How to Claim a Solar Warranty with Talk Energy: Step by Step
Quick Answer: If Talk Energy installed your solar or battery system, call (08) 6255 5914 or email wattsup@talkenergy.com.au, describe the fault and give your address. Our in-house SAA-accredited electricians work out the cause, and our 48-hour fix-or-replace guarantee applies. Talk Energy only services and repairs systems we installed. If another company installed your system, contact that installer or the product manufacturer.
A solar system that stops producing is frustrating. Most claims are simple once you know which warranty applies and what information to have ready.
Who Can Make a Warranty Claim with Talk Energy?
You can claim with Talk Energy if Talk Energy installed your system. Our 20-year workmanship warranty and 48-hour fix-or-replace guarantee cover the work our own electricians carried out. We do not use subcontractors.
Talk Energy does not service or repair systems installed by other companies. If another business installed your system, your first contact is that installer. If they have closed or will not respond, your panel, inverter and battery manufacturer warranties still apply. We explain how to claim directly with a manufacturer further down this page.
| Your situation | Who to contact first |
|---|---|
| Talk Energy installed your system | Talk Energy: (08) 6255 5914 |
| Another company installed it and is still trading | Your original installer |
| Your original installer has closed | The panel, inverter or battery manufacturer |
| You are not sure who installed it | Check your installation paperwork, invoice or the label on your inverter or switchboard |
Signs Your Solar System Needs a Warranty Check
Call us if your system shows a fault code, produces noticeably less power, or goes offline. You do not need to diagnose the problem yourself. Knowing the symptoms simply helps our electricians bring the right tools and parts.
- Error codes or warning lights on your inverter, or your monitoring app has stopped receiving data
- A clear drop in production on sunny days, with no new shading from trees or buildings
- Power bills rising even though your usage has not changed
- Physical damage such as cracked panels, discolouration or loose mounting rails
- Water stains on ceilings or walls below where the panels sit
- Battery problems, such as not charging fully or not discharging in the evening
- New buzzing, clicking or humming from the inverter or isolator switches
Monitoring alerts can catch problems early. Where your system’s monitoring is connected, a drop in output can show up in the data before you notice it on your bill. Check your monitoring app every few weeks, and let us know if the numbers look wrong.
Important: If you smell burning, see scorch marks or hear arcing, do not touch the system. Follow the shutdown procedure on your inverter label if it is safe to do so, and call us straight away.
How to Claim a Solar Warranty with Talk Energy: 5 Steps
The claim process has five steps: note the symptoms, contact us, let us diagnose the fault, get it fixed, and confirm the system is back to normal. You make one call, and we work out which warranty applies.
Step 1: Note what you are seeing
Take a photo of any error code on the inverter screen or app. Write down roughly when you first noticed the problem and whether it is constant or only happens at certain times of day. These details speed up diagnosis.
Step 2: Contact Talk Energy
Call (08) 6255 5914 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm) or email wattsup@talkenergy.com.au. You can also use our contact page or service page. Tell us you are an existing customer with a warranty issue and give your address. We keep records of every system we install, so your address lets us find your components, installation date and configuration.
Quick tip: Email is handy for non-urgent faults because you can attach photos of error codes. For a system that is completely offline or any safety concern, phone us.
Step 3: We diagnose the fault
Where your system has monitoring, our team reviews the data first. We compare current output with what your system should produce and check inverter and battery logs. Some faults, such as a settings or firmware issue, can be fixed without a site visit. If hardware needs attention, the findings tell the electrician what to check and which parts to bring.
Step 4: Fix or replace within 48 hours
If a site visit is needed, our 48-hour fix-or-replace guarantee applies once the fault is confirmed. One of our in-house SAA-accredited electricians attends, with access to your original wiring layout and component details. Workmanship faults are fixed at no cost to you. If a product has failed, the manufacturer’s warranty covers the part, and we install the replacement once the claim is approved. Read what is included in the 48-hour fix-or-replace guarantee.
Step 5: Check the system after the repair
Every warranty repair is recorded against your system: the fault, the cause, the parts replaced and the date. After the repair, keep an eye on your monitoring app for a couple of weeks. If anything recurs, call us and quote your previous repair.
Which Warranty Covers Your Problem?
It depends on the cause. Installation faults fall under the workmanship warranty, product faults fall under the manufacturer’s warranty, and outside damage is usually a home insurance matter. That is why diagnosis comes first.
- Workmanship warranty (from the installer). Covers how the system was put together: wiring, mounting, roof penetrations and waterproofing, isolators and configuration. Talk Energy’s is 20 years.
- Panel warranties (from the manufacturer). A product warranty for defects such as hot spots, delamination or junction box failure, and a separate performance warranty that guarantees minimum output over time.
- Inverter and battery warranties (from the manufacturer). Terms vary by brand and model. Check the warranty document supplied with your system.
| Cause of the fault | Covered by | Cost to you | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installation (workmanship) | Talk Energy 20-year workmanship warranty | No cost | Leak at a roof mounting point |
| Product defect | Manufacturer warranty, claim lodged by Talk Energy | No cost within the warranty period | Inverter hardware failure |
| Settings or software | Talk Energy | No cost | Incorrect export or battery settings |
| Storm, pests or accidental damage | Usually your home insurance | Quoted before any work starts | Hail-cracked panel |
| Wear after warranties end | Not covered | Quoted before any work starts | Ageing isolator replaced |
Worth knowing: If damage is not covered by warranty, we give you a written quote before any paid work begins. For storm or impact damage, we can also provide the fault report your insurer is likely to ask for. For a full breakdown of what each warranty includes, read our guide to the 20-year solar warranty explained.
