- 1). Cut the power to the electric shade and refer to your owner's manual about how to disconnect the shade motor. Usually the motor is connected with screws, so remove them with either a flat-head or Philips screwdriver and remove the motor. Examine the exterior of the motor itself. You should see a set of wires sticking out from the motor. Find out if they're wet. Sometimes a powerful storm can cause rain to fly into places it normally can't. If the wires are wet, gently wipe them dry with a soft cloth.
- 2). Clean out any rust or dirt within the motor. As with any motor, over time, rust and dirt gets inside the mechanism and causes problems. Take the motor from its casing with a few turns of a screwdriver. Using a pocket or pen flashlight, examine the interior for obstacles. Spritz WD-40 on rusted parts of the motor to clean off residual gunk and rust from around cogs, wheels and gears.
- 3). Check the motor's battery. Refer to your owner's manual about where the power comes from for the motor. It should offer you complete instructions on how to change the battery or fuel cell for the motor. Generally, shade motors take special kinds of cells, such as a 12-volt battery wand. Your manual should tell you what kind of replacement batteries are needed.
- 4). Check to make sure the motor is getting a charge by using a multimeter or voltmeter. To see if electricity is flowing through the motor normally, set the meter resistance to RX1, which is resistance (in ohms) times one, attach one of the probes of the meter to the motor's ground lead, which should be white, and then attach the other probe to each of the wires and check the reading. If it's low, current is going through fine -- if it's too high or not showing a reading at all, there's a short in the motor and it'll have to be replaced.
- 5). Examine the gears of the motor, as well as any belts for wear and tear. Sometimes you can find replacement parts for a motor, if you have the model or vendor number for it. Be sure to retest your motor's electrical capabilities after digging around inside. Something as simple as a loose gear or belt can give a bad reading. Replace any loose parts and rusted or corroded belts and gears. Once this is done, retest your voltage, make sure the new battery is charged or that the plug and outlet have voltage and turn on your repaired electric shade motor.
previous post
next post