Question on Satellite Wiring Channel

[BB&LAB]

Well it looks like that channel will not work for my solar project after all as I had hoped. First, the cover for the channel on the roof is just too close to the bedroom air conditioner for a combiner box, second it sounds like a tight fit at best for my project, as I am planning to run a second set of wiring in case down the road we need to add a second charge controller for additional panels. Thanks for all the replies.

[KirbyRVA]

Bruce, not sure I agree. If your coach is like mine and there is no conduit as I was told by GD, it would seem the only limitation on the number/size wires would be the size of the hole drilled in the wood under the roof access panel. What was frustrating to me in talking with the customer service rep was his inability/reluctance to describe what is in the space under the roof hole. At one point he said it was just a 'wall' and at another time he referred to a 'channel.' He did say running wires from the top to bottom was not always easy.

In my case, the wall in question is one between my bathroom and bedroom. The wall appears to be sufficiently deep to accommodate a 1" to 1 1/2" conduit which is what they should have put in the space to make wire routing easy.

[gbkims]

1" ENT Smurf tubing would have been the way to go. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Carlon-1...-025/202688856

[KirbyRVA]

A more rigid conduit would be better. PVC tubing. The flexible conduit would work if they secure it properly in the wall. Any conduit would be better than nothing.

[bertschb]

... If your coach is like mine and there is no conduit as I was told by GD, it would seem the only limitation on the number/size wires would be the size of the hole drilled in the wood under the roof access panel...

This was the case with mine as well. No conduit. It was a pain pulling wires. In my case there is a light switch in the wall that the "channel" runs through. I removed the light switch and ran my snake down into the basement to pull a wire up then ran the snake from the roof to the light switch to get a wire pulled down. In both cases it was a pain snaking the wires. A PVC pipe for this channel would make it soooooooo much nicer! Also, the hole in the roof under the panel and the hole in the basement were both too small. I wish the factory would make these about 2" wide.

Having said all of this - I am glad there is an access panel on the roof and an access hole in the basement. It wasn't easy to use but it's way better than drilling a hole in the roof or using a vent pipe to run wires.

[KirbyRVA]

Since they never drilled the hole at the top, I will be doing that. My plan is to drill maybe a 1 1/2" hole thru that 1 x 3" and drop a 1" diameter PVC conduit down to the hole in the basement. That will work, of course, only if there is some decent alignment of the two holes. If I can make the hole 2", I can use 1 1/2" conduit.

I spoke to the regional sales rep today and encouraged him to give the production folks feedback to install conduit in that space. Not doing so just makes no sense. He said he would be talking to his sales manager about it.

[BB&LAB]

Bruce, not sure I agree. If your coach is like mine and there is no conduit as I was told by GD, it would seem the only limitation on the number/size wires would be the size of the hole drilled in the wood under the roof access panel. What was frustrating to me in talking with the customer service rep was his inability/reluctance to describe what is in the space under the roof hole. At one point he said it was just a 'wall' and at another time he referred to a 'channel.' He did say running wires from the top to bottom was not always easy.

In my case, the wall in question is one between my bathroom and bedroom. The wall appears to be sufficiently deep to accommodate a 1" to 1 1/2" conduit which is what they should have put in the space to make wire routing easy.

Thanks. Still considering my options but the so called satellite channel is likely not going to work as I use a combiner box in my solar installs and the plate on the roof is too close to the back of the bedroom air conditioner to make it feasible. Considering what is being described as some difficulty running wire, particularly solar through the channel, I might as well go another route that would accommodate my combiner box.