Conservatory Extractor fans - should they be part of the initial design?

Any homeowner considering installing an extractor fan within their conservatory must feel pretty upset at having to consider retrofitting such a device presumably to control or alleviate the overheating during the summer period. So, the question is, should this have been included as part of the original conservatory design to prevent using extractor fans?

Well Yes. Most conservatory suppliers offer automatic roof venting that will help reduce or prevent overheating during the summer. However, these are usually optional extras when the sales person tries to up-sell the scheme to the homeowner. Many people fail to see the value of such inbuilt design features and refuse to pay for them to be included which is often very short-sighted.

If you are considering installing extractor fans to your conservatory as a means of reducing the overheating within the conservatory then these can be installed and will be most efficient if placed as high as possible. In reality, the only place for the extractor fan within the conservatory will be within the window glazing where a new sealed unit double glazed section will be required with the pre-formed hole to the correct size.

Had the original conservatory included automatic high level venting provision then the use of extractor fans would not normally be required. These automatic vents are usually located within the conservatory ridge finials or as opening glazed roof panels attached to sensors. Many of the automatic sensors for conservatory venting do not require an electrical supply either.

An alternative to installing extractor fans to a conservatory may be to approach the original conservatory suppliers to see if they are able to retrofit any automatic roof venting systems rather than using extractor fans. These are usually very efficient as war air naturally rises like a chimney and this can be improved further with the introduction of a low level external air vent into the conservatory space.