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Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a pole system different?
The mechanism is at the window and the input is in the operator's hands below.
A gearbox on the frame drives the sash.
A socket on that gearbox accepts a pole with a matching end.
The window is opened by someone standing on the floor.
Every other operator still requires reaching the window.
This one does not, which is the entire point.
Where is it used?
Atria, stairwells, tall halls, clerestory glazing and industrial buildings.
All have windows nobody can get to.
A pole needs no power supply or cabling.
There is no control system to design or maintain.
It is the simplest answer to genuinely unreachable windows.
It suits seasonal rather than daily operation.
Why not just motorise?
Simplicity, cost and reliability during power failure.
A pole system has no electrical installation.
Nothing fails during a power cut.
Running cost is essentially nil.
Where windows are opened seasonally that is frequently the better answer.
Where daily ventilation control matters, motorised operation earns its cost.
What is awkward about it?
Operating a window several metres up on a pole is physically demanding.
Floor space beneath the window has to be clear.
It becomes impractical if the window is opened often.
Engaging the socket at height takes some skill.
The pole is heavy and unwieldy at greater lengths.
Those factors are worth weighing before specifying it across a whole building.
Do poles and sockets always match?
No, and it is where installations most often go wrong.
Socket profiles differ between manufacturers.
A building with several window types can need several poles.
That is exactly how poles get lost.
Windows then stop being opened at all.
Standardising the system across a building at specification stage prevents it.
How long should the pole be?
Long enough for the height, allowing a working angle rather than vertical.
The operator's own reach counts towards it.
Operating directly overhead is awkward and unsafe.
Multi-section and telescopic poles cover greater heights.
They also store far more easily.
Somewhere to store the pole near the windows is worth planning for.
Can a pole system be motorised later?
Sometimes, depending on the gearbox and the mounting.
Some ranges offer manual and motorised versions of the same unit.
Others would need the whole assembly changed.
Cable routes to high-level windows are the main cost.
Planning routes during construction makes later conversion feasible.
Retrofitting cabling into a finished atrium is frequently the expensive part.