special section : o'd mckewan
Introduction to Hard Wiring for Motorization Learning some basic terms and ideas will make hardwired motorization projects go much smoother
I
BY O’D MCKEWAN n my many years of teaching, I have found that most window covering specialists’ greatest fear regarding motorization is talking with electricians and contractors about the wiring needed for their projects. In this short article, I will explain the basics of wiring specifications for hardwired motorization systems so you will be able to have an intelligent conversation with electrical contractors.
available through the wall outlets. In the United States, all of our line-voltage motors run on 120 volts. Low voltage is just line voltage that has been reduced to a safe level by a transforming power supply (generally known as a plug-in transformer).
First, just like any industry, there’s specific terminology that is used. For electricians as it relates to wiring for motorized window coverings, the most important specifications are voltage, amperage, wire size and number of wires needed.
For motorized window coverings, the low voltage ranges between 5 to 32 volts DC depending on the manufacturer and motor size. It is important to note the specification of the DC. DC stands for direct current and is different than the AC (alternating current) of line voltage. All low-voltage motors for window coverings use DC. You must tell your contractor when using low-voltage motors that they are DC so they do not wire them for AC low voltage.
Let’s start with voltage. In our industry, we only work with two types of voltage: line voltage and low voltage. Line voltage is what runs through the house or building and is
Since there are several different lowvoltage motors on the market, you will need to find out what’s the voltage of the motors you are selling. You may end
46 |
JULY + AUGUST 2021 | wf-vision.com
up selling several different voltage motors on the same job. Just be sure to let your contractor know which ones are going where. The next thing your electrician will need to know is how many amps each motor uses. Amps are a measurement of how much electricity flows through a device. Currently, all interior motors are 3 amps or less and most are less than 2 amps. It is important for electricians to know this because they need to know how many motors they can power through one fuse in the fuse panel. They also need to take into consideration what other electrical items will be plugged into that same fuse (TVs, stereos, security systems, space heaters, etc.). To speak with a contractor with more confidence, find out how many amps the motors you are using need. The most confusing option when it comes to hard wiring is the wire size and number
