Solaron

I had Solaron install our Solar PV, their crew was extremely efficient and the installation went very well. Communication never took more than 24 hours for a response.
All that changed after the installation was complete and payment sent in full. Contacted multiple times about something but never receive any response. For a system with a 25 year warranty, this really make me wonder if I’ll even get 5 year of support of any kind.

Excellent experience. Thorough, fast and pleasant. Very professional.
After building a house as an owner-​builder and dealing with dozens of contractors what an outstanding and refreshing experience. Starting from the sales person all the way through installation.
I received a reference to Solaron from the manufacturer of the solar panels I wanted. The sales person Ron responded right away and was able to come by the same evening. A clear and detailed sales proposal arrived next day. Next was a site inspection by Keith who carefully examined the two roof sections where the panels were to go, and discussed the options with me. I asked for an installation as soon as possible and very soon received a call from Keith offering an earlier than initially promised day.
On the day of installation Keith arrived with one more person, and the job was done in one day. They were neat precise and very considerate. When there were options on how to run pipes or where to install different items they clearly explained them and asked for my preference. They did not cut any corners, did not rush and were very willing to explain everything.
Before hiring Solaron I had two other companies bid the job. Solaron’s experience was superior. Faster response, easier interaction with the salesperson and better price for the same size system.
Since the installation I had one question about programming the system for Keith, who left me his cell number. I left him a message, he responded within a couple of hours and gave me the answer that worked perfectly.
As said, pleasant, thorough and professional.

After thoroughly researching Solar Companies and getting bids we had Solaron install our Solar panels and system. After installation Keith came over and he instructed us with «if you want to use the spa push the up arrow etc». We did not get any sort of detailed instruction on the use of the panel. We limped through the schedules for the summer and Keith did come back over and show us how to shut the system down for the winter.
Throughout last summer we tried MANY times to program the Sun Touch, only to become very frustrated with the whole thing. I have since researched the Sun Touch and learned that this control pad is very difficult to use. Engineers reviewed it and said they couldn’t figure it out. Initially Ron was helpful and offered to credit me for the Sun Touch to upgrade to a system we could control from inside the house or the iPad, but when we became so frustrated with not being able to control the system ourselves and wanted to upgrade, he would not honor this offer.
This spring we hired Matt, the owner of Pristine Pools (our weekly pool service) walk us through the whole set up of the schedule and assignment of the circuits etc (which hadn’t’ been done) for the pool features. While doing this Matt confirmed a problem we were having with the system and called his representative for warranty issues at Pentair. The control pad required some software updates, this after less than a year. As soon as the updates were completed we discovered a leaking valve, again after one year, and went back to Pentair, but this time we were just over the warranty period.
Although our pool has maintained a nice temperature I would not recommend Solaron. We did not have any idea the Sun Touch would be impossible to work with and we should have been given more detail and options when they sold us the system. They installed the cheapest equipment to get the system sold.

I want to start by saying that the people that I dealt with, Ron Legnon, Melissa (in the Sacramento Office), Keith, the gentleman who came to perform the site inspection before installation were all very courteous, well-​informed, and hard workers. I believe that the materials used are absolutely awesome and high quality. However, there is a reason why I only gave them 4 stars rather than 5.
The first hint of trouble was when the gentleman who came out for the pre-​install site inspection actually mentioned that he wasn’t too familiar with the particular model variable speed pump that I just had installed but he felt that they could get enough information to be able to connect the new solar control panel to my new pump.
When the installation was complete, I came home and noticed that there was D.E. all over my pool and that my pump wasn’t connected to the new solar control. I left a message and received a call from Keith the next day. Apparently, they had contacted Pentair whose name is on my new solar control and the new variable speed pump. Apparently, it was recommended by Pentair to not connect the control to the pump. What I found was that my pump was now programmed to run at 2700 RPM for 22 out of 24 hours per day.
I also mentioned to Keith about the D.E. in my pool and he knew exactly why it happened. When the solar would shut off, a check valve prevents D.E. from being backwashed into my pool but mine was probably worn out so he told me that he would send someone to install a new one. Actually, the old valve was left in place and a new one was installed in a more convenient location.
My honest opinion is that I shouldn’t have been the one to inform them that there was D.E. in my pool. I feel that they should’ve checked not only the «Turn On» operation but also the «Turn Off» operation. Then they should’ve called me to tell me that my check valve needs replacing and that they can do it.
As far as the interface between the solar control and my pump, the result was that I no longer had a variable speed pump. It was set to a speed that would be strong enough to push water up to my roof panels but when the solar would turn itself off, my pump would stay at this speed. This defeats the purpose of the variable speed pump which would then greatly increase my electricity bill. Since it was mentioned during their pre-​site inspection that they weren’t very familiar with the particular model of variable speed pump that I had, I would’ve thought that in the 2 weeks between the inspection and installation date, someone would’ve done their homework and looked up wiring diagrams and figured out how to connect the control with the pump.
My resolution was to call Glenmoor Pool Service and they came out to inspect. The technician used his smart phone and looked at the wiring diagram for the pump, then to the solar control. He cut the wires to length, made the connections, and in less than 15 minutes, my solar control now works as advertised. When the solar is on, the vs pump is ramped up to a speed that is fast enough to push water to my roof panels. When the target temperature is met, the solar control adjusts the valve to prevent water from going to the panels and sets my pump to a much lower speed but still adequate for filtering.
Then Glenmoor Pool Service vacuumed my pool for me which only took maybe 20 minutes.
I’m disappointed with Solaron because I had to pay extra to have the job completed by someone else. This does not reflect on the quality of the product that they sell but it does reflect on the service and hence my rating of 4 stars.

