Rolling Shutter Guide
Troubleshooting by symptom
- Why does my battery-powered rolling shutter keep dying?On an OZRoll E-Port shutter, the removable controller holds the battery and works only when seated in its wall plate. Keep it seated, charge it on a cycle instead of leaving it on the charger, and allow about 8 hours for a full charge. A failed older battery switchboard (BOS) usually means converting to a new battery or solar system.Read the guide →
- Why does my shutter app or Bond Bridge keep losing the shutter?Usually distance or interference. A Bond Bridge copies your remote's radio signal and covers about 2,500 sq ft, so a bridge tucked in a far corner, behind thick walls or beside security cameras drops shutters. Pair each shutter with the bridge within 10 to 15 ft, then move the bridge to a central spot and test the farthest shutter.Read the guide →
- Why does light show at the top of my rolling shutter when it’s closed?Insulated slats have small vent slots in their hinges that pass light until the curtain is fully down and the slats press together. Light at the top of a closed shutter points to a curtain that is not settling: the down limit stops it short, or the curtain is slightly too tall, so the top slats hang at an angle.Read the guide →
- My manual rolling shutter won’t move. Am I cranking the wrong way?If the strap is not broken, probably yes: Roll-A-Shield's service desk finds the handle is being turned the wrong way 90% of the time. Turn the crank toward the arrow on the crank box: clockwise raises. If it still will not roll and the strap is intact, it has probably slipped off the spool inside the crank box.Read the guide →
- Why does my shutter motor hum, click or clunk but the shutter doesn’t move?A motor that hums, buzzes or clunks without moving the curtain is usually held by a jam, an off-track curtain or a backroll, or has a motor or gear failure. Stop pressing the button. If an override crank still moves it freely, nothing is jammed and the motor is the likely fault. Have it inspected before running it again.Read the guide →
- Is it the motor, the remote, the switch or the track? How do I tell what’s wrong with my shutter?Rule parts out one at a time. A remote whose light stays dark is the remote. If a second remote or switch also fails, look at the motor end. If other shutters on the circuit are dead, it is power. If an override crank moves the curtain freely, the track is fine and the motor is the likely fault.Read the guide →
- My shutter motor stopped after several up-and-down runs. How long until it works again?About 15 minutes. Gaposa and Somfy shutter motors have a thermal cut-out that switches the motor off when it has run too long without a break: Gaposa rates about 4 minutes of non-stop running, Somfy about 5. It resets on its own. If the motor is still dead after 20 minutes, check the power.Read the guide →
- My motorized shutter is stuck closed. How do I get it open?Start with the cheap causes: a fresh remote battery, the breaker and outlet, and, if the motor went silent after heavy use, a wait of about 15 minutes for its thermal cut-out. In an outage, only an override crank, a solar motor or a battery motor can be counted on to open it. Don't force the curtain up by hand.Read the guide →
- Why is my rolling shutter noisy? Squeaking, grinding, popping and bangingThe common documented causes are friction in the guide rails or the box. Dirty or dry rails squeak and stick; overtightened box or rail screws distort the box or rails and make the curtain rub; a curtain slightly too tall bangs as its top slats settle. Clean the rails, use dry silicone only, and ease overtightened screws.Read the guide →
- How do I open a motorized rolling shutter when the power is out?It depends on the motor. A wired or remote motor with a manual override opens by hand with its crank wand. Solar and battery motors keep working on stored charge. A plain wired or remote motor without one stays where it stopped until power returns, because its built-in brake locks when power is lost. Never force the curtain.Read the guide →
- Should I repair or replace an old rolling shutter?Repair it when the box, guide rails and curtain are sound and one part has failed: a strap, crank, remote, switch or motor. Lean toward replacing when it needs both a new motor and a new curtain, when photos show poor overall condition, or when an old battery switchboard has failed, since those are no longer made.Read the guide →
- My shutter came down on something and bunched up. What now?Stop the shutter and do not run it back up with the motor. Remove the object, let the curtain drop or pull it down until the slats have no slack, then run it fully down so the motor resets. Open the box cover: bent or detached T-straps can be replaced, and damaged slats mean a new slat curtain.Read the guide →
- My rolling shutter came out of its guide rail. Can it be fixed?Stop operating it first: every cycle with the curtain out of the track risks more damage. Common causes are wind or a hard push on a rail without end retention, the curtain jamming, or a motor that kept running after a jam. A curtain is refitted with the box open, by feeding the bottom slat back into the rail.Read the guide →
- Why is my rolling shutter crank stuck, slipping or breaking at the joint?A crank that clicks is being turned the wrong way, and one that spins freely has usually let the strap slip off its spool. A crank that is hard at one spot points to dirty or dry guide rails; do not force it, because forcing can break the crank. Never open or oil a crank box.Read the guide →
