insight : o'd mckewan
To Plug In or Not to Plug In
Part two of this year’s “Motorization Playbook” series examines the three main choices for power supplies
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BY O’D MCKEWAN
n this article, we will be taking a look at the differences between the three main choices of power options for motorized window coverings. Although there are a few different terms used to describe power options, in our industry, the main choices are line-voltage wiring, lowvoltage plug-in power supplies and battery powered. Each category has multiple options to choose from.
We will first look at one of the original options: line-voltage wiring. Line voltage is the voltage that is found in the wall outlets and junction boxes (J-Boxes) in a home or building. In North America, it is generally 120 volts of alternating current (120 v-ac). So when you are using line-voltage wiring, you are using all 120 volts to power the motor. This is most commonly used for larger shades that utilize tubular motors, track
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motors and exterior applications. There are three general choices for linevoltage wiring. The first and most
common is a three-prong plug that connects directly into a wall outlet.
This is the easiest option to use because it does not require an electrician to hook up and can easily be installed and serviced by an installer.
The second line-voltage wiring option is a hardwired power supply. This is
where the wire from the motor is directly wired into a J-Box by a certified electrician. This is generally done when there is no room for a plug to stick out of a wall or ceiling, or they want a cleaner look.
Lastly, there is a combination of the two previous options, called a quick disconnect plug. This is when an
electrician wires a pigtail (short wire) into a J-Box and the other end has an inline safety plug that attaches to a safety plug that comes on the motor wire. This is usually done in commercial applications when the J-Boxes are located above the ceilings or on other sides of a wall. It can be used in residential and exterior applications as well. Choosing the correct line-voltage wiring depends on the availability of an outlet or a junction box nearby and your local electrical laws. With the great advances with electrical components and the ability to make things smaller and smaller, the use of low-voltage motors is far more prevalent in our industry these days. A low-voltage motor needs a lowvoltage power supply. There are two types of power supplies: plug-in power supplies and battery packs. A plug-in power supply takes the line voltage (120 v-ac) and converts it to a safer lower voltage, generally 9 to 32 volts
