Mrs Sea Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 Can anyone with experience of Heki roof lights suggest how we can alter/replace/adapt our two Midi Hekis. Problem 1 - blows shut in windy weather Problem 2 - no security especially when open but even when shut they are pretty pathetic Problem 3 - we'd like a ventilator/extractor fan. Do Heki do such a thing and can it be retro fitted? Before anyone asks, we live and holiday extensively in Scotland - the midge capital of the world. When its hot and humid and you have to keep the doors and windows locked and sealed and the vents covered with sticky tape you need some ventilation that the little blighters can't get round and which sucks out those that try! The Fiamma one we had before worked a treat! Hope there is some easy solution. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Nobody except Dometic/Seitz make skylights of the same size as the midi Heki. So there is no direct replacement. You can download the entire 20-page Seitz brochure from : www.coolhen.com/heki.pdf which should answer everything. We find our midi-Heki marvellous and the fly screens work a treat. All our problems have been with the mini-Heki which has a design flaw (admitted by Seitz in an email to me) which means that, even when closed, if there is any breeze at all at night, then the blind rattles in its track, keeping you very awake. We solve it with a nightly 'fix' of pushing some sponge into the tracks to prevent movement! Mel E ==== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globetrotter Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Mel Interesting comment about the blinds. We fitted a Mini Heki about 6 months ago, and the only problems with it are the rattling blind and the roller flyscreen sticking. Anyway, we bought another one the other day to fit in place of another rooflight and the blind system has been completely redesigned. The flyscreen is no longer roller, but pleated like the blind. It now runs along wires on both sides which hold it in place so no rattling. The other obvious mod is that there are now air vent slots on all sides where the surround meets the roof. I wonder from this whether the air pressure might be involved in sucking the blind up and rattling, so am going to try cutting some slots to see if it improves. If not, I am tempted to buy a new blind system complete if they are available. Can you let me have the eMail address for Seitz as I have had no luck finding one! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Seitz are part of the Dometic empire. Details on www.dometic.co.uk Email info@dometic.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 Globetrotter, Seitz told me about a year ago of the upcoming redesign of the mini-Heki blinds part (when they admitted the design flaw but refused point blank to do anything about it) and this bottom part is now available as a replacement part. I'm afraid this attitude (from Dometic Seitz in Germany) has lost them my business for the future. Mel E ==== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globetrotter Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I am tempted to replace the whole blind unit. but Dometic havent had the good grace to return my eMail yet. I will be fascinated to learn how much it will cost me to cure their design problem...... >:-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Parke Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 We had a mini heki as a retro fit to our previous m'home and, I am pleased to report, suffered no problems with it whatsoever. However, as you all well know that life does not make for everything to be perfect for everyone!! Regards, Mike & Cherry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Mrs Sea: The German company REMIS manufactures a leisure vehicle roof-light named REMItop-vario. (Go to http://mobil.remiglas.de/270/?L=1 and download the PDF for more details.) This product comes in 3 sizes, one of which is advertised as having a roof 'cut out' of 700mm x 500mm, which matches the Midi-Heki's stated cut-out. So (in principle at least) you ought to be able to replace directly your present Midi-Hekis with REMItop-vario equivalents. REMItop-vario's opening/closing operation involves a crank-handle (rather than the Midi-Heki's rather crude 'bar' mechanism) allowing its upper 'glass' to be wound open to any angle up to 60°. This operating arrangement should also make it impossible for the glass to blow shut in strong winds (though you might lose the whole lot if you were unwise enough to leave the roof-light open during a Scottish winter storm!) and should provide better security than you've got at the moment. I'm unaware of any official modifications to Midi-Heki that might make it less prone to blow shut and improve security. What you see is what you get and, in the case of this particular model of Heki, it's the bar mechanism that's the stumbling-block. (I expect a DIY fix could be implemented to stop the thing blowing closed, but that's another matter.) I believe you'll find that powered ventilators integrated into roof-lights are not available above 400mm x 400mm size. Fiamma markets a small model - the Turbo 28 requiring a 280mm x 280mm roof-aperture - and you might wish to consider fitting this as an anti-midge addition. No Heki roof-light includes a powered ventilator. If you are interested in REMIS products, then Miriad Products (www.miriad-products.com) is a UK agent. I notice that the REMItop-vario doesn't seem to be listed in the Miriad website's catalogue, but they may be able to get it for you and give you a price (and you very probably won't like it!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Sea Posted August 3, 2007 Author Share Posted August 3, 2007 Thanks everyone for comments. Will definately try the websites mentioned. Thanks Derek especially. We will chase up the REMIS one first. It may be we fit a Fiamma one in the toilet to replace the little one there as this will no doubt be cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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