Solutions For Mistakes In Pre-Wire For Motorized Window Treatments

Bob, our main man at Usautomated shade put this article together. I think it has good info in it.



All right…so you’ve received your shipment of motorized window treatments and it’s time to install.

The most common mistake in pre-wiring for switch operated AC motorized shades/blinds is not installing the proper 4-conductor wire (14/3 with ground). Many people don’t realize this until the shade is installed and it’s time to connect wiring. Realizing they have pre-wired with 3-conductor wire (14/2 with ground) can cause a sinking feeling and images of demolition to flash through their minds. This is not the end of the world, nor do invasive measures have to be taken to correct the problem.

The two most common solutions for the problem are swapping out the standard 4-wire motor with a 3-wire RF enabled motor, or adding an RF receiver to the equation. We typically employ the latter for someone who has erred in prewire since it does not require any dis assembly of the shade/blind. An RF receiver (110v) can be wired at any point between the power source and the motor itself providing a quick and relatively low cost solution to demolition and re-wiring.

A prime candidate for this fix is the Elero Combio 915 RF receiver. *Its compact size (roughly half the size of a deck of cards) makes it easy to conceal behind/above the window treatment or even in an existing electrical box. Remote controls for this receiver include single or multichannel handheld transmitters, wireless wall switches, or wireless programmable timers.

So… before you push the panic button and start removing sheet rock, consider converting/upgrading to RF remote control with a Combio control package.