motorized skylight service switch - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

ElectricBill · 10-28-2009, 10:31 PM

I understand you do not need to add a service switch on motorized skylights since less than 1/8HP? The units are controlled via a remote control and external rain sensor. Does anyone have experience with these devices that would argue for the addition of a dedicated service switch? I'm worried about a motorized hole in the roof. Not my house!! Thanks

captkirk · 10-29-2009, 12:23 AM

arent most of transformers for these plug ins?

egads · 10-29-2009, 01:39 AM

Most of the ones I've seen have the transformer in the wall switch. The remote is an add on and requires the switch. What brand is the skylight? The control?

ElectricBill · 10-29-2009, 05:13 AM

The units are made by Velux. The transformers are in the skylight motor/control units themselves. They come with a pre-wired 20' coil of 14-2 connected to the units I assume I can replace that with longer piece if needed. I haven't seen the units yet just an install guide. What I'm guessing common sense calls for is a wall switch somewhere that will turn off the units to help avoid unintended openings and to save powering up the IR or RF receiver all winter long.
Yet another remote control to keep track of (PITA). Boy people are lazy. I don't know yet who specified the units but it seems too late to change that.

Slider · 10-29-2009, 11:05 AM

The ones I have done are like you described. Each skylight had about a 20ft coil of romex attached. The last addition I did all (4) skylights were close enough together that we ran the 4 wires down into a double gang deep box at about receptacle height which got a dedicated circuit to feed it and a blank cover plate. The skylights came with remotes which I think was the only way to control them. We programed (1) remote to operate all 4. There are instructions with the units that you can program all seperately if you want. It would be no big deal to add a wall switch though. Don't know if I would wanna risk the switch getting turned off by accident and the units not being able to close if it starts raining and no one is around.

egads · 10-29-2009, 03:42 PM

Those Velux ones have a low voltage control that can be hardwired. Here is the Velux page for electric controls. In a gray box on the right is a link to pdf files of diagrams:

http://www.veluxusa.com/products/res...rols/electric/

ElectricBill · 10-29-2009, 08:10 PM

Thanks for the advice! Always good to hear what others have done.