Measuring, ordering and installing · Rolling Shutter Guide
How do I install a battery-powered (OZRoll) rolling shutter?
Mount the rails and box as for any shutter, running the motor's red and black lead through a 3/8 in hole into the house. Connect it to the M1 and M2 terminals on the E-Port wall plate, plug the charger into a normal outlet and dock the controller. No house wiring is involved; check the factory limits with two people.
Key facts
- The OZRoll motor is battery-powered and is never wired to house power; its charger plugs into an ordinary wall outlet. Roll-A-Shield data
- Viewed from inside, a left-hand motor connects red to M2 and black to M1 on the E-Port wall plate; a right-hand motor connects red to M1 and black to M2. Roll-A-Shield data
- The motor lead enters the wall through a hole of at least 3/8 in (up to 1/2 in), either behind the box or down the control-side rail. Roll-A-Shield data
- The controller works only while it sits in the wall plate, where it charges from the plug-in adapter. Roll-A-Shield data
- OZRoll motors suit smaller, lighter shutters: the largest in Roll-A-Shield's sizing table is 35 Nm, lifting up to about 115 lb. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Surface-mounted rolling shutters with an OZRoll battery motor and E-Port wall plate and controller, as shipped by Roll-A-Shield for self-installation. Older battery systems are covered separately.
A battery shutter is the choice for an opening where wiring is hard and a solar panel would not get enough sun. The OZRoll motor runs from a battery system that you recharge from an ordinary wall outlet; nothing is wired into the house. The motor's lead runs into the house to a small E-Port wall plate, and a removable controller docks in that plate. These steps follow Roll-A-Shield's 2024 install guide for OZRoll shutters.
Following a published Roll-A-Shield guide does not void the warranty. Mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician. Two corrections to the printed guide: its motor paragraph describes a 120 V AC motor wired into existing circuits, and its wire-routing step talks of connecting to house power. Both are the wording for wired motors. OZRoll's tubular motors run on 12 V, powered from the E-Port controller rather than from household power. The motor lead goes only to the E-Port wall plate, and the plug-in adapter is the only connection to the outlet.
What is in the kit?
The assembled box with the curtain on the axle, two guide rails, a U-channel if you ordered one, the E-Port wall plate and controller, an AC/DC charging adapter, a bag of standard fasteners and a bag of plastic rail plugs. Exactly how the small parts are bagged can vary; check against the packing list. Roll-A-Shield's shipping checks also put the limit-adjustment tool in the box and charge the battery before it ships. You supply the self-tapping screws for the rails and U-channel; see what screws to use.
What should I decide before mounting the box?
Where the wall plate goes, because the motor lead has to reach it. Mount it inside on the same side as the motor, where the charging adapter can reach an outlet. The side of the shutter with the motor is the control side; the lead enters the wall on that side.
The lead goes through the wall in one of two ways, and the hole must be at least 3/8 in and may need to be up to 1/2 in. Either the lead leaves through the back of the box straight into the wall, or it runs down the control-side rail and into the wall lower down.
How do I mount the rails and box?
- With the box on the ground, remove the four square-drive cover screws, set the cover aside, and peel the protective film off the front and back.
- Fit furring strips first if a knob, hinge or trim sticks out past the wall, and a U-channel, centered and perfectly level, if you ordered one.
- Mount the non-control rail: plumb, level and flush with the end of the U-channel, flared edge up, smaller holes against the wall, screwed on snug. Without a U-channel, stand it on the sill and use the outside width of the box ears to set the spacing.
Route A: out of the back of the box.
- Drill a 3/8 in hole in the back of the box where the lead will exit. Measure from the bottom edge of the box (y) and from its outside edge (x) to the center of the hole.
- Hold the control rail in place, check the rails are the same distance apart top and bottom, and mark x and y from the rail's outside corner, plus the rail's screw holes.
- Pre-drill the rail holes, drill the 3/8 in hole straight through the wall, watching for nails and debris, and screw the rail on snug.
- With a helper feeding the lead through the wall, lower the box ears into the rails with the box level.
Route B: down the control rail.
- Drill a 3/8 in hole through the wall on the control side, inside the end of the U-channel and no more than 1/2 in inside the rail's outer edge, angled downward toward the inside.
