Is pressure washing solar panels right? This is the question many solar panel owners are asking themselves. With pressure washing, you can get rid of dirt and grime that accumulates on your panels throughout their life. But pressure washing comes with risks. In this article, we go over three reasons why you should not pressure wash your solar panels.
Damage
Pressure may damage sensitive components in the system, including wiring, junction boxes, inverters, or breakage sensors. This can lead to a severe problem with your solar panels.
Safety Concerns
Pressure washing is not without its risks, as pressure from the hose can cause damage or injury if you are standing on an elevated surface such as a ladder, roof, scaffolding, etc. This also applies to those who pressure wash professionally and should never pressure wash above ground level no matter how secure their footing may seem. Even using pressure washers that have safety mechanisms built into them could prove hazardous depending on the proximity of power supply circuits and water pipes in certain areas, making it too dangerous for some commercial buildings.
Solar Panel Life Expectancy
Cleaning your solar panels regularly will significantly reduce their performance over time, which means they won’t be generating energy at full strength resulting in a loss of revenue. The pressure used to clean solar panels can cause damage and reduce their lifespan by as much as 50%.
To conclude, pressure washing solar panels is an unsafe practice that no one should ever attempt. It can cause serious damage to the pressure washer, and even worse, it could severely injure or kill someone in the process.