After tons of research I got my solar for my remodeled pool from Solaron back in June and the installation was seamless. Today, four months later on a hot day my pool wasn’t getting as warm as it did in the past so I called Ron Legnon„ my salesperson and he came out at 7:30pm this evening to look at it!!! Our weekly pool service person changed the timer on our pump which caused the problem. Ron knew right where to go to fix the problem.
That is just excellent service!
Thank you Ron!

Update: I have been enjoying 86 degree pool in April so much that I forgot I had to update my review until now. This is great. The panels and the Pentair equipment are working beautifully and my 6 year old and I can not be happier.
Highly recommend these guys. 5 out of 5 hands down!

This review is way overdued.
I moved into my current house not long ago and it came with a pool and Heliocol solar heating. However this summer I discover some leaks coming from the solar system. Solaron was one of the two Heliocol dealer in my area. The other was Ken’s Solar & Pool. Ken’s Solar is a joke. Ken never returned any emails nor phone calls. Apparently he is only nterested in spending his time in new customer acquisitions than customer service. Maintenance jobs are not worth his time.
So I contacted Solaron. Ron came out to my house one afternoon, took a look at my Heliocol installaton and gave me a very honest answer. I could fix the leak myself since only a few tubes were torn and save some money. It didn’t make sense to replace an entire panel.
This is what I call awesome customer service even though I did not make any purchase from them. No BS, no pushy selling. With that said, when I do need to replace my Heliocol panels in the future, I will definitely go with Solaron.

We had to put a new roof on our house and since the solar was about 12 years old, we decided to upgrade to more efficient solar panels and to add a SunTouch controller. Keith did a great job and went the extra step of shutting off the solar when we had the roof removed and, more recently, helping me to reset the controller when I accidentally messed it up. Keith also did a very good job of putting the temp sensor line back onto the roof and re-​running the wire in conduit so it won’t be easily broken — which it was on the older system.

We had all equipment changed and solar thermal added to our pool 2 years ago; it was one of the best investments we made in our home. Changing to a salt chlorinator has made upkeep of the pools chemicals a lot easier and we have had no algae problems. We only have used the heater to warm up the spa a little more.
When I recently did have a problem with any antennae for a remote, I call up the office and they looked up my account, we were still under warranty since we bought more than 3 pcs. of equipment— I thought I was going to have to pay. Solaron & Pentair took care of the problem in one week-​no charge :)
Solaron has always stood out in my mind as a businesss with knowledge and integrity with great employees:
Ron Legnon was our salesman
Keith and crew did the installs
We were very pleased with the service of all, plus the organized and kind woman who answers the phone in the office.

I found the Solaron company to be very easy to work with. Ron explained things very clearly about their products and solar pool heating in general, and he seemed knowledgeable and trustworthy with no pressure. Keith, the guy who did the installation, did a great job and it looks very professional. I have had my solar pool heater for about 3 months now with no issues. Best of all, I am enjoying a warm pool, day and night, heated by the sun and we are loving it!

Excellent company and outstanding customer service. I had my solar panels installed today and everything works really well!!! If you’re looking for a reliable company with excellent customer service, look no further! Solaron is the one! By the way, Ron explained very well how the system would work and gave us great advice. We’re very happy we chose Solaron and highly recomment this company.

Solaron is a class act — their sales and support is second to none. I was recommended to them by Freedom Solar as I was installing a PV solar system.
Ron Legnon at Solaron helped set up my place and followed up with many support visits to ensure that my system is set up optimally. I am enjoying a heated pool this summer and will continue to do so for years to come.
They are a ‘no pressure’ business team at a Low cost. Don’t look for anybody else if you are looking to heat your pool”.

After comparing 2 companies, we picked Solaron and got the work done in late March 2011. Just tested this week, and it worked!
Ron is a local guy who knows everything to know about pool solar system and more importantly, anything pool related. On top of very competitive pricing, Ron worked with on us on several iterations because our roof tiles cannot take the weight and we have very shady area. At the end we went with pergola and it worked and looked beautifully.
Ron responded to our extra requests and got them done without extra charges. His team even fixed a circuit breaker for us for free.
As other reviews mentioned, you got to do your homework first before you jump on this. However, if you are ready to go, Solaron is definitely highly recommended.

During hot weeks, our pool gets up to 89 degrees, if we want it bath tub warm. A perfect temperature for toddlers and visiting grandparents.
It’s a little over a year since installation, and we’re glad we went with Solaron.

We recently installed a solar pool heating system. We evaluated 3 vendors:
— Alten (Alternate Energy)
— Solaron
— Suntek
We found that Solaron had the best quote (in terms of price per square foot of solar panels). In addition, a friend had got his pool heating system done with Solaron (and the same sales person — Ron Legnon) and was happy with the outcome. So we decided to go with Solaron.
We had a slight scheduling hitch in the sense that we lost a few days (perhaps because of the July 4^th weekend) between the time we signed the contract and the time we were scheduled for the project. But Ron Harbeck (who I believe is the proprietor/​manager) was very helpful and got us a slot. Keith and his crew member did a good job of installing the solar panels & controller, explaining how it all worked, etc.
We’re very happy with the outcome — a pool that is warmer by at least 8 degrees and is a lot more usable. And we’re happy with the service and value that we’ve got from Solaron.
One more thing — we got a «re-​roofing» quote on the contract. In other words, we’ve got a pre-​determined price from Solaron, an amount of money for which they will remove the solar panels (in case we re-​roof) and put them back on again when the re-​roofing is done. This may come in handy.
Some thoughts:
— Make sure you get a detailed, itemized quote from each vendor
— All vendors will suggest a number of things (e.g. new pump) but think a bit about what you really need
— Some things, e.g. pool controller, are commodities (e.g. you can look up the price of the units on Amazon)