Andrew, Thanks for the feedback. What are the chances that you would know the mfgr of the ties? Long shot?
Under an array(on a roof), yes the ties would be protected from direct sunlight, but exposed to higher than ambient temperatures. I have seen some brittle/broken nylon cable ties that were exposed to elements and light. Ill see if I can find some pics. benn Sent from a 'smart' phone, with touch screen keys. Please excuse shortcuts and typos. On 2013-04-25, at 9:48 AM, Solar Energy Solutions <solarenergysoluti...@yahoo.com> wrote: > We have used black cable ties since 1987 to strap sensor wire to PVC pipe for > our solar pool heating systems. I was just at a system we installed in 1989 > mounted on an East facing roof yesterday. The exposed 20g sensor wire still > had intact and plyable sheilding and the black cable ties still firmly > attached and not brittle. We have other similiar scenes with systems mounted > on South facing roof were the black cable ties are still in tact under full > solar exposure... for Portland Oregon. Yanking on some of these cable ties > sometimes break the ancient tie. But, more often than not, as yesterday, we > have to break out our wire cutters to accomplish this task. > > Thus, I gotta think that black cable ties under a PV array which are not > exposed to any of the heat or sun we usually subject them to... are going to > last an even longer time. > > > Andrew Koyaanisqatsi > President > Solar Energy Solutions, Inc. > Since 1987, > Moving Portland and Beyond > to an Environmentally Sustainable Future. > 503-238-4502 > http://www.solarenergyoregon.com/ > > "Better one's House too little one day > than too big all the Year after." > > > From: Chris Mason <cometenergysyst...@gmail.com> > To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> > Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2013 8:12 AM > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Stainless Steel Cable Ties > > Make sure you use black cable ties, the white ones fail in UV from sunlight. > > > On Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 11:06 AM, August Goers <aug...@luminalt.com> wrote: > I too share the concern about standard plastic zip ties. However, I started > in the industry in 1997 and have yet to see zip ties that are falling apart. > Does anyone on the list have firsthand experience with failed plastic zip > ties? > > Best, > > August > > > August Goers > > Luminalt Energy Corporation > 1320 Potrero Avenue > San Francisco, CA 94110 > m: 415.559.1525 > o: 415.641.4000 > aug...@luminalt.com > > From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org > [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Solarguy > > Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2013 7:08 AM > To: 'RE-wrenches' > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Stainless Steel Cable Ties > > We have used 8” flat SS ties for years and I have no concern about the wear > on the conductor insulation. They are long enough to circle a standard Unirac > rail and several wires leaving 1” or so tag end. Needle nose pliers work to > twist the end and snug down the tie as tight as you’re comfortable with. The > metal tie, once bent around the corners cannot stretch any tighter, unlike > nylon, regardless of how tightly you twist the pliers. As for the edges, > quality ties are not sharp. Or cheap. > > Jim Duncan > North Texas Renewable Energy Inc > http://www.ntrei.com/ > NABCEP PV 031310-57 > TECL-27398 > nt...@1scom.net > 817.917.0527 > > > > > From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org > [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Jason > Szumlanski > Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2013 8:08 AM > To: RE-wrenches > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Stainless Steel Cable Ties > > There was a recent thread about wire management. Heyco SunBundler ties have a > vinyl coating. I recommended the clips from PV Racking that are stainless > steel coated in rubber. I've had the same concern, and both of these seem > like good solutions to me. > > Jason Szumlanski > Fafco Solar > > On Thu, Apr 25, 2013 at 1:20 AM, Benn Kilburn - DayStar Renewable Energy > <b...@daystarsolar.ca> wrote: > Wrenches, > I searched the archives, but came up with nothing on this…. > > I have found a good supplier for reasonably priced stainless steel cable ties > and have been using them in place of black nylon cable ties for supporting > cables, PV wires and micro-inverter wires to the mounting rails and such. I > feel better knowing the wires under the array are supported this way rather > than with plastic/nylon cable ties, for which I tried but cannot get a > manufacturer to guarantee will last 20+yrs. > > A colleague is questioning this method (SS ties) with the concern that over > time the (albeit small) movement in the wires and/or expansion/contraction of > the rails could result in the stainless steel cable ties cutting thru the > wire's insulation and then….. > I have heard this concern before from others as well. > > The way I see it is that the very popular stainless steel "S" cable clips > that hold wires to module frames have comparable equal sharp edges as well > and would pose the same risk, but there doesn't seem to be any concern there. > > I am wondering who else is using SS ties in place of nylon ones, and if you > are taking additional steps to protect the wire's insulation from the SS ties? > Common sense abides, meaning don't wrap a wire around the SS ties so that the > wire has tension on the sharp edge of the tie. Flat edge contact with the > wire only, the same way that you wouldn't run a wire across/around a sharp > cut edge of a rail or anything else. > > Thanks, > benn > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > http://www.members.re-wrenches.org/ > > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > http://www.members.re-wrenches.org/ > > > > > > -- > Chris Mason > President, Comet Systems Ltd > http://www.cometenergysystems.com/ > Cell: 264.235.5670 > Skype: netconcepts > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org >
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