- Mark the hole's position on the side of the control rail and the rail's screw holes on the wall; pre-drill, then drill a 3/8 in hole through the back of the rail at the mark.
- Tuck the lead into the slot inside the box ear, feed it into the side track at the top of the rail (the track along the outer edge, where the screws are), pull it out through the hole, and slide the rail onto the ear.
- Holding the rail on the ear, lift the box and rail together; with a helper feeding the lead through the wall, lower them into place with the box level, and screw the second rail on snug.
Then, for either route:
- If the ears stick, slide the 1/4 in lip at the bottom of the box behind the rail with a flathead screwdriver, or rock the box and tap the ears gently.
- Untie the strap round the curtain, feed the bottom slat into the rails and let it unwind to closed. With end-retention rails, the ball on each slat end goes into the slot in the rail. Check it is level with no pinch points.
How do I connect the E-Port wall plate?
Indoors, pull the end of the motor lead through the wall and connect its red and black wires to the terminals marked M1 and M2 on the back of the wall plate.
| Motor side, viewed from inside | Red wire | Black wire |
|---|---|---|
| Left | M2 | M1 |
| Right | M1 | M2 |
Fix the plate to the wall with two fasteners, on the same side as the motor and where the adapter will reach an outlet, following the instructions packed with it. Plug the adapter into the DC port at the base of the plate and slide the controller into the plate; the guide says it starts charging on its own. Roll-A-Shield's service notes add that the E-Port battery is not designed to sit on the charger all the time, so if it keeps running down, ask us about a charging routine.
How do I check the limits?
With two people: one inside at the controller, one outside watching the shutter with the box cover off. The controller must be in the wall plate for the shutter to work.
- Press Up. The shutter should stop with the bottom slat still in the rails; if it looks like it will go too far, press Stop.
- Press Down. It should stop when the whole curtain is off the axle and the hanging straps have pushed the top slat toward the box; if the curtain starts to roll back up the wrong way round the axle, press Stop.
The limits are set at the factory but can drift in shipping. The guide shows the OZRoll limit adjustment only in a video, so if a limit needs changing, call (480) 921-0200 for help from a technician.
How do I finish the installation?
Screw the box to the wall with one screw in each corner near the metal safety plates, plus a third in the middle if the shutter is over 8 ft wide. Tighten the rail and U-channel screws without overtightening, run the shutter several times, refit the cover, pin a U-channel to the rails through a 9/64 in hole about 1/4 in from each outer edge, fit the rail plugs and caulk the perimeter.
What should I know about living with a battery shutter?
Keep it charged; that is the one job a battery shutter adds. It keeps working in a power cut; battery shutters do not have a hand-crank override. The OZRoll motor does not work with a Bond Bridge for phone control.
OZRoll motors suit smaller, lighter shutters. In Roll-A-Shield's sizing table they run from 10 Nm, lifting about 30 lb, to 35 Nm, lifting up to about 115 lb on a 60 mm tube. See what size motor a shutter needs.
What if it does not work?
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing happens | Controller not docked, or not charged | Dock it in the wall plate with the adapter plugged in |
| Stops in the wrong place | Limit drifted in shipping | Stop it with the controller and call for the adjustment |
| Controller battery keeps running down | Charging habit | See battery shutter keeps dying |
Older battery systems, including earlier OZRoll and E-Port units and the discontinued BOS switchboard, are covered on legacy battery shutters.
What next
Self-installers can call a Roll-A-Shield technician during the job on (480) 921-0200. To compare battery with solar, wired and remote motors, see motor types compared and the solar shutter install guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does a battery shutter need an electrician?
No. The OZRoll motor runs from its battery system and the charger plugs into an ordinary outlet; nothing is wired into the house.
Why won't the shutter move when I take the controller out?
The E-Port controller has to be docked in the wall plate for the shutter to work. Put it back in the plate; the guide says it charges there automatically.
Does a battery shutter work in a power cut?
Yes. It runs on its own stored charge, so it keeps working when the power is out. Battery shutters do not have a hand-crank override.
Can I control an OZRoll shutter from my phone?
Not with a Bond Bridge: Bond works with Roll-A-Shield's Gaposa and Somfy remote motors, not the OZRoll battery motor.
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.