What you will see
- An arc fault or AFCI message, and the inverter refuses to restart on its own.
- Sometimes a burnt smell, or brown or melted plastic at a connector on the roof.
Why it happens
MC4 connectors join panel cables together. If one is not fully crimped, not fully clicked together, or is a mixed pair from two different makers, it can loosen with daily heating and cooling. Current then jumps the gap as a small arc, which heats and damages the connector.
Modern inverters listen for the electrical noise an arc makes and stop before it causes damage.
What you can check yourself
- From a safe position, look for discoloured or melted connectors or cables. Do not touch them.
- Note whether anyone has recently walked on or worked near the array.
What not to do
- Do not reset the arc fault repeatedly to get the system running.
- Do not touch, unplug or tape up any connector. They carry DC voltage in daylight and cannot be switched off from the house.
When to call us
- Immediately. An arc fault needs a technician to find and replace the faulty connection.
Urgent solar repairs in Faisalabad and Lahore
An arc fault is one of the few solar problems that should not wait. Call our Faisalabad or Lahore team and keep away from the connectors until a technician has replaced them.
Send us
The fault message and, if safe to take from a distance, photos of any damaged connectors.