Repair and replacement · Rolling Shutter Guide
How do I replace a rolling shutter wall switch?
Buy an up/down shutter switch, not an ordinary on/off switch. Roll-A-Shield's are Decora-style paddles, momentary or maintained, and fit its shutters of any age. The switch is on a 120 V circuit, so a licensed electrician fits it with the power off; call Roll-A-Shield with your address to get the right one.
Key facts
- Replacement Decora-style rocker switches fit existing Roll-A-Shield shutters regardless of their age; give your address and Roll-A-Shield can look up what was installed. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield's paddle switches come momentary (the shutter moves only while you hold the switch) or maintained (latching), in white, beige or black. Roll-A-Shield data
- A shutter switch has separate UP and DOWN terminals: the motor's red and black wires each drive one direction, and which goes where depends on the motor brand and the side it is on. Roll-A-Shield data
- Somfy (for its LT wall-switch motors) and Gaposa (for its mechanical-limit and manual-override motors) both say not to connect more than one motor to a single switch.
Applies to: Wall switches for 120 V wired (switch-operated) Gaposa and Somfy tubular motors, including manual-override (CMO) motors. Not battery wall remotes on radio motors, which have no wiring.
A wired (switch-operated) rolling shutter is run from a wall switch that looks like a light switch, and the switch is a part that can wear out or be damaged on its own. It is a 120 V AC connection, so the swap itself is a job for a licensed electrician. This page covers which switch to buy and what the electrician needs to know.
Following this Roll-A-Shield guide does not void your warranty; mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician.
Stop: Do not open the switch box with the power on. Follow the motor maker's instructions: terminate in a listed junction box; do not run the motor cable through the wall. Mains wiring by a licensed electrician.
Is it the switch, or something else?
Rule out the easy causes before you buy a switch.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing happens, and other things on that circuit are dead too | No power: breaker or outlet | Check the breaker; if it trips again, call an electrician |
| It ran several times, then stopped | Motor's thermal cut-out | Wait about 15 minutes and try again |
| Moves only while you hold the switch | A momentary switch working normally | Nothing to fix; a maintained switch latches instead |
| UP runs the shutter down | Red and black reversed at the switch | Have a licensed electrician correct the wiring at the switch |
| Motor hums but the shutter does not move | Jam, off-track curtain or motor fault, not the switch | Stop using it and call |
| Rocker cracked, loose or sticking | Worn or damaged switch | Replace the switch (this page) |
For a fuller diagnosis, see Is it the motor, the remote, the switch or the track?.
Is my wall control a wired switch or a remote?
Check before you buy. A wired switch is screwed into a wall box and connected to the house wiring. A radio (remote) shutter can also have a wall control, but it is a battery remote on a wall plate: Gaposa remotes can be used hand-held or mounted as a wall switch. If yours has a battery, see Change the battery in a shutter remote instead; no electrician is needed.
Which switch do I need?
An up/down shutter switch matched to how you want it to behave.
| Choice | Options Roll-A-Shield offers |
|---|---|
| Style | Paddle (Decora-style rocker) or toggle |
| Action | Momentary: moves only while held. Maintained: latches and runs to the limit |
| Color | Paddle: white, beige or black. Toggle: white or beige |
| Outdoors | Outdoor key switch: flush-mount momentary, or surface-mount momentary or maintained |
Replacement rocker switches fit existing Roll-A-Shield shutters regardless of their age. If you are not sure what you have, give Roll-A-Shield your address: it can look up the shutter type and age installed there before it ships a switch. Roll-A-Shield records whether each wired shutter left the factory with a momentary or a maintained switch, so it can usually tell you which you had. Indoor key switches are no longer offered.
Do not substitute an ordinary on/off light switch: it has no separate UP and DOWN terminals. If you want to use a switch Roll-A-Shield did not supply, call (480) 921-0200 first.
How is the new switch wired?
The same way as the old one, and the connection is a job for a licensed electrician working from Roll-A-Shield's switch-operated install guide with the power off. Call (480) 921-0200 if you want us to walk them through it.
Can one switch run two shutters?
Plan on one switch per shutter. Somfy's instructions say not to wire two or more of its LT wall-switch motors to one single-pole switch, and Gaposa's instructions for its mechanical-limit and manual-override motors say not to connect more than one tubular motor to a single switch. Rules differ for other motor types, so call (480) 921-0200 before sharing a switch. To control several shutters together, radio motors on a multi-channel remote are the usual route; see Run two or more shutters from one switch, remote or power feed.
What next
For a replacement switch, check the Roll-A-Shield parts store or call (480) 921-0200 with your address. For the full wiring of a new switch-operated shutter, see How to wire a shutter motor to a wall switch. In metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield's service team can replace the switch for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use an ordinary light switch?
No. A shutter motor on a switch has two direction wires, red and black, that go to separate UP and DOWN screws, so it needs an up/down shutter switch. An ordinary single-pole on/off switch has no way to pick a direction.
Should I buy momentary or maintained?
Match what you have unless you want to change how it behaves. With a momentary switch the shutter moves only while you hold it; with a maintained switch it latches, so the shutter keeps going to its limit after one press.
My wall control has a battery and no wires. Is it a switch?
No, it is a wall-mounted remote for a radio motor. Gaposa remotes can be used hand-held or mounted on the wall as a switch. If it stops working, change its battery or pair a new one; no electrician is needed.
Can one wall switch run two shutters?
Plan on one switch per shutter. Somfy says not to wire two or more of its LT wall-switch motors to one single-pole switch, and Gaposa says the same for its mechanical-limit and manual-override motors, so call (480) 921-0200 before sharing a switch. To run several shutters together, radio motors on a multi-channel remote are another route.
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.