If you’ve been thinking about improving the interior of your home in order to make it light and airy, an electric skylight or two will make an enormous difference.
While the initial upfront costs of an electric skylight will be noticeably more than a fixed skylight, if you think of it as an investment, it will quickly pay for itself, with dividends on top. Even compared with a standard vented skylight, electric is the way forward for many, due largely to the convenience.
Electric skylights not only allow plenty of natural sunlight into your home, but being able to open and close them with the touch of a button, you’ll find them hugely convenient when cooking, taking a steamy shower, or during the summer when you want to allow some cool, fresh air into your home.
As fantastic as electric skylights are, the fact that they are electric means that there is a decent amount of maintenance involved, especially when it comes to the motors and openers.
Keep your skylights in perfect working order with these handy electric skylight motor and opener maintenance tips.
What are Electric Skylights?
Electric skylights are much like standard skylights, in that they’re essentially windows fitted into your roof. They’re large in size and are designed to not only provide unobstructed views outdoors of the sky, but they also allow plenty of warm sunlight into your home.
As they’re electric, they are powered by an electric motor/opener, which means that you can open and close them with the push of a button. Different electric skylights come in different designs, but typically, you’ll find that you can operate them with a wall-mounted switch, a remote control, an app, or via smart devices.
Because modern technology has come such a long way over the decades, electric skylights these days now feature a wide range of integrated features. You can program them to open and close at certain times, you can control how much they open, plus they also come with in-built features such as rain sensors, for added peace of mind.
Electric Skylights vs Manual
Skylights are nothing new when it comes to home décor. They have been around for decades, and serve countless purposes. While they are basically roof windows, modern skylights featuring electric motors/openers now offer a number of benefits over manually operated vented skylights.
Fixed skylights, as the name implies, are fixed in place. They’re basically windows in the roof that cannot be opened or closed. Their primary roles are to let in natural sunlight, and provide an attractive view outdoors.
Vented skylights however, are designed to be opened and closed. This is useful because you can open them to let in fresh air, to provide ventilation, to let out steam, smoke, and bad smells. The problem with manually operated vented skylights is the fact that they need to be operated manually. You usually need to use a crank handle or telescopic pole and open and close them manually. This is not only quite strenuous, it can also be difficult if you have higher ceilings.
With electric skylights however, you can open and close them with the press of a button, the flick of a switch, and even via voice control. For people with limited mobility, or for those with high ceilings, this is very useful.
Another benefit is that they also have a wide range of safety features and useful features such as rain sensors. With manual vented skylights, if it starts raining, you’ll be scrambling to close them before they let too much rain inside. That’s assuming you notice of course. With electric skylights, features such as rain sensors will allow them to automatically close themselves if they detect rain. This not only saves a huge amount of time and effort, but it also provides peace of mind too.
Electric Skylight Motor and Opener Maintenance Tips
As fantastic as electric skylights are, because they are electric, they require a lot of care and maintenance to keep them working. If something were to break down and go wrong, a repair would likely take longer, and cost more.
In order to keep your electric skylights working at their best, it’s important to maintain the motor. To help you do precisely that, here are some useful tips for maintaining the opener/motor of your electric skylights.
Keep Everything Clean
One of the most important electric skylight motor maintenance steps is simply to keep everything clean, particularly around the motor/opener.
If your system has a chain for example, dirt and debris can sometimes stick to the oil. This can build up overtime and would eventually damage the mechanism. Ensure the skylight and motor area is clean and free of dust, dirt, and debris.
Lubricate
Once you’re happy you’ve removed any visible debris, as you’re dealing with a mechanically operated electric motor, you’ll need to ensure everything is lubricated.
Using a suitable lubrication oil, give the hinges, fittings, and if applicable, the chain a thin coating of lubrication to ensure everything works smoothly.
Operate Regularly
During the warmer months of the year, having electric vented skylights is a great way to let a nice cool breeze and some fresh air into your home. Chances are you’ll probably have your electric skylights open daily for much of the season.
In the cooler seasons of the year however, I.E fall and winter, you probably won’t want to open them as much because the temp will be much colder. Despite this, in order to ensure that the motor works effectively, it’s important that you operate your skylights regularly to prevent the motor/opener from seizing up.
Try to operate your electric skylights at least once per month, even during the colder seasons when you won’t require much ventilation or fresh air.
Keep Sensors Clear
If your electric skylight features rain sensors, make sure that the sensors are clean and clear externally. If you allow them to get too dirty, the dirt and debris could affect the sensors and prevent them from working.
Once you’ve given everything a quick clean, test the sensors with a bit of water, to make sure they’re working properly.