Troubleshooting by symptom · Rolling Shutter 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.
Key facts
- A Gaposa radio motor's direction is reversed from a paired remote: curtain at half height, hold the left back button until the motor moves, release, and briefly press STOP within 5 seconds; the motor jogs to confirm.
- On a Gaposa Sense motor, reverse the direction before setting the limits; if the limits are already set, they have to be set again afterwards.
- On a Somfy RTS motor the direction is checked at the start of limit programming: if UP lowers the curtain, hold MY until the motor jogs.
- If UP moves a switch-operated shutter down, the fix in Roll-A-Shield's installation guide is to turn the power off and reverse the UP and DOWN wires on the switch; that is mains wiring, for a licensed electrician. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Motorized rolling shutters (roll-down security shutters) of any brand with a tubular motor: Gaposa radio and Sense motors, Somfy RTS motors, SIMU radio motors, wired wall-switch motors (Somfy and Gaposa) and OZRoll battery motors on an E-Port wall plate.
A shutter that goes up when you press DOWN, and down when you press UP, usually points to the motor's direction setting rather than a broken motor: the direction is stored, or wired, the wrong way round, and the fix depends on how the shutter is controlled. On a remote, it is a programming step an owner can usually do. On a wired wall switch, it is a wiring change for an electrician.
Following a published Roll-A-Shield guide does not void the warranty; mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician.
Symptom, likely cause, what to do
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Remote: UP lowers, DOWN raises, every time | Direction stored the wrong way round | Reverse it from the remote (Gaposa or Somfy steps below) |
| Wall switch: UP lowers, DOWN raises | The two direction wires are on the wrong switch screws | Power off; an electrician swaps the wires on the UP and DOWN screws |
| Wrong way only since a new motor, a reset or a move to the other side | Direction depends on the motor's side and is set again on pairing | Reverse it, then check both limits |
| OZRoll battery shutter runs backwards | Red and black wires swapped on the E-Port wall plate | Check them against the side chart below |
| Will not come down at all, or creeps back up | Limit or obstruction, not direction | See a shutter that won't come down |
Why does a shutter run in the wrong direction?
Because a tubular motor turns either way, and which way counts as "up" depends on which end of the shutter the motor is on. Roll-A-Shield's installation guide makes this explicit: the wiring chart for a wall switch changes with the motor brand and with whether the motor sits on the left or the right.
Radio motors store their direction when a remote is paired. On a Gaposa motor you tell it which way is up during pairing, by pressing UP if the motor moved up or DOWN if it moved down. So a direction problem usually shows up right after something changed: a new or replacement motor, a motor moved to the other end, or a motor that was reset and paired again.
How do I reverse a Gaposa radio motor?
Use a remote that already works the shutter, and do it with the curtain part-way down so you can see it move.
- If the remote has several channels, select only the channel for this shutter.
- Run the curtain to about half height.
- Press and hold the left button on the back of the remote (the sync or programming button) until the motor moves in one direction. Release it.
- Within 5 seconds, briefly press STOP.
- The motor jogs, a short up-and-down movement, to confirm the direction has flipped. Test UP and DOWN.
Tip: On a Gaposa Sense motor, set the direction before the limits. If the limits were already set, set them again after reversing.
On a Gaposa radio motor with a manual override, Gaposa's override-motor video starts the same way: hold the left back button until the motor jogs, and if it jogged opposite to the way you wanted, correct it with the UP or DOWN button before the limit screws are adjusted. The full sequence is on the Gaposa programming page.
How do I reverse a Somfy RTS or SIMU motor?
On these motors the direction is checked as the first step of setting the limits, in programming mode.
- Somfy RTS (Telis or Smoove): power only this motor, press UP and DOWN together until the motor jogs, then press UP. If the curtain goes down, hold MY until the motor jogs; the direction is now reversed. Carry on with the limit steps.
- Somfy DecoFlex wall switch: the same, except the button is labeled STOP.
- SIMU radio motor: press UP and DOWN together until it jogs; if UP does not raise the curtain, hold STOP for several seconds until it jogs.
Because you are in limit programming at that point, finish the sequence on the Somfy limits page rather than stopping after the reversal.
What if the shutter is on a wall switch?
The direction is set by the wiring. A wired motor has two direction wires, red and black, and they go to the switch's UP and DOWN screws.
If UP moves the shutter down, the two direction wires need to be swapped on the switch with the power off. That is mains wiring, so have a licensed electrician do it; call (480) 921-0200 if you want us to walk them through it.
What about an OZRoll battery shutter?
The OZRoll motor's red and black wires connect to the M1 and M2 terminals on the back of the E-Port wall plate. Viewed from inside the building, a motor on the left takes red on M2 and black on M1; a motor on the right takes red on M1 and black on M2. If the shutter runs backwards, check those two wires against the chart; the terminals are on the back of the wall plate. Call (480) 921-0200 if you are unsure.
After reversing: check the limits
Run a full cycle. The top limit should leave the bottom slat still in the guide rails, and the bottom limit should stop once the whole curtain is off the axle and the hanging straps have pushed the top slat toward the box. If either stop point is now wrong, see Shutter stops too high, too low, or leaves a gap.
Stop: If the curtain starts to roll back up the wrong way round the axle at the bottom, stop it at once; the lower limit is set too low.
What next
Replacement remotes and Gaposa motors are in the Roll-A-Shield parts store. For a wired switch, book a licensed electrician; in metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield's service team can also check the motor and limits. Call (480) 921-0200.
Watch it done
Gaposa – Change the Direction of Rotation
The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.
Frequently asked questions
Will reversing the direction erase my limits?
On a Gaposa Sense motor the direction has to be set before the limits, so after a reversal the limits are set again. On Somfy RTS and SIMU radio motors the direction check is the first step of limit programming. Plan to check both stopping points afterwards.
Can I just swap the buttons on my wall switch?
No. On a wired switch the direction comes from which motor wire is on the switch's UP screw and which is on the DOWN screw. The fix is to swap those two wires with the power off, which is mains wiring for a licensed electrician.
Why did it start running backwards after a new motor or a reset?
Direction is set when a motor is first paired or wired, and it depends on which side of the shutter the motor sits. A replacement motor, a motor moved to the other side, or a remote paired again after a reset can all come out reversed; the fix is the same reversal step.
My shutter won't come down at all and keeps going up. Is that the same problem?
Not necessarily. A shutter that runs the wrong way on every press is a direction problem. One that will not come down, or creeps back up, is usually a limit or obstruction problem; start at the page on a shutter that won't come down.
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.