Troubleshooting by symptom · Rolling Shutter Guide
Why won’t my rolling shutter come down, or why does it keep going up?
It is usually a direction or limit setting, not a broken motor. If DOWN raises the shutter, the direction is reversed. If it stops short of the sill, the lower limit is set too high. If it moves only while you hold the button, the motor is in limit-setting mode or on a press-and-hold switch.
Key facts
- Roll-A-Shield sets the limits at the factory, but they can drift or 'zero' themselves in shipping; in those rare cases the limits need resetting after installation. Roll-A-Shield data
- A correctly set shutter stops at the bottom 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 up the wrong way round the axle, stop it at once and reset the lower limit. Roll-A-Shield data
- In Gaposa limit-setting mode the motor runs only while UP or DOWN is held (a Sense obstacle-detection motor runs on by itself after a 2-second hold), and returns to one-touch operation once the limits are stored.
- On a Somfy manual-override motor, a limit push-button that is pushed in and locked down turns that limit off, so the motor keeps running. Roll-A-Shield data
- Limits that were right in the shop can read wrong after installation if slack in the slat roll makes it wind up egg-shaped. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Motorized rolling shutters with Gaposa or Somfy tubular motors: radio (remote) motors, wired wall-switch and key-switch motors, and manual-override (CMO) motors with limits at the motor head.
When a motorized shutter will not close, the motor is usually doing exactly what its settings tell it to. Three settings decide where a shutter stops and which way it turns: the direction, the upper limit and the lower limit. Check them before you suspect the motor.
Symptom, likely cause, what to do
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Remote: press DOWN and the shutter goes up | Running direction reversed in the motor | Reverse the direction from the remote; see Shutter goes up when I press down. |
| Wall switch: press DOWN and the shutter goes up | Up and down connections swapped at the switch | Have a licensed electrician turn the power off and reverse the up and down connections at the switch. |
| Stops short of the sill, in the same place every time | Lower limit set too high, or drifted in shipping | Adjust the lower limit. |
| Reaches the bottom, then the curtain starts winding back up | Lower limit set too far | Stop it at once and reset the lower limit. |
| Goes up until the bottom slat leaves the rails | Upper limit set too far | Stop it at once and reset the upper limit. |
| Moves only while you hold the button | Limit-setting mode, or a press-and-hold switch | Finish the limit setting, or check the switch type. |
| Somfy override motor runs past the end without stopping | A limit push-button is locked in, so that limit is off | Set the limit with the push-button. |
| Limits were right, now wrong after service | Slack in the roll, winding egg-shaped | Run it fully down, then re-set the limits. |
| Sticks or binds at one spot on the way down | Dirt in the guide rails | Hose out the rails, dry them, spray dry silicone. |
| Hits something on the way down | An obstacle in the opening | Switch it off, remove the obstacle, pull the bottom slat down. |
| Goes silent after many runs | Thermal cut-out | Wait about 15 minutes. |
Why does my shutter go up when I press down?
The running direction is reversed. On a remote motor the direction is a setting stored in the motor, so it is corrected from the remote rather than by rewiring. On a Gaposa motor you flip it from a paired remote: with the curtain at half height, hold the left back button until the motor moves, release, and within 5 seconds briefly press STOP; the motor jogs to confirm. Do this before touching the limits.
On a wall-switch motor, Roll-A-Shield's install guide covers the same symptom at installation: if UP moves the shutter down, the power goes off and the UP and DOWN connections at the switch are reversed. That is mains work inside the switch box, so it is a job for a licensed electrician.
Why does it stop short of the sill?
The lower limit is set too high. Limits are set at the factory but occasionally drift or zero themselves in shipping, and a slat roll that winds egg-shaped can throw them off after installation. You change only the lower limit:
- Gaposa remote motor: hold the right back button and DOWN until the motor jogs, nudge the curtain to the new bottom, then hold STOP until it jogs again. See How do I adjust a Gaposa limit?
- Somfy RTS motor: run down to the current limit and let it stop by itself, hold UP and DOWN together until the motor moves, move to the new position, then hold MY until it moves again. See Somfy RTS limits.
- Switch or override motor: the limits are at the motor head, adjusting screws on Gaposa and push-buttons on Somfy. See the manual override page.
On a multi-channel remote, select only that shutter's channel first; with several channels selected, every one of those shutters is changed.
What if the curtain winds back up at the bottom?
Stop it immediately. At the bottom, a shutter should stop once 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 up the wrong way round the axle, the lower limit is set too far and needs resetting. If the top slats are already bent, see Shutter ran past its limit and bent the top slats.
Why does it only move while I hold the button?
Either the motor is waiting for its limits, or the switch is meant to work that way.
- Gaposa radio motors run only while UP or DOWN is held during limit setting (dead-man operation), and go back to one-touch running once both limits are stored with STOP. On a Gaposa Sense obstacle-detection motor, a 2-second hold is enough and the motor then runs on by itself. The Gaposa programming page finishes the sequence.
- Somfy RTS motors run only while a button is held in programming mode, and drop out of it after 2 minutes with no input.
- Wired motors can be fitted with a momentary (press-and-hold) or a maintained (latching) switch, including the key switches. A shutter on a momentary switch moves only while the switch or key is held; that is the switch working normally.
Is the motor stopping because something is in the way?
Only some motors stop on an obstruction. On the motors Roll-A-Shield fits, obstacle detection is on Gaposa Sense motors, 10-50 Nm (model codes XQ5E wired and XQ5EZ radio), and the Gaposa Autonomo solar motors. It is not on manual-override motors, mechanical-limit motors, Gaposa's 80-120 Nm motors (XQ6E/XQ6EZ series, even where a part name says Sense), and all Somfy RTS/LT motors. Go by the model code on the motor label. Whatever the motor, if the shutter meets something on the way down, switch it off, remove the obstacle and pull the bottom slat down.
When should I stop and call?
Stop: A shutter that keeps running past its top or bottom, or whose curtain is rolling the wrong way round the axle, should be stopped at once with the switch or remote and not run again until the limit is reset.
Stop: Do not operate a shutter that is off its track, back-rolled, jammed or spinning at the top.
Safety: Changing connections at a wall switch is mains wiring, done with the power off by a licensed electrician.
What next
Remotes and Gaposa 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 for help with limits on any Roll-A-Shield motor.
Watch it done
Gaposa: initial set-up, pairing the remote and setting the limits
The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.
Frequently asked questions
My shutter goes up by itself but will not come down unless I hold the button. Why?
Most Gaposa motors in limit-setting mode, and Somfy RTS motors in programming mode, run only while a button is held. Finish the limit setting so the motor returns to one-touch operation.
Can a limit change by itself?
It can. Roll-A-Shield's install guide notes that factory-set limits occasionally drift or zero themselves in shipping, and limits can also read wrong after installation if the slat roll winds up egg-shaped. Run the curtain fully down so it picks up evenly, then adjust the limit.
Will resetting the motor fix a shutter that stops in the wrong place?
Usually not. A wrong stopping point is a limit setting; adjust that limit instead of wiping the motor, which also erases the paired remotes.
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.