Panel coatings and waxing

[Fatbloke]

Hi All

Just looking for a bit of info - I read on another post about someone wanting to wax their panels so snow/rain etc slide off easier.

This sounds like a good idea to me to help keep the panels clean and easier to clean but the question is, how does this affect any coatings applied to the glass by the panel manufacturer (I know REC do something like this)???

Might waxing the panel with car polish for example possibly remove or damage the coatings or react with it and reduce transparency?

Would it affect any warranty on the panel if you have waxed it?

Are the coatings on the outside of the panel or on the inside? If on the inside I would think there shouldn't be a problem - would you agree?

I will be getting a 16 panel (Bisol 245w) system installed soon and wondered if it was worth waxing the panels before the winter sets in.

Cheers

Dave

[Mike90250]

I can't endorse wax or coatings, because they might react with the AR coating on the exterior of the glass. I just wash with hose, and if you have hard water, to avoid spottings, use a DI rinse - I suggest the rinse cycle of the Mr Clean Car wash kit, it's got a replaceable DI filter.

Some folks like adding stuff, but I don't know if it helps, or if it can damage coatings.

The AR coating is good for about 1% gain, so that's what you loose when it's gone.

[Fatbloke]

I can't endorse wax or coatings, because they might react with the AR coating on the exterior of the glass. I just wash with hose, and if you have hard water, to avoid spottings, use a DI rinse - I suggest the rinse cycle of the Mr Clean Car wash kit, it's got a replaceable DI filter.

Some folks like adding stuff, but I don't know if it helps, or if it can damage coatings.

The AR coating is good for about 1% gain, so that's what you loose when it's gone.

Hi

Thanks for the reply - clean water it is then. We have soft water in Scotland and plenty of it (it rains a lot) so a quick rinse now and then should be fine.

I would have thought if waxing was ok, the panel manufacturers would have had a "special panel wax" which would of course be more expensive than normal wax. Maybe any panels with no coating would benefit from a waxing?

Cheers

Dave

[Mike90250]

.. Maybe any panels with no coating would benefit from a waxing?

Maybe, but you have to be careful around the edges, where there is some sort of rubbery sealant - the "wrong" stuff can damage that. And we've not been told what the "right" stuff is. So for me, it's plain rain.