Troubleshooting by symptom · Rolling Shutter Guide
Why does my solar rolling shutter stop halfway, run slowly or not work at all?
Start with the charge. Make sure the solar panel gets direct sun and wipe it clean. A battery that has run completely flat will not recover on sunlight alone: charge it with the Gaposa charger, for no more than 3.5 hours. Then check the connector is fully seated with its arrows lined up, and reset the motor.
Key facts
- A solar panel needs direct sunlight to charge; artificial or indoor light will not charge it, and a dirty panel is a common cause of a sluggish or dead solar shutter. Roll-A-Shield data
- If the battery has ever run down completely, it will not recover on sunlight alone; it needs the wall charger. Roll-A-Shield data
- Gaposa states about 60 open-and-close cycles per full charge and a battery service life of 3-5 years.
- Charge only with the Gaposa charger, for no more than 3.5 hours.
- The battery is inside the solar panel housing, not in the motor, and on Roll-A-Shield shutters it falls under the 2-year electronics warranty. Roll-A-Shield data
Applies to: Gaposa Autonomo solar motors with a panel-and-battery solar station, as fitted to Roll-A-Shield solar shutters (20, 30 and 50 Nm). Not OZRoll battery shutters, which have their own page.
A solar shutter has no wiring to the house: a panel with a battery inside it charges from daylight and powers a 12 V Gaposa motor in the roll tube. When it stops part way, slows down or goes dead, work through the charging side first (the sun, the panel, the battery and the connector) before assuming the motor has failed.
Symptom, likely cause, what to do
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Goes part way, then stops; works again after a few sunny days | Battery short of charge | Check the panel's sun and clean it; charge the battery with the Gaposa charger. |
| Sluggish | Panel not charging: shade, or dust on the panel | Confirm direct sun and wipe the panel clean. |
| Completely dead | Battery fully run down | Charge it with the wall charger; sunlight alone will not bring it back. |
| Dead on a newly delivered shutter | Battery drained in transit, or panel not yet plugged in | Plug the motor wire into the panel; the panel only charges once it is connected. |
| Dead after the connector was unplugged | Connector loose, or seated with the arrows not lined up | Re-seat it with the two arrows facing each other and screw it tight. |
| Moves only while you hold the button | Motor is in limit-setting mode | Finish or exit limit setting (below). |
| Stops on the way down at different points | Possibly obstacle detection (Gaposa Autonomo solar motors have it) reacting to something in the way | Clear the rails and the sill, then try again. |
| Keeps running flat in good sun, shutter several years old | Battery near the end of its life | Have the battery replaced. |
| Remote light does not come on | Dead remote battery | Change the remote battery. |
Is my solar panel getting enough sun?
The panel needs direct sunlight; ambient light, artificial light or a panel tucked under a roof pitch or in shade is not enough to keep the battery charged. Roll-A-Shield mounts the panel on top of the shutter box, on a roof eave or wherever it gets the best sun; the panel and motor leads together give about 3 ft of reach, and a 10 ft extension is available for a panel mounted farther away.
Clean it. A dirty panel is a common cause of a sluggish or dead solar shutter, and wiping off dust, residue or snow often restores charging. If the opening is deeply shaded or faces north, a battery-powered motor is usually a better fit than solar.
What if the battery has gone completely flat?
Charge it from the wall. A battery that has run down completely will not recover on sunlight alone. Use only the Gaposa charger and do not charge for more than 3.5 hours. The battery lives inside the solar panel housing, not in the motor. A brand-new shutter's panel is charged at the factory but can drain in transit, and it only charges once it is plugged into the motor wire.
Tip: Before you reconnect the panel, line up the two arrows on the plug and socket. A plug seated the wrong way round can permanently burn out the motor.
Why does it only move while I hold the button?
A Gaposa motor in limit-setting mode only moves while UP or DOWN is held. It enters that mode when the limit button on the back of the remote is pressed. To get out of it, finish the limit setting: run to the top position and press STOP (the motor jogs), then to the bottom and press STOP again. With the Gaposa app, pressing LIMIT again exits the mode. Then test a full run up and down. See Gaposa motor limits.
How do I reset a solar shutter motor?
When the charge is good and it still will not respond properly, do a hard reset. These are the steps from Roll-A-Shield's service video for Gaposa solar motors. A hard reset clears every remote paired to the motor, so step 5 pairs your remote again:
- Find the plug where the motor cord meets the panel (often on top of the box, sometimes inside the end cap) and unscrew it.
- Leave it disconnected for a full 60 seconds.
- Reconnect it with the two arrows facing each other, and screw it tight.
- On the back of the remote, hold the left programming button and STOP together. The motor jogs once, then again about 10 seconds later; release after the second jog.
- Hold the left programming button and watch which way the motor starts to turn; press that direction's button on the remote. The motor makes a brief jog to confirm the remote is paired.
- Run the shutter up and down to test.
The full procedure is on How do I reset a Gaposa solar motor?.
How long does a solar shutter battery last?
These are Gaposa's figures for its Autonomo solar motors:
| Gaposa solar figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Open-and-close cycles per full charge | About 60 |
| Stated runtime on a full charge | 35 days |
| Battery service life | 3-5 years |
| Motor supply | 12 V DC |
| Operating temperature | -10 to +40 °C (14 to 104 °F) |
| Maximum charging time on the wall charger | 3.5 hours |
The battery is a wear item: Gaposa says that if deep-discharge symptoms keep coming back after about 3 years, the battery should be replaced. On Roll-A-Shield shutters the solar battery falls under the 2-year electronics warranty.
Is it the panel, the battery or the motor?
A multimeter answers it. Roll-A-Shield tests the panel, the battery and the motor separately, because a panel that shows good voltage can still sit on a battery that collapses under load, and a good panel and battery can be paired with a failed motor. The method and the reference voltages are on How to test a solar shutter's panel and battery with a multimeter.
Dealers: troubleshoot before you ship a solar unit back. A returned part that tests fault-free can be charged to the dealer.
What next
Call (480) 921-0200 for help with a solar shutter, a replacement battery or a charger. In metro Phoenix, Roll-A-Shield's service team services solar shutters on site.
Watch it done
How to reset a Gaposa solar rolling shutter motor
The written steps on this page are the reference; the video shows the same job.
Frequently asked questions
Will the solar panel charge in the shade or on a north-facing wall?
It needs direct sunlight; ambient light or a spot under the roof pitch is not enough. For a deeply shaded or north-facing opening, a battery-powered motor is usually a better fit than solar.
My solar shutter worked after I cleaned the panel, then stopped again. Why?
If it keeps running flat even with a clean panel in good sun, the battery may be at the end of its life. Gaposa rates the solar battery at 3-5 years and says recurring deep-discharge symptoms after about 3 years mean the battery should be replaced.
Does a solar shutter work in a power outage?
Yes. A solar shutter runs on its own stored charge, so a power outage does not affect it, and it has no manual override crank.
Is the solar battery covered by the warranty?
On Roll-A-Shield shutters the solar battery falls under the 2-year electronics term. Call (480) 921-0200 before returning anything; a phone check of the sun, panel and charge comes first.
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.