Gas struts suddenly failing

[m.tweedy]

10 hours ago, Jannis said:

Isn't the gas in those just locked in by a rubber seal? I'm thinking that while cold itself will affect it significantly, it's also possible the rubber seal have been damaged?

I use linear actuators myself, so it can't be compared, but i do notice that every night i've been outside and it's been moist that they have been completely covered in ice after just a couple of hours.
When i'm closing the roof it's scraping of quite a bit of ice. For electric actuators this isn't a huge problem, but for a gas strut i wonder if this could lead to the rubber seal failing rather quickly?

If icing isn't an issue for you, then it's most likely just that they are worn out, or just not strong enough for use in the cold. Replacing them with a slightly a larger model is probably the best and easiest solution.

Alternatively you could do like me and use an actuator instead. Unlike a gas strut they will "lock" in any position (no risk of getting hit by the roof), and naturally requires no physical work to open and close. There's also no seals to really worry about being damaged by ice.
However, there are some downsides to it also.. It's maybe a bit more expensive, requires a battery + switches (or a remote), and if it should ever fail in an open position there it no way to close the roof without removing the unit.
My roof also got frozen stuck once by a madly thick and strong ice layer, causing one hinge to be ripped off and another to bend. This doesn't seem to be an issue with your design though, but if you do go for actuators, don't underestimate how strongly you might need to attach those hinges...

Thank you. It is something to investigate as i have never heard of them. I think mine are just worn out as they were from a breakers yard. Maybe i may buy new replacements

 

[Swoop1]

A bit more effort involved but, how about skylight opening worm gears with a manual windy handle hook thing-

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjdgaHHuLDYAhUOEVAKHbupDfYQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.window-openers.com%2Ftraditional-window-openers%2F&psig=AOvVaw1qP9pBhoxeQvrMsCQLoUie&ust=1514678821465311

[m.tweedy]

20 hours ago, Swoop1 said:

A bit more effort involved but, how about skylight opening worm gears with a manual windy handle hook thing-

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjdgaHHuLDYAhUOEVAKHbupDfYQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.window-openers.com%2Ftraditional-window-openers%2F&psig=AOvVaw1qP9pBhoxeQvrMsCQLoUie&ust=1514678821465311

Strange you should say that because originally i was using one but had to remove it. It was difficult to close fully as the screw jack ended up flush with the hatch. I may look to re use it if I can figure out where to place it so it is workable.