Symptoms separatedSympt0/2
MeasurementsTests0/3
Warranties foundWrnty0/2
Fix confirmedFix0/1
8:52 AMVan in the driveway
Beat A
Episode 8 · Series finale

GOINGSOLAR

“The Service Call”

Two things are wrong. Only one of them is the solar.

Previously: Doris learned that solar reduces a line item and doesn’t create a budget, put the tub and the car on schedules, and stopped selling kilowatt-hours for a nickel. Eighteen months later the outdoor GFCI keeps popping and a small red exclamation mark shows up on the app at odd hours.
~13 minutes · One multimeter, three measurements, one honest answer
Tap anywhere to continue
Beat B · Kitchen table · two symptoms
Tap a symptom to have Rydell ask about it.
Beat C · The walkaround
Follow Rydell. Tap each stop in order.
Tap to continue
Test 1 · String voltage
Rule-outs0 / 3
Exterior wall · DC disconnect & inverter
The meter
Follow Rydell’s procedure.
Beat E · Three measurements

A service tech measures.

Rydell runs the same three tests in the same order every time. Each one rules something out. You operate the meter; he tells you what the number means.

  • String voltage — is the array actually there? Open the DC disconnect, read open-circuit voltage across PV+ and PV−.
  • Rapid shutdown / MLPE — do the module-level devices still drop the roof to a safe voltage within thirty seconds? That’s code, and it’s what firefighters expect.
  • Isolation resistance — the megger. A thousand volts DC between the DC side and ground, measuring how much current leaks. Healthy is near infinite.
  • There is no way to lose. Wrong picks get a one-line correction and you try again.
Tap to continue
Step 1 · Shut down
Tuesday9:00 AM
Rapid shutdown first.
Beat G · The service ticket
Tap any section for the plain-English version.
Tap anywhere to continue