Note: If you need technical support for an existing electric blind click here.

It is now possible to automate your Visions or Rollers blinds by making them electrically operated.  

This page will outline all of the common questions we are asked about how to do this and the associated costs,

What is a motor and what types are available?

There are three types of motor available.  The 1100 Series, 1200 Series and 1800 Series.

The 1100 Series motors have always been the default standard, with the newer 1200/1800 Series motors only being introduced in early January 2020.

Each of the motors have minimum width restrictions.  If you have windows less than 500mm wide, it may not be possible to use these motors.

The 1100 Series motors come with options for a 5, 6 and 14 channel remote control.  Each individual blind you have will require it’s own channel on the remote.  1 channel = 1 blind.  Thus, a 5 channel remote control can operate up to 5 individual blinds.

The remotes are very simply to operate.  They have buttons to select which channel you wish to operate; a button to send the blind up, down and to manually stop the blind anywhere on its travels up or down.  You can also have one “favourite” position stored per blind.

The 1200/1800 Series motors are the same type of motors.  The 1200 Series motors are used in blinds up to a certain weight;  the 1800 Series motor is then used for considerably larger blinds which have more weight than recommended for the 1200 Series.  

These motors are much smoother, quieter and come with a different set of remote controls.  They have 1, 6 and 16 channel remotes available.

The 1200/1800 Series motors also have more “favourite” positions (called intermediate positions) available.  They have up to a total of 4 positions per blind.

The favourite positions are more useful for Visions blinds.  Visions blinds rely on the stripes being aligned, either in an open or closed position.  The “favourite” positions on an electrically operated Visions blind allow you to send the blind to various intermediate positions between the blind being fully up or fully down, just at the press of a button.  

As an example, let’s say you have the blind fully up where the entire blind is now concealed in the cassette housing of the blind.  On the newer 1200 Series motors, you hit the down button on the remote control and the blind will now lower to its first intermediate position.  This could, for example, being 2 panels down and open.  Press the down button again and the blind will now move to it’s next position which could, for example, be 4 panels down and open.  And so on.  

How are the motors powered?

There are two options.  The most common is the combined motor and battery option. 

The combined battery and motor unit simply slides into the tube of the roller or visions blind.  On one end is a port, where you can plug in the charging cable to re-charge the batteries.  

You do NOT have to remove anything from the blind to charge the batteries.  You charge the blind just like you do your mobile phone - plug it in and leave it.

There are also hard wired options.  These are much more expensive and require electrical cables to be run into the top of wherever the blind is being fitted.  We have a separate page dedicated to hardwire motors which you can read by clicking here.

How do the remote controls work?

With the exception of the 1 channel remote controls available for the 1200/1800 Series motors, the remote controls allow you to select which blind you want to operate.  On LCD screen remote controls, you will see the display show the “number” of the blind you are currently set to use.  On a non-LCD remote control, a number is illuminated by a circle to show which blind you’re currently operating. 

With the correct channel selected, simply use the remote control to send the blind up, down, stop it manually whilst it is moving or send it to a favourite position.

You can also operate ALL channels on the remote control.  Say, for example, you had 4 electric blinds in one room.  You can select either blind individually, or, you can choose to send any signal from the remote control to ALL blinds in that room.

If I have 3 blinds in, for example, a bay window and they are electrically operated will they all travel at the same speed?

No.  There are tolerances in the motors and any blinds side by side will not necessarily travel at the same speed.  If the blinds are going fully up or down or to an intermediate (favourite) position, this does not matter.  As each blind reaches the desired position, they will automatically stop.

Can I control my blinds with an app?

Yes. Click here to see our Homehub page for more information.

How much do the motors cost?

The motors costs are as follows:

1100/1200 Series Motor/Battery £60 inc. VAT per blind
1800 Series Motor (only for much larger blinds) £72 inc. VAT

Remote control costs are:

1100 Motor - 5 Channel Remote Control £15 inc. VAT; 14 Channel Remote £33 inc. VAT
1200/1800 Motor - 1 Channel Remote Control £15 inc. VAT; 6 Channel Remote Control £19 inc. VAT; 16 Channel Remote Control £37 inc. VAT

You will need one charger in the household to re-charge any of your electric blinds at a cost of £14 inc. VAT

How robust are the motors?  Are they reliable?

Yes.  We now have years worth of experiencing selling electric motors and have encountered very few issues.  The single biggest issue we have come across, are the batteries lasting much longer than expected.  People then forget to charge them.

Lithium-ion batteries do not like to be left in a low state of charge for long periods of time.  When this occurs, the voltages can become unstable and sometimes, “settings” for the blinds are lost.

How frequently should I charge my blind?

We recommend you charge your blinds every 3 months. 

There is no definitive answer to this as the amount of power drawn is relative to the number of times you use it, as well as the overall size of the blind itself.

On “average” the battery will probably need charging every 6 months or so.  However, on large blinds such as doors, you may need to charge the blind with greater frequency.  It has also been the case that many owners are getting more than one year’s use out of a charge and this can cause issues of batteries sitting in a low state of charge.  Lithium-ion batteries do not like to sit in a low state of charge for long periods of time as this can cause permanent damage to the battery itself.  For this reason, we recommend you charge the blinds every 3 months.

If you find yourself charging your battery more frequently, this does not indicate there is a problem.  It depends on frequency of operation and the size of the blind in question.  

How long do I leave my blind on charge for?

The short answer, NEVER LEAVE YOUR BLIND PLUGGED IN OVERNIGHT.

When you plug your blind in to charge, the indicator light on the charger will turn red.  When complete, it will turn green.  DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CHARGER PLUGGED IN OVERNIGHT.  A discharge safety feature is built into all the motors.  Thus, it is possible to charge the battery up to 100%, continue to leave the charger plugged in and then eventually the discharge mode is enabled draining the battery to 0%.

A good policy is to charge the battery frequently for 1 to 3 hours at a time.

How many times can I charge the battery before it wears out?

We won’t go into the complexity of “cycles” when it comes to batteries, but your battery can be charged for over 500 cycles which is broadly the same for mobile phones - this does NOT mean you can only charge it 500 times.  A cycle is when a battery is 100% full and discharged to 0%.  The moment you charge anywhere in between those numbers, the number of part cycles the battery can survive jumps into the hundreds of thousands!  In short, the battery will likely outlive you!  

Can I see how much charge the battery has in it?  When will I know to charge it?

You cannot see any state of charge indication for the batteries.  If the battery is low, the blind will “beep” at you during use.

You cannot overcharge the batteries.  So, charge them a little and often!

What is the warranty period?

The motor warranty is for 3 years! We, ourselves, only get a 1 year warranty. See our terms and conditions below.
We will program and setup the blinds. However, if you let the blinds run out of charge and your settings are lost, there are online articles and videos to help you re-program the blinds yourself. Any call out involving one of our fitters will incur a call out charge.

If my motor loses its programmed settings will you come out and fix it?

Yes, but you will be charged for this service. The blinds are all designed to be setup by anyone and no specialist training is required. We have full instructions and videos online for doing this.

What are our terms and conditions?

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR ELECTRIC MOTOR WARRANTY TERMS AND CONDITIONS