Do you have to plug in motorized shades?
Motorized window treatments add the luxury into your life that you didn’t know you needed. They allow for larger shades, effortless operation, and control of your shades from a distance.
Unless you’re an electrician yourself, you’re probably wondering; Do motorized blinds need to be plugged in?
No, motorized blinds do not have to be plugged in. Avoiding plugins will save you money on work by an electrician, allowing you to put window blinds in places you can’t bring electricity to and save you from ugly cords.
Motor options for window blinds and shades
At SunCoast Blinds we work with the best brands in the market when it comes to motorization. These brands offer a variety of motors allowing your window treatments to be fully automated no matter the location or surrounding situation. They require no work from an electrician and will be ready to use as soon as they’re installed into the opening by a window treatment specialist. Below is an explanation of 4 motorization options that we love to use at SunCoast Blinds, and one option we stay away from.
Plug-In
A plug-in motorization is a good option if you already have power by the opening and you don’t want to worry about charging or replacing batteries. But, since you’re reading this post, I assume you’re trying to stay clear from this option and explore other ways to power your window treatments.
If plug-in is an option for you, the two things you need to take into consideration is this:
In the case of a power outage, the shade will not be able to be moved. This can be especially important to understand during hurricane season here in Southwest Florida. The motor is also at risk during a lightning strike, just like the other plug-in electronics in your home. If you know this is a common issue in your property, then you might want to try a different motor option.
Rechargeable Lithium-iOn Motor
At SunCoast Blinds our favorite motor is the rechargeable lithium iOn motor. This motor is charged in the same way as you charge your phone. During installation, you will receive a charger that you easily connect to the top of your shade and plug into an outlet. One full charge allows for about 500 cycles before you have to repeat the charging. Depending on how much you use your shade, we noticed that most of our clients have to charge their shades once a year.
The benefit of this motor is that you don’t need to bring any electricity to the shade unless you’re charging it. The drawback that we’ve seen is that clients forget that they need to charge their shades and instead think the shade is broken. This is usually handled quickly once they give us a call. In fact, motors lasting long enough for people to forget to charge it is a sign of the incredible amounts of use you can get out of your shade on just one charge cycle.
The second drawback is that they lost the charger. At SunCoast Blinds we tried to limit this by giving the charger a designated box, with full instructions so they won’t be fixed up with any other chargers in your home.
Lithium iOn motors do have their limitations. They are not recommended for shades larger than 12 feet. They are also not an ideal option if you have a window that is very high up, making it impossible to get to on even the most rare occasions. In this case, there’s an option for you to add on a solar panel.
Solar panel
In replacement of having to charge your shade, you can install a solar panel. The misconception about solar panels is that they are bulky and visible when in fact the solar panels are hiding behind the fascia of the shade, barely visible to the eye. A solar panel allows you to motorize the most inconvenient located windows, without having to worry about hiring an electrician or charging it.
Rechargeable Wand Motor
The rechargeable wand motor is the little sister to the previously mentioned lithium iOn motor. This motor is a good solution for any window covering smaller than 6 feet and within reach. With a slightly smaller price tag, the wand motor is perfect if you don’t mind walking to the window every time you want to move it since it doesn’t come with a remote control.
Battery Operated
Battery-operated blinds and shades are generally powered by AA batteries. This is a popular option within the window treatment industry, but it’s an option we do not offer to our clients at SunCoast Blinds. Why you might ask?!
Battery motors are the lowest tier of motors. They’re noisy, easy to break if the customer puts in the wrong batteries, and too weak to move larger shades and blinds. With today’s technology, there’s no reason to lower your standard to that type of motor, when there are other motors available.
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SunCoast Blinds is a full-service window treatment store located in Bonita Springs FL.
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3634-A Bonita Beach Rd.
Bonita Springs, FL
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