Troubleshooting by symptom · Rolling Shutter 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.
Key facts
- The wired tubular motors in Roll-A-Shield shutters have an electromagnetic brake that stops the motor accurately and brakes it fully on power failure, so a plain motor holds the shutter where it is. Roll-A-Shield data
- Manual override is offered on Roll-A-Shield's wired and remote motors; solar and battery motors do not have one, and keep working on their own stored charge instead. Roll-A-Shield data
- Roll-A-Shield quotes about 60 open-and-close cycles per full charge for a solar motor; Gaposa states about 35 days of operation at two cycles a day.
- On an OZRoll battery shutter, the controller must be seated in its wall port for the shutter to work. Roll-A-Shield data
- For 8 seconds after its power comes back on, a Gaposa radio motor will accept a full memory reset from any Gaposa remote whose SYNC and STOP buttons are held together, even one that is not paired to it.
Applies to: Motorized rolling shutters with Gaposa or Somfy wired or radio motors (with or without manual override), Gaposa solar motors and OZRoll battery motors. Manual strap, crank and spring shutters work as normal in an outage.
When the power goes out, a motorized rolling shutter does one of three things, and which one depends entirely on its motor. Find your motor type first; everything else follows from it.
What does my shutter do in a power outage?
| Motor type | In an outage | How to open it |
|---|---|---|
| Wired (wall switch) or remote, with manual override | Stops where it is | By hand with the override wand |
| Wired (wall switch) or remote, no override | Stops and is held by the motor's brake | Wait for power to return |
| Solar (Gaposa) | Keeps working from its own battery | Use the remote as normal |
| Battery (OZRoll) | Keeps working while the controller is in its wall port and charged | Use the controller as normal |
| Manual: strap, crank or spring | Unaffected | As normal |
How do I tell which motor I have?
Look at the shutter and the controls.
- A joint hanging below the box at the motor end, or a small hole in the box face, means a manual override. The joint takes a bell-ended wand; the hole takes a hex-tipped wand. The override can be on the front or back face of the box.
- A solar panel on top of the box or on a nearby roof or eave means a solar motor. It has no connection to the building's power.
- A controller that sits in a wall port on the wall beside the shutter means an OZRoll battery motor.
- Only a wall switch or a remote, with no joint, hole or panel, means a plain wired or remote motor with no way to run it without power.
How do I open it with the manual override?
Fit the wand, turn it steadily, and stop if anything binds. The override motor has a drive gear reachable from outside the box, so turning the wand turns the shutter's axle by hand.
- Find the override wand. It is removable, so it is usually stored away from the shutter.
- For a universal joint, slip the bell end of the wand over the joint; for a hex hole, fish the hex tip up into the hole until it locks into the gear.
- Turn the wand steadily. If the shutter moves the wrong way, turn the other way.
- Pace yourself on a big shutter: a full-size storefront shutter is heavy and takes a long time by hand.
- If the wand will not turn, or the curtain bunches or leaves its track, stop and read what to do when the shutter came down on something.
The hex style is harder to tamper with but slower to engage in a hurry, which is worth knowing before an outage, not during one. More detail is on What is a manual override, and do I need one?
Tip: Store the wand where you can find it in the dark, and try it once while the power is on.
What if my shutter has no override?
Wait for the power to come back. A plain wired or remote motor has an electromagnetic brake that locks the shutter in place when power is lost, so there is no hand method to open it.
Stop: Do not try to force the curtain up, pry the slats, or open the box to free the motor. Forcing a shutter can damage the slats, and the motor's wiring is mains wiring. 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.
If you have an old battery shutter with a failed controller, call before trying anything on it.
Do solar and battery shutters work in a power outage?
Yes. Solar and battery motors run on their own stored charge, so they keep working when the house power is out.
- Solar (Gaposa). A panel charges the motor's battery with no connection to the building. Roll-A-Shield quotes about 60 open-and-close cycles per full charge; Gaposa states about 35 days of operation at two cycles a day.
- Battery (OZRoll). The motor runs from the battery in its controller, which must be seated in its wall port to work. The controller is recharged through a charging adapter plugged into a wall outlet, so in a long outage it runs on the charge it already has.
What about bedroom windows and getting out?
Check your local egress rules for any window or door that is an emergency way out. A manual override, a solar motor or a battery motor keeps the shutter operable in a power outage.
Planning a new shutter for a bedroom is covered on rolling shutters on bedroom windows.
What should I do when the power comes back?
Run each shutter fully up and down from its switch or remote and check that it stops where it should. If you moved a shutter by hand with the override and a stopping point is now off, the limits on an override motor are adjusted with the buttons or screws on the motor head, not from the remote. See Gaposa override motors.
Safety: For 8 seconds after its power comes back on, a Gaposa radio motor will accept a full memory reset from any Gaposa remote whose SYNC and STOP buttons are held together, even one that is not paired to it. Do not hold SYNC and STOP on any Gaposa remote while the power is coming back on; a reset would erase every paired remote and sensor. The reset itself is on resetting a Gaposa motor.
If a shutter does nothing at all once power is back, check the breaker and work through Why won't my rolling shutter go up or down? Following a published Roll-A-Shield guide does not void the warranty. Mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician.
What next
To add an override, a solar motor or a battery motor to a new shutter, request a quote; the motor page compares the options. In metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield services rolling shutters of any brand; call (480) 921-0200.
Frequently asked questions
Does the remote still work in a power outage?
The remote has its own battery, but a wired or remote motor has no power to act on its signal. A solar or battery motor still responds to its remote, because the motor has its own power.
Can I add a manual override to my shutter so this doesn't happen again?
Not as a bolt-on. The override is part of the motor, so adding one means replacing the motor with an override version, plus any changes to the box to give the wand a way in.
Can I combine a solar motor with a manual override?
No. Override versions exist only for wired and remote motors; a solar motor keeps working on its own battery instead.
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.