Common Warranty Repair Scenarios in Perth
Most claims involve one of four things: the inverter, an underperforming panel, a roof leak, or a battery. Here is how each one is usually handled.
Inverter fault
Typical inverter faults are lost communication with the monitoring app, repeated grid disconnections, and internal hardware failure shown by an error code. We confirm the fault and, if the unit has failed, install the replacement once the manufacturer approves the warranty claim. If the cause is a setting or a loose connection, it is a workmanship fix.
Panel underperformance
Causes range from manufacturing defects such as microcracks or hot spots, to installation issues such as a poor string layout, to bird droppings or leaf build-up. We find the root cause first. Product defects go to the panel manufacturer, and installation issues are covered by our workmanship warranty.
Roof leak at a mounting point
Panel racking is fixed through your roof, and every fixing must be sealed. A slow seal failure can take years to show as a ceiling stain. This is purely a workmanship issue. Our electricians reseal the fixing, check the other roof penetrations while they are up there, and make sure no water has reached the wiring.
Battery not performing as expected
If your battery loses capacity faster than the manufacturer’s warranty allows, or stops charging or discharging, we review the battery data and lodge a claim with the manufacturer where the data supports it. If the problem comes from how the battery was installed or set up, such as incorrect charge settings, we fix it under the workmanship warranty.
What If Talk Energy Did Not Install Your System?
Contact the company that installed it. If that company has closed, claim directly with the product manufacturer. Talk Energy only services and repairs systems we installed, so we cannot take on warranty or repair work for other installers’ systems. Manufacturer warranties are held by the manufacturer, not the installer, so they generally still apply after an installer closes.
How to claim with a manufacturer when your installer has closed
- Find the brand and model. Check the label on your inverter, battery and panels, or your installation paperwork.
- Gather your documents. Your invoice or proof of purchase, installation date, serial numbers, and the electrical safety paperwork issued when the system was connected.
- Contact the manufacturer’s Australian support team. Describe the fault and send photos of any error codes.
- Ask who carries out the work. Some manufacturers arrange an approved electrician. Others replace the product but expect you to arrange and pay for a licensed electrician to remove and refit it. Check the warranty terms so you know what is covered.
Your rights under Australian Consumer Law
Separate from any written warranty, Australian Consumer Law gives you automatic consumer guarantees. Products must be of acceptable quality and services must be provided with due care and skill. If a product or service fails to meet a guarantee, you may be entitled to a repair, replacement or refund, depending on how serious the problem is. These rights cannot be excluded by a business and apply on top of manufacturer and installer warranties. The ACCC explains these rights on its consumer rights and guarantees page.
Worth knowing: If your system is old or the manufacturer will not help, it may be time to compare repair against replacement. We can quote a new system, installed and backed by our own warranties. Request a free quote.
What Happens When Your Warranty Ends?
Talk Energy customers can still call us after a warranty period ends. The work is quoted rather than free. Because we installed the system, we already hold its records, which saves time working out the layout and components. We give you a quote before any paid work starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a solar warranty claim with Talk Energy?
Call (08) 6255 5914 or email wattsup@talkenergy.com.au, describe the fault and give your installation address. Our team checks your system records, diagnoses the problem and works out which warranty applies. If a site visit is needed, our 48-hour fix-or-replace guarantee applies once the fault is confirmed.
Does Talk Energy repair solar systems installed by other companies?
No. Talk Energy services and repairs only the systems we installed, and our 20-year workmanship warranty covers that work. If another company installed your system, contact that installer first. If they have closed, your panel, inverter and battery manufacturer warranties still apply, so contact the manufacturer directly.
Do I pay anything for a warranty claim?
No, not if the fault is covered by our workmanship warranty or the manufacturer’s product warranty. You only pay if the cause is outside warranty, such as storm damage, pests or accidental damage, or if the warranty period has ended. In those cases we give you a quote before any work starts.
Do I need to contact the manufacturer myself?
No, not if Talk Energy installed your system. We diagnose the fault and install the replacement part once the manufacturer approves the warranty claim. If another company installed your system and has closed, you will need to contact the manufacturer yourself.
What does the 48-hour fix-or-replace guarantee mean?
It means that once a fault on a Talk Energy-installed system is confirmed, we fix or replace the faulty part within 48 hours. The work is done by our in-house SAA-accredited electricians, not subcontractors. Where a replacement part has to come from the manufacturer, we keep you updated on timing.
What are my rights if my solar installer has gone out of business?
Your manufacturer warranties on panels, inverters and batteries generally still apply, because the manufacturer holds them, not the installer. Australian Consumer Law also gives you consumer guarantees that products are of acceptable quality. Contact the manufacturer’s Australian support team with your proof of purchase and serial numbers. The ACCC website explains your consumer guarantee rights.
Need to Make a Warranty Claim?
If Talk Energy installed your solar or battery system and something is not right, do not wait for it to get worse. Call (08) 6255 5914 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm), email wattsup@talkenergy.com.au or contact us online.
Planning a new system? Get a free solar quote, installed by in-house SAA-accredited electricians and backed by a 20-year workmanship warranty.
