Hi, looking for some advice.
I had a solar system installed in May 2011 through the Goldfields Solar Hub Project. A month ago my inverter stopped working so I investigated getting it repaired or replaced and also if it was still covered by any warranty policy. The Victorian branch of the installer, Braemac Energy, does not exist anymore*, but the South Australian branch were able to provide me details of the manufacturers warranty, which is valid for 5 years (until May 2016).
I had to get the inverted inspected by someone locally (At my expense) to get a reading of the voltage going in and out of it to prove that the it was the inverter that was faulty. They took photos of the reading on their multimeter, which I sent to Braemac Energy in SA. They were able to open an RMA for me with the manufacturer, enasolar, who are based in NZ. I then had to ship the inverter to NZ at my expense (over $150).
After waiting for it to arrive and clear customs, I received an email saying they were denying my RMA due to some glue being used to secure the inverter to the wall (in addition to the 6 bolts normally used). The glue caused a small piece of brick work to become stuck to the back of the inverter (neither the local solar electrician nor myself were able to remove it, and I had to ship it to NZ wit the piece of brick still attached). Below is the email I received from enasolar's Sales Administrator:
Hi [MY NAME],
If you look at our warranty on page 2 it states that:
The warranty does not apply if, in the judgement of EnaSolar, the product fails due to:
• Damage from shipment or storage
• Alterations or repair which may affect the reliability of operation
• Force Majeure/Sustained damage by power surges or electrical storms
• Handling or cleaning
• Incorrect installation (as per the installation manual)
• Accident
• Relocation of the product after its first installation
• Abuse, misuse or used/maintained in a manner not conforming to product manual instructions
• Any attempt to modify, make changes or unauthorised repair
• Any serial number having been removed or defaced
• Insufficient ventilation
• Cosmetic shortcomings which do not affect the inverter operationThey glue that caused the brick to also come off the wall is a modification not in accordance of our installation standards and the force used to remove this may have impacted the components inside >the inverter/wall mount and caused damage that we are unaware of.
Because of this we cannot repair/replace under warranty.
I do apologies, as I am only following our policy.
Does anyone have any similar experiences or advice as to where I can go from here? I'm disappointed about being out the electrician + shipping without anything to show for it any my broken inverter stranded in NZ.
- Although there is a Braemac of some kind in Vic, they don't do any solar work at all. I assume they are some kind of franchise but I'm not 100% convinced that they're not trying to dodge responsibility.
Sounds like their trying to weasel out of providing you with a replacements/repair. You could point out that it failed before it was pulled of the wall, but I guess they're saying that there is other damage caused by the forced removal that voids the warranty and ask them how it affected the inverter. Maybe try Fair Trading department in your state or in NZ though I'm not sure how that would work.
It's costing you money while it's not connected, so maybe pay for a replacement and sell the other off if you are successful in getting a resolution for a replacement.