Palram - Canopia Automatic Roof Vent Opener for Greenhouses

i built custom a lean to greenhouse and needed to attach opener to low side of roof. Works great. although i would like to be able to control interior temp (opens at 64F) to warmer temps for my seedlings, this works well for my needs. piston runs vertical rather than horizontal (as with most), so piston doesn't stick downward and get in way when i need access the plants on the shelves. I adjusted the knob for extension to as far out as i could to limit the opening. this design doesn't have to go on mfg greenhouse, can be used for other types. Easy to install. Instructions give size 1 font and 1000 languages. Instructions are not good but if you have common sense, you can figure it out. Def use the "put it in the fridge instruction". The cold causes the wax inside to contract, making it easier to position. comes with lots of configuration hardware for attachment. i just screwed directly into my frame. customer service is quick to reply if you have questions. but they said it only works on the mfg greenhouse. not true

After reading many reviews on this product on Amazon and other seller websites it was hard to tell if it was a good product or not. I decided to take a chance and after having it in place for about a month now, I am quite pleased. I live in the Washington, DC area where spring has been all over the place, from mid to high 80s to last night's record cold. This temperature fluctuation gave me the perfect opportunity to test and fine tune this device. First, I have a Poly Tex Snap and Grow (6'x8'). Poly Tex is essentially the same a Palram. When I received the kit, the instructions called for placing it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to enable the retraction of the tube. I actually cheated and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes (just make sure it is cold and you are not forcing it). Installing it was very easy; just unhitched the manual opener and put the auto opener right back in the same place. The afternoon I installed it was quite warm. I had gone back in the house and when I came out about 15 minutes later, the vent was fully open. Over the course of the next week, I made small adjustments to the opening temperature until I got it right where I wanted it. The adjustments are made quite simply by turning the round piece at the end of the tube. Turning the piece clockwise means your greenhouse will be warmer before it starts to open. Turn it counter-clockwise if you want the vent to open at cooler temperatures. It is a big inconvenience to have to watch the greenhouse every day and run out to manually open the vent. This auto vent kit has been working perfectly so far. Now that the hot humid DC summer is fast approaching, I update this review if it fails to perform.

Works great. Install was trickier than I thought, but it fits and does the job. Only 4 stars because It could be a little sturdier. We had a wind storm a couple of months ago which destroyed the old one, my fault for not disabling it. But I wonder what a breezy summer day would do to this one. We’ll see.

After a few adjustments/calibrations (and a little patience) the auto vent works great! Initially the vent opener was not working as expected. However, after reading people's reviews and recommendations on Amazon.com we were able to make the necessary adjustments. One of the most valuable tips we read was to place the vent in the freezer vs. the refrigerator as the manufacturer's instructions state. The day the auto vent opener was installed it was 75-80 degrees. By the time the vent opener was being installed (straight from the refrigerator) it was heating up too fast. Placing the vent (flat) in the freezer for 30 minutes made it work fine. The day after installing the vent we had temperature ranges from 75 to 29 degrees; the vent opener worked perfectly! This will truly make life easier--and happy plants in the greenhouse!! After having my greenhouse for 4 1/2 years it has withstood 110 degree temperatures, 4 inches of snow, 55-60 MPH winds, and I still quite happy with my purchase. I would recommend pouring concrete at the four corners to stabilize/secure the greenhouse, as we did. Additionally, I would recommend purchasing two auto vents for extra ventilation.

This is the second time I’ve used this automatic window opener for my new greenhouse. I used it in my first greenhouse, a Palram. It’s clearly the easiest to install with a variety of hardware to suit your setup and is totally reliable. I foolishly installed a different brand this time and took it out and ordered this again. The range of motion on it makes it so functional, which other models don’t have. Don’t forget to put the hydraulic tube in the freezer for about 30 minutes prior to installation, which makes it easy for you to get it installed before it warms up and starts working.

I bought 2 of these to use on a small home greenhouse. They are reasonably well built and sturdier than many others I've bought over the years. I got them because I liked the design that doesn't have the cylinder sticking out at an odd angle. I mounted one on a small vent at the top of the back wall. Because the vent panel is less than 2 sq. feet, mounted vertically and pivots on a new stainless steel piano style hinge, there's very little force needed to open or close the vent. I adjusted the opener to start at about 70°F. The low rating is because the opener barely opens the vent even when the temperature in middle of the greenhouse is over 100°F. I've tried both openers and got the same results. I tested them both with a hair dryer and discovered that the maximum the shaft will extend is 2 inches, but they both can easily be extended fully manually. However, if extended fully manually, they won't retract when the temperature drops. I'm pretty sure both openers are defective, so called the number Amazon listed for customer service during normal weekday operating hours. No one answered and it went to voicemail to leave a message. It's been almost 2 months since I purchased, so can't return to Amazon.

works great and came with all kinds of fasteners to attach it to just about anything! Just ordered another one.

I bought this Palram roof vent opener when I bought my Palram greenhouse last spring. I didn't do any research, because it made sense to order the same brand as the greenhouse. It was a little hard to install, but we were tired from building the greenhouse. It worked fine all last summer. The directions said to take it off for the winter if you have a heater in your greenhouse, since you don't want it opening & letting the heat out. That's what I did, and put the manual opener that came with the greenhouse back on. This spring when it started getting hot in there, I tried to put the automatic opener back on. Sadly, the piston was leaking & the opener not working. I found out that you can't buy replacement pistons for this opener. Palram was unresponsive to my questions. This time I did my research & ordered a Univent from Agricultural Solutions instead. It can be unhooked at the bottom if you don't want it opening, and it even comes with a velcro strap to hold it closed in a windstorm. You can buy replacement pistons, too. The Palram roof vent opener was fine at first & I like their greenhouse, but I wouldn't buy this opener again.

The auto vent opens at approximately 20 C and closes 15 C. Very impressed with the operation control to date

Works as intended. Yes, a bit of a challenge to install (Like any similarly fastened products). Worth the investment!

Works great! Opens at about 25 Degs, direct sun. You might find that to calibrate to different operating temperatures a bit limited.

Easy to install worked first time easy adjustments Dislike bolts holding mounting plates as they are 5mm too short

Stopped working in the first. I even bought another because the fitting was the same. I quit also. Garbage.