Learn All About Roller Shutter Motors
When you want privacy, protection from burglars, and a way to make the inside of your home or business much cooler, remote control roller shutters can offer you all this and much more. Yet to work effectively, a roller shutter motor needs to be in place and working properly. If you’ve got questions about roller shutter motors, our experts here at Rollac are here with the answers.
How Do Electric Roller Shutters Work?
When you are choosing roller shutters for your home or business, keep in mind certain things pertaining to how they work. First, they are usually hard wired to your property’s electrical system. Thus, should problems develop with your shutters, you may need to call in a licensed electrician. To open and close time after time, your electric roller shutters usually rely on a 240 volt tubular motor that has proven itself to be very reliable over the years.
Though some roller shutters are powered via batteries or with motors that generate power through solar energy, the vast majority do use electric motors. If you have manual roller shutters but now would prefer motorized shutters, most types can be easily modified to become motorized.
Convenience is another benefit of electric roller shutters. In fact, one of the best reasons to select automated roller shutters is that they can be easily controlled via remote control, wall switches, or even through your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Whether you only need to control one electric roller shutter or several, it’s quite easy to do so.
What Types of Motors are Used in Electric Roller Shutters?
As you know by now, most electric roller shutters use the 240 volt tubular motor for their operations. The motor itself is composed of a motor part, stroke part, and deceleration part. Working together inside a round tube, they open and close your shutters by rolling or sliding up and down on tracks, each of which are set on both sides of your electric shutters.
When choosing a motor for automatic roof shutters or electric roller shutters that will be placed on the outside of your windows, certain things need to be taken into consideration.
First, we always recommend you determine how much power you will need from the motor. If you have heavier roller shutters or ones that may be positioned in areas where they will require a little more effort to open or close, you’ll need a motor with higher power. Most motors have indicators such as 30 nm or 50 nm, which means Newton per meter. The higher the number, the more powerful the motor. Also, remember that not all types of roller shutters are the same. As a result, you will need to measure the shutter’s diameter to determine which motors can be installed.
Can Roller Shutter Motors Break?
Like any other type of motor, your electric roller shutter motor can break down, meaning you could need either a repair or replacement. Unfortunately, many people often believe the myth that once their electric roller shutters are installed, they will last forever. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Your roller shutters will need maintenance if you want to keep them looking and working like new for longer.
To keep a motor working for the duration of its lifespan and possibly beyond, cleaning your electric shutters should always be a top priority. Also remember that your motor’s gears and brakes are made to last a certain period of time, which is typically up to 20 years. Thus, even if you have kept your electric roller shutters in great shape, it’s inevitable that some parts will wear out at some point.
Other reasons why roller shutter motors break include excessive wear and tear, improper installation that results in the motor overheating, and being operated excessively at maximum power levels.
Can Manual Roller Shutters be Converted to Electric?
You will be glad to know that even if you have older models of roller shutters in your home, they can be easily converted to electric roller shutters. In most cases, the conversion can take only 30-60 minutes. To have it done correctly, you should use the services of an experienced and licensed electrician. Also, remember that the larger the shutter, the more time it may take to complete the conversion.
The Best Advice
Whether you have accordion shutters on your home to protect against hurricanes or manual roller shutters that you now want automated, rely on the advice you receive from our knowledgeable and friendly experts here at Rollac. To find out everything you need to know about roller shutters, motors, and much more, contact us today.