What is Solatube tubing made from?
Solatube® Daylighting Systems use tubing made with Spectralight® Infinity material. This material has the highest reflectivity of any commercially-available material in the world – 99.7% – resulting in the brightest, purest light transfer and unmatched colour rendition. The Spectralight® Infinity material is permanently fixed with thermoset adhesive to provide permanent bond to a 0.4mm thick aluminium substrate and protected by PET film for long-lasting reflectivity. The end result is a rigid, robust tube with a super-reflective mirrored inner surface.
All Solatube® Daylighting Systems reflective surfaces use Spectralight® Infinity – we do not offer or supply any material with a reflectivity value lower than 99.7%. The introduction of the new material to the UK did not go unnoticed and the installation of a Solatube® with this new, super-reflective material was featured on a BBC Tomorrow's World programme.
Why is the reflectivity value of the tube important?
When light bounces down a reflective tube some light will inevitably be lost at each bounce – just how much light is lost will depend on the reflective properties of the tube material. At 99.7% reflectivity just 0.3% of the daylight is lost with each "bounce" down the tube! So the higher the tube reflectivity the more light is transferred from the rooftop to the room below – see our comparison chart in Product Info to compare light outputs from different tube reflectivity values.
How long can the tube be?
Ideally, the shorter – and straighter – the tube the better the level of light transfer. We recommend a maximum effective length of 6m for the Solatube® 160 DS Daylighting System and 9m for the Solatube® 290 DS Daylighting System.
How short can the tube be?
There is no minimum distance. Solatube® Daylighting Systems may be installed into flat roofs, vaulted or open beamed ceilings. For install distances of less than 100mm between roof and ceiling please contact us for advice on installation.
How do I adjust the tube length?
Solatube® extension tube sections are designed to telescope together for ease of installation so tube length can be adjusted by simply overlapping the tubes as required rather than cutting them.
How are tube sections fastened together?
Your Solatube® Daylighting System is supplied with sufficient high-quality foil tape to seal all tube seams. For very long or angled tube lengths, self-tapping screws are provided to fasten the tubes together to give additional strength and rigidity.
Can I split the tubing and light two rooms from only one dome?
No, it is not possible to connect two diffusers to one dome – there is no "Y" adapter available for Solatube® Daylighting Systems, indeed the light transfer of such a design would be inconsistent and inefficient.
Why do I get two angle adapters with each Solatube?
Two adjustable 0-30 degree angle adapters are supplied with each Solatube® Daylighting System. They may be used straight for flat roof and straight tube applications, or may be adjusted to provide the required angle, allowing for easy installation.
How effective are the tubular skylights that use flexible tubing?
A flexible tube system will not give anywhere near as much light as a rigid tube system because, by its very design, the concertinaed tube material or ducting used in flexible systems will not transfer light efficiently; a concertinaed tube will scatter light in all directions with only a small percentage ending up travelling downwards to the ceiling diffuser. A Solatube® Daylighting System can deliver more than 10 times the amount of light than a comparably sized flexible duct system and, for that matter, more than any rigid system too - see our comparison chart in Product Info.
Is there a way to turn off or "block out" light from a Solatube?
Yes, we offer two options; the Solatube® electric Daylight Dimmer or the Manual Blind. The Solatube® electric Daylight Dimmer allows light levels to be controlled via a wall mounted switch. The dimmer is fully integrated into the Solatube® Daylighting System and the variable butterfly baffle inside the tube opens or closes to control light output. We also offer a Manual Blind that is fixed to the ceiling around the diffuser and simply pulls across the diffuser to block out light. Please see our Accessories page for more information.
Is there a choice of ceiling diffusers?
Yes. We supply as standard the Vusion™ ceiling diffuser that fits neatly to the ceiling with no visible fasteners, and delivers outstanding natural light diffusion through a frosted prismatic lens. Alternatively, you may choose the Optiview® diffuser which uses a multiple Fresnel lens system with a stunning architectural look to deliver crystal clear daylight. Please see our page on Diffusers for images and information.
Do I need to clean the roof dome?
No, it is not necessary to clean the roof dome. The maintenance free design and shape of the dome eliminates debris build-up – the rain will clean away any dirt or bird droppings.
Can the dome be raised higher above the roof?
All domes can be raised by the addition of a turret extension. The turret extension raises the upstand of the roof flashing so when the dome is fitted on top it will sit clear of any roof obstructions, such as multiple roofing layers, extra thick shingles, walled roof areas, etc. Turret extensions are available in various heights – please contact us for details.
What happens if the dome gets covered with snow?
Light output will of course be temporarily reduced but the dome will be fine. Tests have indicated the Solatube® Daylighting System can resist positive and negative loads of up to 4.79kPa (100 pounds per sqft).
What is the dome made from?
The dome is made from polycarbonate which is TP(a) rated for fire safety and meets UK building regulations. The dome is virtually unbreakable and has passed stringent international missile impact tests.
Solatube® offers an optional integral Electric Light Kit for both the Solatube® 160 DS Daylighting System and Solatube® 290 DS Daylighting System, and a Bathroom Ventilation kit for the Solatube® 160 DS Daylighting System. All kits are UL Listed and CE approved, and all electrical components come with a 5-year warranty. Please see our Accessories page for more information about these accessories.
Is there a minimum tube length required to install either the light kit or bathroom ventilation Kit?
Access into the roof void is required to install the light or bathroom ventilation kit, therefore a minimum distance of at least 50cm is required.
Can a Solatube have both an electric light and bathroom ventilation kit installed together?
Yes. They can be combined with any Solatube® 160 DS Daylighting System for a neat 3-in-1 fixture (for ventilation, daylight, and night light) thus minimizing the number of ceiling penetrations. Any electrical work must be undertaken by a qualified person and comply to UK building regulations.
Does the electric light kit reduce the amount of light coming through the Solatube?
Any light loss is very minimal and the advantage in having just one neat ceiling installation yet having a two-in-one or three-in-one multi-functional system far outweighs the tiny amount of daylight that is sacrificed.
How does the bathroom ventilation kit work?
The ventilation kit has an additional intake cowl that installs around the perimeter of the ceiling portion of the Solatube® 160 DS Daylighting System. Air moves through a separate chamber (not through the reflective tube), then through an exhaust duct and outlet on your roof or soffit.
How strong is the fan in the bathroom ventilation kit?
Solatubes' proprietary twin fan is rated at 52 litres per second (110 cubic feet per minute) which is a very powerful fan that ensures quick and effective ventilation, ideally suited to bath- and shower-rooms.
Does the powerful fan mean it is noisy?
The Solatube® fan has a very powerful fan, but a key feature of this product is that the fan is positioned not at the ceiling level, but in-line up in the attic. This significantly reduces the noise level in the room below. The insulated ducting provided further reduces noise to a minimum. It is also important to check that the motor does not rest against a roof joist as this can cause vibration noise. All electrical wiring must be undertaken by a qualified person.