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.

Works great!

I bought this for my Palram greenhouse as it's made by the same manufacturer, and the greenhouse was good value for the price. Initially it worked well, but after about a month I noticed that the window was not opening as much as before. Upon further investigation I found that the oil inside the piston was leaking, and it is the expansion of this oil that actuates the the piston and opens the window. So now, three months after purchase, it's barely operating and I have to prop the window open with a piece of wood. Unfortunately the Amazon return poilicy on this item closed after a month so it was a waste of money. Maybe I just got a faulty version, but if you buy one and it does leak eventually, be aware that by the time the fault appears, you will not be able to return it.

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.

Along with a greenhouse heater this arm is perfect for temperature control. Automatically opens the greenhouse vent window without the use of electricity. Set it and forget it. The Instructions were fairly easy to follow for Installation with the exception of the picture of the person putting it in the refrigerator to close the arm. It took me FOREVER to figure out what the heck that step was lol. But other than that it was pretty easy.