Solar Tube Daylight Dimmer

[roob1]

Anyone have a solar tube with a daylight dimmer (cover that opens/closes over the lens through wall-mounted switch)?

Curious what a perspective home buyer might think finding one in a bedroom. I currently use the bedroom as an office; room quite dark in the daytime.

I have had solar tubes b4, so am familiar. My main concern is in a bedroom, but with a dimmer to close it off.

[retiredguy123]

A solar tube would be a negative for me in any room, but especially in a bedroom.

[NoMo50]

We have a solar tube (Solar Guys...Solatube) in the kitchen, and absolutely love it. No need to turn on any lights in the kitchen during the day. The tube has a built-in aperature up inside the tube that is operated by a wireless remote. The aperature functions somewhat like a camera lens, and it can be wide open, completely closed, or any point in between. The remote itself is about 3" square, is made of glass, and works like a touchscreen. It can be mounted anywhere. We never mounted ours, as it is rarely used. We keep the tube wide open, as we like the kitchen bright.

[Bilyclub]

We have 2 in the living/dining room. It was pretty dark during the day and now it's bright. Have the dimmer but only use it occasionally if watching TV during the day.

[RICH1]

A pie pan will work.. remove trim ring and insert pie pan…

[Keefelane66]

Anyone have a solar tube with a daylight dimmer (cover that opens/closes over the lens through wall-mounted switch)?

Curious what a perspective home buyer might think finding one in a bedroom. I currently use the bedroom as an office; room quite dark in the daytime.

I have had solar tubes b4, so am familiar. My main concern is in a bedroom, but with a dimmer to close it off.
Contact your Solartube dealer for availability sounds like a worth while investment without needing an electrician.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qIJOZz-lWms

[RICH1]

A solar tube would be a negative for me in any room, but especially in a bedroom.
Drones hovering , taking pictures?

[coffeebean]

We have a solar tube (Solar Guys...Solatube) in the kitchen, and absolutely love it. No need to turn on any lights in the kitchen during the day. The tube has a built-in aperature up inside the tube that is operated by a wireless remote. The aperature functions somewhat like a camera lens, and it can be wide open, completely closed, or any point in between. The remote itself is about 3" square, is made of glass, and works like a touchscreen. It can be mounted anywhere. We never mounted ours, as it is rarely used. We keep the tube wide open, as we like the kitchen bright.

When the tube is completely closed by the aperture, does any light get through or is it completely closed off as if it were a solid ceiling?

[thevillages2013]

A solar tube would be a negative for me in any room, but especially in a bedroom.

I totally agree. They are like having a heater on all day long. With sunlight comes heat

[TheSolarGuys]

Stop by our showroom and you can see it in action. We have it installed and you can demo it.

120 SE Hwy. 484
Ocala, FL 34480

[NoMo50]

When the tube is completely closed by the aperture, does any light get through or is it completely closed off as if it were a solid ceiling?

When completely closed, it is closed...no light gets through.

[NoMo50]

I totally agree. They are like having a heater on all day long. With sunlight comes heat

Not my experience at all.

[mskaggs]

We have it. Love the solar tube, but we chose poorly when we got the dimmer. There is absolutely no need to shutter it, ever. Yes the tube gives me light, but no glare for the tv. I could shutter it to watch tv, but there’s enough other ambient light that it wouldn’t make a difference.

[Debfrommaine]

Not my experience at all.

Agree, there is no extra heat added to our home because of the solar tube. They are awesome.

[RedFoxRick]

They shut off light completely and we love the solar tubes, as they add light to rooms where we really had too little. Someone said they added heat to the room....they do not. Got ours from the solar guys and adding the dimmer makes you eligible for a tax break....

[roob1]

How much does the dimmer add to the price?


They shut off light completely and we love the solar tubes, as they add light to rooms where we really had too little. Someone said they added heat to the room....they do not. Got ours from the solar guys and adding the dimmer makes you eligible for a tax break....

[nob77@comcast.net]

Anyone have a solar tube with a daylight dimmer (cover that opens/closes over the lens through wall-mounted switch)?

Curious what a perspective home buyer might think finding one in a bedroom. I currently use the bedroom as an office; room quite dark in the daytime.

I have had solar tubes b4, so am familiar. My main concern is in a bedroom, but with a dimmer to close it off.

We absolutely love ours. I would suggest you get the dimmer, being as yours will be in a bedroom. Made a huge difference in our living room.