- Why does my rolling shutter go up when I press down?The motor's direction is set the wrong way round. On a remote-operated shutter you flip it from the remote: on a Gaposa radio motor, hold the left button on the back until the motor moves, release, then press STOP within 5 seconds. On a wall-switch shutter, the two direction wires at the switch must be swapped by an electrician.Read the guide →
- Why isn’t my shutter keypad working, and what if I forgot the code?Most keypad faults are the code, the batteries or the distance. A Gaposa keypad sends a command only after the right code, typed within 10 seconds; five rapid beeps mean it was refused. Forgot the code? Holding the RESET button on the back of the keypad for 5 seconds restores the factory codes: 11 for UP, 22 for DOWN.Read the guide →
- Why does my shutter move by itself or stop holding its limits?A shutter that moves on its own is usually obeying a signal: a timer remote or app schedule, a paired sensor, or a remote you did not know was paired. Clear the motor's remote memory and re-pair only your own remotes. Limits that keep drifting usually mean slack in the slat roll, not a dead motor.Read the guide →
- Why is there no power to my shutter motor, or why does it trip the breaker?Check the safe things first: the breaker is on, a GFCI outlet has not tripped, a plug-in motor is plugged in, and other shutters on the circuit work. After heavy use, wait about 15 minutes for its heat cut-out. A breaker that trips again and again is not normal: stop and call a licensed electrician.Read the guide →
- My shutter remote stopped working and a new battery didn’t fix it. What now?Check the battery is the right type, fitted the right way, and that the remote's light comes on, then select the right channel. If a second remote or wall control also fails, the fault is at the motor: power, thermal cut-out or the motor itself. If only this remote fails, pair it again.Read the guide →
- Why does my rolling shutter stop halfway or only move a few inches at a time?If it moves only while a button is held, the motor is in limit-setting mode or runs on a press-and-hold switch. If it stops at the same mid-point, a favorite position or a short limit is set. If it quits after heavy use, the thermal cut-out tripped. On solar, suspect the battery; some motors also stop on an obstacle.Read the guide →
- Why does my rolling shutter stop too high, too low, or leave a gap?A motorized shutter that stops in the wrong place has a travel limit set wrong. The top limit should leave the bottom slat in the guide rails, about half of it showing; the bottom limit stops once the curtain is off the axle. Reset them from the remote on radio motors, or with the screws on switch and override motors.Read the guide →
- Why is my rolling shutter strap frayed, slipping or off the spool?A strap frays when it runs at an angle or twisted from the diamond roller into its box, so replace it and hang the box straight below the roller. A crank that spins without lifting usually means the strap came off its spool: pull the strap out until it stops, then crank it back toward up. Replace a snapped strap.Read the guide →
- Why won’t my rolling shutter come down, or why does it keep going up?It is usually a direction or limit setting, not a broken motor. If DOWN raises the shutter, the direction is reversed. If it stops short of the sill, the lower limit is set too high. If it moves only while you hold the button, the motor is in limit-setting mode or on a press-and-hold switch.Read the guide →
- Why won’t my rolling shutter go up or down?Most stuck rolling shutters are not broken. On a manual shutter, the cause is usually cranking the wrong way or a strap off its spool. On a motorized one: a dead remote battery, a tripped breaker, or an overheated motor that resets after about 15 minutes. A motor that hums without moving signals a jam or a failed motor.Read the guide →
- Why does my solar rolling shutter stop halfway, run slowly or not work at all?Start with the charge. Make sure the solar panel gets direct sun and wipe it clean. A battery that has run completely flat will not recover on sunlight alone: charge it with the Gaposa charger, for no more than 3.5 hours. Then check the connector is fully seated with its arrows lined up, and reset the motor.Read the guide →
- Why is my spring-loaded shutter too heavy, flying up or not staying down?Usually the spring tension is off. A push-up shutter that sags when you let go or is hard to lift needs more tension; one that opens too fast, pulls itself up or will not stay down for the lock has too much. Set correctly, it holds at any height and stays closed at the bottom.Read the guide →
- How do I test a solar shutter’s panel and battery with a multimeter?Each part is tested on its own, at the panel and battery connectors inside the solar station. On the 20 and 30 Nm kit, a healthy panel reads about 20-22 V DC in full sun (under 14 V is suspect); a charged, rested battery reads 13.0-14.2 V (under 11.5 V, replace it). Then it is watched under load.Read the guide →
- Do rolling shutters keep rain out, and why is water getting in around mine?A fully closed rolling shutter keeps most rain off the window, but it is not watertight. The bottom seal and the closed slats keep out most wind-driven rain; water that gets in usually comes around the guide rails or box, where the wall joint was never caulked or the caulk has failed. Re-caulking the rails is the standard fix.Read the guide →
Parts and next step
Need a part or a hand?
Replacement motors, remotes, straps, slats and hardware ship from our Tempe, Arizona factory. Phoenix-area owners can book a service visit; everywhere else, our technicians help by phone. Call (480) 921-0200; the factory answers technical questions for any rolling shutter, not only ours.