipment. 

Failing to have all manufacturer-recommended maintenance performed

If you have a solar system installed on your home, it's important to look over the maintenance guidelines that are provided by the manufacturer of your solar panels. Maintenance guidelines will tell you exactly what types of maintenance procedures your panels need as time goes on. 

Allowing hardware in your solar panels to come loose

Screws and bolts that hold your solar panels and solar system together can become loose over time. Hardware can loosen due to exposure to changing temperatures. That's why you should have hardware inspected and tightened once in a while as part of routine solar panel maintenance. 

Going too long without having your solar panels inspected

Schedule routine inspections so that your solar panel service can check on the condition and output of your solar system. During inspections, your solar system service provider can check to make sure that you don't need any new parts or repairs performed on your system to ensure proper functioning. 

Allowing foliage to grow over your solar panels

One of the most important solar panel maintenance procedures that's easy to overlook is trimming back foliage. Foliage growing over your solar panels can block sunlight and therefore reduce productivity. Foliage can also break loose and fall down on your panels causing damage. 

Neglecting to keep track of solar panel maintenance procedures

Be sure to keep records of all maintenance that's performed on your solar panels. Keeping records helps to ensure that you get maintenance done promptly when it's needed. Without careful records, it's easy to overlook important maintenance so that your solar panels will be less productive and more likely to malfunction. 

Contact a local solar panel service to learn more.