Key facts

• Limits that keep drifting are often caused by slack in the slat roll, which winds up egg-shaped and throws off limits that were set correctly; run the curtain fully down, then re-set the limits. Roll-A-Shield data
• Not holding limits, moving with no command, and staying in hold-to-run mode are all failure modes recorded on Roll-A-Shield warranty motor returns, so if the fault comes back after the checks on this page, book a technician: the motor is the likely cause. Roll-A-Shield data
• A full Gaposa memory reset deletes every paired transmitter, channel and sensor at once.
• Somfy lists airports, marinas, military bases, and weather or security systems as sources of outside radio interference, and says two motor heads should be more than 19 in apart.
• Somfy's Telis Chronis timer remote has a vacation mode that varies the set times at random, by 0 to 30 minutes, to make the house look lived in.

Applies to: Motorized rolling shutters with Gaposa or Somfy RTS (radio) motors, including solar motors; limit notes also cover wired and manual-override motors. Not manual shutters.

Two different faults land on this page. A shutter that moves when nobody pressed anything is almost always obeying a radio command it was given. A shutter that stops in the wrong place after its limits were set has either a slack slat roll or a limit set in the wrong place. Both are worth checking before you assume the motor has failed.

Symptom, likely cause, what to do

Why does my shutter move on its own?

Because something paired to the motor told it to. Radio (RTS) motors act on any transmitter stored in their memory, and that list can include more than the handheld remote you use every day. Work through the possibilities in this order:

1. Schedules. Gaposa's deluxe 16-channel remote can open and close shutters on schedules, and its phone-app hub can also schedule them by time or by sunrise and sunset. Somfy's Telis Chronis timer remote runs set up and down times, and its vacation mode varies them at random, by 0 to 30 minutes from the set time, to make the house look lived in. If the movement follows the clock, look here first, including on a smart bridge or app; see timers and schedules.
2. Sensors. Sun and wind sensors are radio add-ons for remote motors, and once paired they command the shutter like a remote does.
3. Other remotes. One shutter can be paired to several remotes, and one remote can run several shutters. A multi-channel remote, a wall remote, a key fob or a keypad that came with the house may still be paired, and an on-wall 5-channel Gaposa remote can be set to run all five channels at once.
4. The preferred position. On Gaposa, holding STOP for 3 seconds sends the shutter to its saved intermediate position. A long press on STOP therefore makes the shutter move.
5. Radio interference. Somfy names airports, marinas, military bases, and weather or security systems as interference sources, and says two motor heads should be more than 19 in apart.

How do I get rid of a remote or sensor I didn't pair?

Clear the motor's memory, then pair back only what you use. A full Gaposa memory reset deletes every transmitter, channel and sensor in one go, so whatever was sending the stray command is gone with it.

1. Gather every remote, wall remote, key fob and keypad you want to keep.
2. If you know which remote is the stray one and you have it, delete just that one: on Gaposa, hold its SYNC and STOP buttons until the motor makes a brief jog.
3. Otherwise, do a full reset. The three Gaposa methods, with their timings, are on How do I reset a Gaposa rolling shutter motor?; Somfy RTS motors have their own sequence on the Somfy RTS page.
4. Pair your remotes again one at a time.
5. Run the shutter fully down and up, and check both stopping points. No Gaposa manual says whether the limits survive a memory reset, so check them every time.
6. Use the shutter normally for a few days. If it moves on its own again with only your remotes paired, the motor is the likely cause.

Why won't my shutter hold its limits?

Usually because the slat roll is slack, not because the motor forgot. Limits are set in the shop, but if the slat roll has slack it winds up egg-shaped, and the shutter then stops at the wrong points even though the limits are correct. Run the curtain all the way down so it picks up evenly on the axle, then re-set the limits.

If one stopping point is simply in the wrong place, change only that one. On a Gaposa radio motor:

1. Run the shutter to any point between the two existing limits.
2. Hold the LIMIT button on the back of the remote together with UP (for the top limit) or DOWN (for the bottom limit) until the motor makes a brief jog.
3. Hold UP or DOWN to run to the new position. In this mode the motor moves only while the button is held.
4. Press STOP. The motor jogs to confirm the new limit.

The full procedure is on adjusting a Gaposa limit. On a Somfy RTS motor you must first let the shutter run to the limit you want to change before the motor will accept a new one. On manual-override and switch-operated motors the limits are mechanical and set at the motor head, not from a remote. See Gaposa override motors and switch-operated motors.

If the motor stops responding part way through limit-setting, it has probably tripped its thermal protection from repeated running. Wait about 15 minutes and carry on.

When is it the motor?

When the fault comes back after you have removed every schedule and sensor, reset the memory, re-paired only your remotes and re-set the limits. Not holding limits, moving with no command, and staying in hold-to-run mode are all faults Roll-A-Shield has recorded on motors returned under warranty. At that point, book a technician; the likely fix is a motor replacement.

Motors carry a 5-year warranty from the date of installation, for the original owner. The return process is on returning a failed motor under warranty. Following a published Roll-A-Shield guide does not void the warranty. Mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician.

What next

Gaposa remotes and replacement motors are in the Roll-A-Shield parts store. In metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield repairs rolling shutters of any brand; call (480) 921-0200. Outside Phoenix, call the same number for phone help with Gaposa and Somfy programming.

Watch it done

Gaposa: setting the top and bottom limits separately from the remote

The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.

Frequently asked questions

Does a memory reset also erase the limits?

Gaposa's manuals describe the memory reset as deleting transmitters, channels and sensors; none of them says the limits are erased, and none says they are kept. Check both stopping points after any reset before normal use.

Why does my shutter only move while I hold the button down?

During limit-setting, a Gaposa motor runs only while UP or DOWN is held, which Gaposa calls deadman control; saving a limit with STOP ends it. A motor that stays in hold-to-run after the limits are saved is a recorded warranty fault.

Can I remove just one remote I no longer trust?

On Gaposa, yes, if you have that remote: hold its SYNC and STOP buttons together until the motor makes a brief jog, and only that transmitter is deleted. If the remote is missing or unknown, do a full memory reset instead.

Is a motor that keeps doing this covered by warranty?

Motors carry a 5-year warranty from the date of installation for the original owner, and a replacement motor gets its own term. Have the install date ready when you call.

Related questions

• How do I reset a Gaposa rolling shutter motor?
• How do I adjust the top or bottom limit on a Gaposa shutter motor?
• How do I set the limits on a Somfy RTS shutter motor?
• Why does my rolling shutter stop too high, too low, or leave a gap?
• Can I put my rolling shutters on a timer or schedule?
• My shutter remote stopped working and a new battery didn’t fix it. What now?
• How do I replace a rolling shutter motor?