Conservatories make a great addition to the home. Not only do they help add extra value to a property and allow you to enjoy your garden all year round, but also give you a whole extra room. Handy when you need a little extra space.

Unfortunately, conservatories don’t always provide the ideal environment for you to be able to sit and enjoy them. During the summer, temperatures can get very hot with the sun blazing through all that glass. No one likes their conservatory to be like a sauna!

That’s where conservatory vents controllers come in. Let’s find out more…

The need for conservatory vent controllers

Conservatories are a great way to let natural light into your house that you can enjoy all year round. During the winter, trying to heat your conservatory can be a problem. During the summer, the problem is trying to cool it down.

Both the walls and the roof of the conservatory are made from glass with a uPVC frame. Because of this, during the summer, conservatories can become hot as the sun shines directly through the glass.

As a result, all the heat that enters your conservatory remains trapped. Glass is a low thermal conductor. The sunlight can enter, but once it’s turned to heat, it just accumulates causing the room to feel extremely hot and stuffy. While conservatories are often built with vents, these are difficult to open as they are usually high up and out of reach. Many people open the conservatory doors to try and let the heat out, but this has little effect on improving airflow.

Hot air rises because of convection, meaning most heat accumulates in the top third of a given space. No matter what material your conservatory is made of everyone will face the same problem.

Instead, you’ll need to use the conservatory vents to help improve airflow and reduce heat. Opening the conservatory vents allows hot air to escape and cooler air to be drawn inside so you can enjoy your conservatory on hot summer days.

The only downside is opening conservatory vents, particular manual vents. Many operate with a worm screw to open and close the vents. Trying to open more than 2 vents can be a real pain.

This is where conservatory vent controllers can help ease the pain!

What are conservatory vent controllers?

A conservatory vent controller removes the hassle and pain of trying to open multiple conservatory vents, by operating the conservatory vents for you. These small devices are the perfect solution for helping you better control your conservatory’s climate.

Instead of having to manually open and close each conservatory vent, installing a vent controller can operate the opening and closing all at once. All that’s required is the flick of a switch.

There’s also the ability to adjust the settings to set the temperature for the vents to automatically open. The switch to operate the vent controller is usually installed at a convenient location for ease of use.

Each vent controller is operated using an electrical actuator to open and close the conservatory vent. Sometimes, a separate electrical actuator is used for opening and closing. No matter how small a conservatory, only one controller controls several vents.

Some models of vent controllers will operate automatically, adjusting the vent depending on the conservatory temperature. The pre-determined temperature is set using the temperature control on the control unit.

Some vent controllers even come with a rain sensor that overrides all other controls to close the vents in the event of rain. So, there’s no worry about any water coming inside and ruining your furniture or floor.

So, now we’ve covered the need for a conservatory vent controller and what they are, let’s explore the benefits you can gain from having one installed…

Benefits of installing a conservatory vent controller

Apart from the ease of use that we’ve already outlined, here are 6 benefits why you should consider a conservatory vent controller.

1. Economical and efficient

One of the best advantages of conservatory vent controllers is they are very economical to run, only using power for the short period the vent controllers are operating. You can rest assured that the vent controllers will not mount up your energy bills.

There’s also the efficient side to it as well. Some vent controllers come with a temperature setting, so you can have the vents close automatically when it gets too cold. With that in mind, you won’t need to worry about energy or heat loss.

2. Can easily adjust the settings

The difficulty of trying to open all your conservatory vent controllers are gone once you have a vent controller installed. A vent controller usually comes with a control unit which controls all the vents.

The control unit, and any additional switches that may be installed, are placed in a convenient location. The controls to operate the vent controllers are usually placed by a door, so are completely accessible.

Some models of vent controllers also come with a key fob so you can operate them in the same way you’d open your car.

3. Doesn’t require attention

Some models of conservatory vent controllers have the added benefit of operating automatically and not requiring any attention at all. Once the vent controllers are installed and set up, you shouldn’t have to worry about needing to operate them.

You can also have peace of mind if the weather turns unpredictable. With the convenience of conservatory vent controllers, you won’t need to worry. Depending on the model or installation set-up, you can leave the vent controllers unattended.

If you need to close the vents, there is the ability to manually override for quick opening and closing. No matter what mother nature decides to throw at us, your conservatory vent controllers should be well equipped.

4. Rain sensor

In the unfortunate event that it should start raining (which happens only too frequently!), you can install a rain sensor with your conservatory vent controller. Therefore, if it does start to chuck it down, there’s no need to worry.

A rain sensor is an additional unit that is installed on the exterior of your conservatory in a position where it can register rain. When the sensor detects water, it overrides all other controls to keep the vents closed. No worries about rain getting inside.

5. Helps create a healthy indoor climate

Providing natural ventilation through your windows helps to create a positive and healthy indoor climate. Conservatories can become increasingly stuffy during the summer (as we’ve already covered), but allowing the flow of fresh air will help to make your conservatory a much more enjoyable space.

You may be surprised to find that air quality can have a profound effect on cognition. Regularly opening your conservatory vents helps to promote a healthy climate by ventilating and refreshing your conservatory space.

As well as helping to maintain a decent temperature, opening the vents to let outside air in can also have a positive impact on your mental health.

6. Helps create an ideal environment for growing plants

Conservatories were traditionally used to grow citrus fruits in our cooler climate. While the use of conservatories has since changed, mainly to create an extra living space in our homes, they still create an ideal environment for growing plants (just like a greenhouse).

Conservatories are ideal for letting as much natural sunlight in as possible, giving your plants the energy needed to produce nutrients. However, humid and overheated environments can cause the plants to die without proper ventilation.

Installing a conservatory vent controller will provide the ventilation needed to help plants grow by creating a tolerable temperature that does not cause tissue damage. As well as providing the benefits we’ve outlined, vent controllers are a welcome addition to those with green fingers.

There are so many great benefits that you can enjoy from installing a conservatory vent controller. Once fitted, you can enjoy your conservatory throughout the summer without the worry of extremely unpleasant and humid conditions. So why not give it a try?

6 Benefits of Installing a Conservatory Vent Controller