How to submit LG warranty claim?

[blueman2]

I have 2 LG335 panels on my system that appear to have bad diodes. Both are producing 2/3 normal voltage (22 vs 34 VDC) in full sun. No shading. The installer is being slow to respond, and I would like to get a warranty claim started. I tried the LG sites for PVs but they all say they only deal with installers, not with individuals. Called LG and got the same response.

Anyone here done their own warranty request with LG?

[bcroe]

When I saw 2/3 voltage in a string, it only happened under strong sun when
some of the cells could not keep up. It was not diodes, needed a new panel.
Bruce Roe

[hardwired]

What of the Installer is out of business or the business sold?
Does the highly touted LG warranty cover labor?

I'm looking for a list of LG solar panel sales distributors. I'd like to get additional panels and be able to get replacements as needed to have on hand. Local pickup would be better than paying freight for a remote online seller.

[blueman2]

From what I can tell so far, LG does not service their warranty to individuals, only through dealers. While the warranty states it covers end users, they are unable to work directly with me to resolve my panel issues. So with LG, if the dealer goes out of business or if I want to get warranty support directly, I appear to be out of luck.

As far as installation costs, I think they cover up to $400 or so per panel for replacement IF you are an authorized dealer. Individuals appear to get nothing.

[hardwired]

That's a problem. I had a boiler installed awhile back that failed, of course in the dead of winter. The original plumber that purchased and installed disappeared from the face of the earth, moved I suspect. I was able to find the distributor that sold it and was able to get it replaced under warranty thru the distributor but had to pay the labor to swap it out. I believe this is the key in my experience with Hvac equipment, warranty goes theu the distributor, not necessarily the Installer pro.

So with solar panels is it the same? I'm having trouble finding a list for LG distributors.

I think it's a good idea to have spare panels on hand. As technology changes it may be sidficult to match up a replacement panel that looks the same. What's a good spare ratio, 1 out 10, 1 out of 15, 20, etc

[Mike90250]

About the same thing with automobile warranties. The dealer "deals" with the Mfg, Mfg's don't have the time or infrastructure to handle every consumer complaint, the dealer is their filter.

[bcroe]

I was able to find the distributor that sold it and was able to get it replaced under warranty thru the distributor but had to pay the labor to swap it out. I believe this is the key in my experience with Hvac equipment, warranty goes theu the distributor, not necessarily the Installer pro.

I think it's a good idea to have spare panels on hand. As technology changes it may be
difficult to match up a replacement panel that looks the same. What's a good spare ratio,
1 out 10, 1 out of 15, 20, etc

I have kept one spare panel on hand for nearly a hundred panels, some 7 years without
actually needing it. The concern is that I or some critter will smash one. But the primarily
concern here is with immediately getting equipment back in service. And, shipping for just
one replacement panel later could exceed the panel cost.

My lifetime experience is warrantees and low level insurance are not worth the anxiety
and delays, or the cost. I manage to get new and used stuff for less than half retail price,
DIY install and repairs save a FORTUNE compared to likely warranty savings. Decades
ago getting some parts from distributors was a problem, but the internet fixed that. One of
the last biggies was learning to rebuild my own automatic transmissions in 1985. NOTHING
here is under warrantee. good luck, Bruce Roe

[Crash]

I would contact LG to pester them regardless of who the installer was. It is their product and warranty no matter who sold it. Unless they 'fell off a truck', the warranty should be valid. Recently I've gotten the runaround from a few companies not wanting to cover their products. I trolled them on FB, posted bad reviews and filed complaints with the bbb until I got a response. I got a $200 gift card from Honeywell after them screwing around with me for 2 years for one of their smart thermostats. Give it a shot. Can't hurt.

[solarix]

Good luck getting any PV manufacturer to be less than very difficult about honoring warranties. The good news is that PV panels have extremely low failure rates. I have had one legitimate defective panel in the approximately 10,000 we've installed. I ended up deciding to quit arguing with the manufacturer about it and replaced it myself. Also had a bunch of failures on Suniva brand panels due to bad solder joints in the J-box. Suniva replaced a few of them before they went bankrupt and we ended up fixing the rest of them ourselves with a soldering iron.... Same symptom OP is having - loss of 1/3 or 2/3 or 3/3 the panel voltage.

[blueman2]

Well, I now have 3 out of 16 LG 335 NeON2 modules that have failed in just 9 months after installation. LG confirmed the first 2 were indeed bad and sent replacements. I am now having to try to argue with them again for the 3rd panel which died last week. Last time it took 6 months to get the replacements. I am hoping it will not take another 6 months. But an almost 20% failure rate in modules in under a year? Given that failure rate and how slow LG has been in doing the replacement, I recommend against anyone buying LG.

[azdave]

Sorry for your troubles yet again. Warranties are mostly a marketing tool but at only 9 months in and a prior covered failure, they can hardly say there is not an issue.

When a buying choice comes along for me, I never let one warranty vs another sway my decision of what product I choose. I put about zero value in a manufacturers warranty because in my life experiences, that has been their value to me. I buy way cheaper used items and expecting nothing from the manufacturer but PV was not a purchase where buying used made sense. If a component fails, I'm sure I'll be wasting a lot of time and money to get it resolved months and months later.

[blueman2]

I finally got 3rd panel replaced. This is crazy though. 20% failure rate in under 12 months!?!? Even the cheapest brands would not have that bad of failure rate. For LG to have this is insane. But they did confirm all 3 were indeed bad. They have not said what happened, and have not said if I can expect more of my panels to go bad in the same way.

So just word of warning to stay away from LG until they get this figured out.

[nilknarf]

I finally got 3rd panel replaced. This is crazy though. 20% failure rate in under 12 months!?!? Even the cheapest brands would not have that bad of failure rate. For LG to have this is insane. But they did confirm all 3 were indeed bad. They have not said what happened, and have not said if I can expect more of my panels to go bad in the same way.

So just word of warning to stay away from LG until they get this figured out.

Would you mind giving advice on how you were able to get LG to honor the warranty? I have a failing panel and my installer has gone out of business. I sent them my original purchase receipt and panel production reports, but the LG rep indicated that warranty claims have to go through an installer.

[Ampster]

....

So just word of warning to stay away from LG until they get this figured out.

Perhaps that is why LG decided to get out of the business of manufacturing solar panels. There will probably be closeouts so that is good advice.
https://www.solarpowerworldonline.co...manufacturing/

They have come a long way since their Lucky Goldstar days making stereos. Their LGChem division has had some issues with batteries but as a Korean Chaebol they are probably too big to fail.