How Motorised Patio Awnings Work

Electric awnings are the most common awning type on the market thanks to their effortless convenience and simply refer to an awning that is motorised, operated at the touch of a button, instead of manually operated via a gearbox and crank handle. A sealed tubular motor is built within the rollertube of the awning, which the fabric wraps around and a standard 3 core power cable exits the motor on the desired side out the rear of the cassette casing and is either fitted with a 3 pin plug and plugged into a standard domestic socket or wired into a fuse spur.

The motor contains a built-in radio receiver and is functioned via either a handheld remote control or wire-free wall switch, with a typical range of 200m in open space or 20m through two reinforced concrete walls. When the transmitter sends a command to the awning; open or close, the motor turns in the relevant direction at a consistent speed (normally 17 revolutions per minute) ensuring a smooth operation. The motor is limited to automatically stop at the fully extended or retracted positions, however, the awning can be stopped anywhere in-between the open and closed positions by pressing the stop button on the transmitter.

A secure rolling code, that changes each time the awning is operated ensures no interference whilst built-in thermal overload protection ensures the motor does not burn out if it is consistently operated (in case a child or the family pet gets hold of the transmitter). Along with remote control or wall switch operation, the motor can also be operated via a phone app in conjunction with a smart hub plugged into the home broadband router, so wherever you are in the country or world, you can easily open or close your awning. Additional functionality included within the app includes scheduling (a timer function), so you can have your awning open or close at a pre-determined time of the day, each day of the week.

Furthermore, a range of sensors can be linked into the awning motor configuration, with the most common and recommended being a wind sensor. As the name suggests a wind sensor detects the wind speed the awning is subjected to and retracts the awning in case of high winds, to reduce the chance of damage to both the awning and your property. Sensors ‘talk’ to the motor via radio signal, in the same manner as the transmitters, talk to the motor. Additionally, the awning motor sends a ‘fail-safe’ signal to any sensors every 15 minutes to check the sensor(s) are still in place and working (ie to make sure the sensor(s) are not damaged or if battery operated the batteries need replacing). If the sensor(s) do not respond to the signal command the motor automatically retracts the awning to signal to check the sensor – clever!

All motorised awnings from Caribbean Blinds feature premium motors, controls, sensors and accessories from World leaders Somfy, ensuring durability, reliability and years of effortless operation.