On 06/06/2019 15:50, wrote:
On Tuesday, 10 October 2006 16:41:09 UTC+1, Mary Hinge wrote:
I've been meaning to post about these for a while so this is the
perfect opportuinity.

We have a large lean-to conservatory (approx 5.5m x 4.5m) which
suffered from glare and heat issues during the summer and was basically
unusable. I looked at various remedies such as blinds, vents, aircon
etc and after much deliberation took the plunge and went for the solar
inserts approach.

I ordered the inserts from http://www.casupply.co.uk/ as they were the
cheapest, don't take any notice of polycool's claim that their product
is superior, research revealed that the inserts were of the same
construction. I self-installed the inserts, it wasn't too difficult -
the first insert took about 30 mins of struggling but then once I got
the knack and had done a few more I was banging them in in about a
minute. Bear in mind though my roof was 5m long so by the time I got to
the top of the channel with an insert there was a fair amount of
resistance, on a shorter roof (say up to 4m) you wouldn't have any
trouble at all. I did take me the best part of two days but like I say
the roof was about 25m2, plus I gave the ends of the channels a
thorough clean as water had got into the ends and they were a bit
mossy, and a few other bits of maintenance while I was at it.
Essentials for the job - a can of silicon spray to reduce friction when
installing the inserts, and the correct breather tape for the bottom
end bars to make sure you don't get condensation in the channels.

So the crucial verdict: yes the SWMBO and I are well pleased with them.
I did the roof in April and all through the summer the conservatory
stayed nice & cool, even when the temps hit 35 degreesC in July it
really wasn't any warmer than the rest of the house plus the awful
glare went totally. We used the conservatory all summer which was a
first.

The only downside I can mention is light reduction. It's hard to
estimate but I would say the inserts reduced the light levels by up to
~25%. Not really a problem during summer but the lounge that opens into
the conservatory is slightly darker and this is more noticable on dull
grey days. That said it was well worth a slight light reduction in one
room to be able to use the conservatory all year round rather than
having to shut it off half the year cos it's roasting.

Total cost was about £500 so quite a cheap solution when
self-installing. I did contact Polycool who worked out about 33% dearer
for self-install but would supply and do the installation for about
£400 more which seemed reasonable if you don't fancy the job yourself.
They give discounts of up to 30% during the winter (around nov-feb
IIRC) so that would be the best time to purchase.

Regards,

MH

Mary - have you noticed any difference in heat retention in the winter? I am thinking of getting new polycarbonate roof with this inserts and would like to have an idea of how much heat they retain in winter before I buy.
Thanks


she's become unhinged in the 13 years since the original post.