# Electrically operable Velux skylight motor size



## Brendakeen (Oct 30, 2006)

We are doing a rough loading analysis to see how much to put on each new hot, and the electrically operable skylight is not in yet. 

Does anyone know what size motor the Velux ones take? I've been all over their website and can't find any wattage info or any info on the motor. 

I think it is a 1/4 horse, but wanted to check and see if anyone knew for sure.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

It's nowhere even in the fractional horsepower range. The motor is literally about as big around as a 50 cent piece, and maybe 3 inches long (not including gearbox). If it drew 100 watts total, I'd be surprised.


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

Yup, what Marc said.
The Velux ones I have done were low voltage as well. Each motor wire and a key pad wire went to a master control box. The master box simply plugged into a receptacle.


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

Speedy Petey said:


> The Velux ones I have done were low voltage as well. Each motor wire and a key pad wire went to a master control box. The master box simply plugged into a receptacle.


Havn't done any Velux one's yet with a central 'control box', but I know that the Anderson motorized skylights are certainly that way. The most recent few Velux's had a romex to the motor location and another low voltage wire to the keypad location. They were also IR remote controlled. Knowing now that there are both line voltage and low voltage Velux motorized skylights, I'd highly recommend that you get a detailed (and dimensioned) cut sheet on this unit, so you know what to ruff to where.


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## DesPro (Nov 2, 2006)

Brendakeen said:


> We are doing a rough loading analysis to see how much to put on each new hot, and the electrically operable skylight is not in yet.
> 
> Does anyone know what size motor the Velux ones take? I've been all over their website and can't find any wattage info or any info on the motor.
> 
> I think it is a 1/4 horse, but wanted to check and see if anyone knew for sure.


Here is a link for velux pdf see sidebar on page 14
http://www.domwebx.com/inet/techdoc...1BE/$FILE/450953-0705-VS-H-in.pdf?openelement

And another link that may be helpful.
www.*velux*usa.com/professionals/builders/


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

DesPro said:


> Here is a link for velux pdf see sidebar on page 14


Yes, that is the exact skylight I hooked up last. That joggs the brain cells. That factory cable mentioned on P.14 is actually a 14-2 romex, attached with Fast-ons at the factory at the skylight. I remember it coming from the factory coiled up so ugly, it was hard for me to get it straighted out neatly so it looked like I did a nice job. There's a place on that skylight to run the low voltage cable into if you're also using a wall control. Those wall controls come with about 20' of cable preattached to them. I would absolutely recommend a wall control also, as the IR remotes have a lifetime generally much shorter than the device that they control.

Note that it requires a 15 amp circuit, but not a dedicated circuit. It says 'continuous electrical feed', meaning that they don't want you to switch it (that wouldn't let the rain sensor close it if you had the swtich off = bad)


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## DesPro (Nov 2, 2006)

Yes, I saw the illustrations showing the wall sw diagram w/ routing to the unit but can't connect w/ any of the links right now.


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## 747 (Jan 21, 2005)

Would not advise to install a motorized skylight. I have a friend who has one in his new construction home and a storm came through and fried it. The manuf. did replace the unit.


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## DesPro (Nov 2, 2006)

DesPro said:


> Yes, I saw the illustrations showing the wall sw diagram w/ routing to the unit but can't connect w/ any of the links right now.


Here is the other link I was looking for:

http://www.domwebx.com/inet/techdoc...B2F00711E9C/$FILE/403615-1200.pdf?openelement


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

747 said:


> Would not advise to install a motorized skylight. I have a friend who has one in his new construction home and a storm came through and fried it. The manuf. did replace the unit.


Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't advise owning an automobile either. My wife got a dead battery the other night, and was late to work. A horse would have been more reliable.


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## Speedy Petey (Sep 30, 2003)

These are exactly the ones I have installed:

http://www.domwebx.com/inet/techdoc...B2F00711E9C/$FILE/403615-1200.pdf?openelement


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## Brendakeen (Oct 30, 2006)

*Thanks Guys!*

Yes, we usually recommend against these as they can get stuck open, etc. But in this case the HO was adamant. I didn't know it took a continuous load - wow. I appreciate all the info. 

We will probably pick it up today but wanted to run the new hot for it before the guys brought it in.


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## 747 (Jan 21, 2005)

mdshunk said:


> Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't advise owning an automobile either. My wife got a dead battery the other night, and was late to work. A horse would have been more reliable.



MD if i live in Penn. I would have no problem going to autozone and buying a new battery for your wifes car and installing free of charge. Thats 30 minutes. But a motorized skylight failure i'm not getting any where near that.:laughing:
Why? Should have never bought one of those.


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