[Heytubes]

I used to sell em for about $400 to $500 installed. I recommend just making a removable cardboard cover with magnets to hold it to the diffuser. May need to use a step stool to remove and install it. If you can’t find electricity in the area of the tube you may have additional expense of a separate circuit.

[JudyB]

Can you add one to an existing solar tube?

[Dusty_Star]

Can you add one to an existing solar tube? I don't see why not.

[jimkerr]

I totally agree. They are like having a heater on all day long. With sunlight comes heat You obviously don’t have one. They don’t create heat. I have one in my Kitchen and there is zero difference in temperature

[coconutmama]

We have a solar tube (Solar Guys...Solatube) in the kitchen, and absolutely love it. No need to turn on any lights in the kitchen during the day. The tube has a built-in aperature up inside the tube that is operated by a wireless remote. The aperature functions somewhat like a camera lens, and it can be wide open, completely closed, or any point in between. The remote itself is about 3" square, is made of glass, and works like a touchscreen. It can be mounted anywhere. We never mounted ours, as it is rarely used. We keep the tube wide open, as we like the kitchen bright.

Very cool. Thanks. Didn’t know the tubes had that option

[Bilyclub]

I totally agree. They are like having a heater on all day long. With sunlight comes heat

Perhaps your experience was with a fireplace because it certainly wasn't with a solar tube.

[Heytubes]

No heat as double diffuser.

[Heytubes]

Yes

[snbrafford]

We have an open floor plan with kitchen, living and dining pretty much together. When we bought, there were 4 solar tubes already in place which give great light - I think the area would be pretty dark otherwise and we would need to use lights especially in the kitchen. We recently installed two small solar tubes with night lights - one in the master closet and one in the 2nd bathroom (neither had windows) so now you can go in there in the day without turning on a light. The night lights help if you are a person that gets up in the middle of the night.

[Larchap49]

We have 2 in the living/dining room. It was pretty dark during the day and now it's bright. Have the dimmer but only use it occasionally if watching TV during the day.

Good news on the closure. My question is. Does it feel like a heat lamp when the sun is overhead? If so to what extent. I remember the old skylights we're like a heat lamp

[vonbork]

Stop by our showroom and you can see it in action. We have it installed and you can demo it.



WE have three of your tubes. Can the remote be used with existing tubes?

[tedquick]

We had a filter installed in ours that automatically blocks out the sun at night. :)

[GpaVader]

We get plenty of light in our rooms but I could see it of value in rooms that don't have windows, interior bathrooms or laundry rooms.

[thevillages2013]

To all of you who think your room isn’t getting super heated from the solar tube just get close to it in the daytime when it isn’t cloudy and you will realize it. The tube wall itself reflects the light and with it comes heat. I’m glad you like them to me it’s just another hole in the roof that heats up the house. I have light switches that are miraculous. They turn on the light and then off again !

[merrymini]

Do not need another hole in the roof. Led bulbs use two cents of electricity. Turn it on when needed and turn it off when not. Had a solar tube in a house previously and it gave off an eerie blue light. No thanks.

[coffeebean]

When completely closed, it is closed...no light gets through.

The aperture is a great feature. My sister does not have this feature on her solar tube and there is always bright light in her kitchen (on a sunny day) which is open to the living room. In her home, there is no option for "theater mode" to watch a movie during the day. I do not like that solar tube at all because of that.

[Bilyclub]

Good news on the closure. My question is. Does it feel like a heat lamp when the sun is overhead? If so to what extent. I remember the old skylights we're like a heat lamp


Looks like a bright led light when the sun is out. No detectable heat and I have put a thermometer on the floor under it.

[thevillages2013]

Looks like a bright led light when the sun is out. No detectable heat and I have put a thermometer on the floor under it.

Ok , in virtual reality that is totally believable but in the real world that doesn’t work. Was it overcast and 55 degrees when you reportedly “put a thermometer on the floor under it”?

[retiredguy123]

Looks like a bright led light when the sun is out. No detectable heat and I have put a thermometer on the floor under it.
I don't know how much heat transfer occurs from a solar tube. I understand that it is a lot less than the heat transfer from a standard skylight. But, measuring the air temperature under a solar tube is not a good way to measure it. The heat from the sun is radiant heat, which heats surfaces in the house, and then the warmer surfaces will transfer the heat to the air in the house. So, the radiant solar heat from the sun does not transfer heat directly to the air in the house. It first needs to heat up the surfaces in the house using radiation.