Somfy Blind Motor Replacement for Shades You Already Own

Short answer: You can fit a Somfy motor into most existing roller shades and keep the fabric and tube. Four measurements set the part list: the tube's inside diameter, the tube profile the crown and drive must grip, the bracket that holds the motor head, and the torque the shade needs. Match those with Somfy crowns, drives and adaptor plates and the shade runs on Somfy power.

A blind motor replacement starts at the window. Take the shade down, lay it on a clean surface, and work through the four checks below before you order anything. The goal is a Somfy motor that slides into the tube you already own and clips into a bracket you can keep or replace at low cost.

Four measurements to take before you order

• Tube inside diameter. Measure across the open end twice, at right angles, and keep the smaller figure.
• Tube profile and maker. Note whether the tube is round, octagonal or ribbed, and copy any name stamped on the tube or end cap.
• Bracket and pin. Photograph the bracket and measure the pin or slot the old motor locked into.
• Shade width, drop, fabric and bottom bar. These set the torque, and a heavy blackout fabric changes the answer.

Copy the label on the old motor too. On a Somfy motor the model code carries the torque, so a 525A2 is a 25 Nm motor and a 506S2 is a 6 Nm motor. With that figure in hand you can skip the sizing math.

Will a Somfy motor fit inside your tube?

The inside diameter is the hard limit. A motor needs a tube at or above its minimum inside diameter, and no adaptor changes that. A larger tube is fine as long as Somfy makes a crown and drive for its profile. Pick the smallest family that clears your tube and still carries the torque.

Interior roller tubes from 1.25 in to 2 in take a Sonesse 28, 30 or 40 motor, chosen by the measured inside diameter. Exterior screens and awnings sit on LT50 and LT60.

Crowns and drives for another maker's tube

The crown supports the motor at the open end of the tube. The drive locks into the tube's inner profile and turns it. Somfy builds matched sets for tubes from other shade makers, so the motor family and the tube profile pick the set together. Our guide to Somfy crowns, drives and brackets covers the parts in depth. For retrofit jobs these four come up most:

• The Somfy RollEase 1.5" Crown & Drive (9020674) fits a 1.5 in RollEase tube, and Somfy lists it on the Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC accessory sheet.
• The Crown & Drive for RollEase/ZMC 2" Profiled Tube (9021017) puts a Sonesse 30 WireFree or Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree motor in a 2 in profiled tube.
• The Somfy Silhouette Crown & Drive (9025816) pairs with Sonesse 28 WireFree and Roll Up 28 motors.
• The RollEase "Silent Pin" Crown & Drive Adaptor for 2.5" Tube (9015234) lets an LT50-class motor such as the Altus RTS 525A2 or Sonesse 506S2 RTS drive a 63 mm RollEase tube, with a rubber-overmolded drive that dampens sound.

Somfy also publishes sets for Hunter Douglas tubes. A 31 mm crown and drive (9025812) fits Sonesse 28 WireFree and Roll Up 28 motors, and a 37 mm set (9020699) sits on the Sonesse 30 accessory list. For the 4 in Silhouette and Quartette tube, Somfy lists set 9016953. Send us your tube measurements and we will match the part number.

Adaptor plates for the brackets already on the wall

Keeping the original brackets means no new holes and no patching. A Somfy motor plate bolts to the motor head and presents the pin or tab the old bracket expects.

• The Somfy Motor Adaptor Plate for RollEase SkyLine and ZMC XL Series Brackets (9016378) seats a Sonesse 30 head in those bracket families.
• The Sonesse 30-40 Motor Plate for RollEase 360 R3-R8 (9026001) is a steel plate with a 10 mm x 1.8 mm pin at 7 mm diameter, rated to 9 Nm, and it fits Sonesse 30 and Sonesse 40 motors across RTS, RS485, Zigbee and PoE.

Somfy makes sister plates for RollEase SkyLine (9026003), Acmeda 12 mm (9025999) and a 6.8 mm pin version of the RollEase 360 plate (9025996). The 7 mm and 6.8 mm pins look alike, so measure the pin with calipers before you choose. If the old brackets are worn or no Somfy plate matches them, swap them for Somfy brackets sized to the motor head.

Sizing torque for the shade you have

Torque has to lift the full weight of the fabric and bottom bar off the tube, and a wider tube needs more of it for the same shade. Match the old motor's Nm rating when you know it. If you don't, size from the shade: our guide on how to size a Somfy shade motor walks through torque and tube sizing.

Sonesse 28 and Sonesse 30 motors run 1.1 to 2 Nm for lighter interior roller shades. Sonesse 40 covers 4 to 9 Nm. LT50-class motors start at 6 Nm (Sonesse 506S2) and reach 50 Nm (550R2) for large shades and awnings.

Battery or wired power for the retrofit

Check for power at the window first. If no outlet or low-voltage run reaches the window, a WireFree motor skips the electrician.

The Somfy Sonesse ULTRA 30 WireFree RTS (Li-ion) (1003310) delivers 2 Nm at 20 rpm from a rechargeable Li-ion battery, runs at 42 dB, and needs a 1.13 in tube.

For windows with low-voltage wiring in place, the Somfy Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC (1241142) gives 2 Nm at 25 rpm in the same 1.13 in tube and runs without charging. Both carry a built-in RTS receiver, so one Somfy remote or wall switch can run them side by side.

Blinds that do not roll up

Horizontal blinds and cellular shades change the part list, since tubular motors fit roller shades. For 2 in horizontal blinds in wood, faux wood, composite or metal, Somfy's Tilt 50 WireFree Through-Shaft RTS slides onto the existing tilt rod with no rod modification and motorizes the tilt. Our Tilt 50 WireFree through-shaft guide covers rod adaptors and power. Cellular and pleated shades use Somfy Cord Lift motors, which sit in the headrail and lift the cords.

For the full range of crowns, drives, plates and brackets in one place, browse our Somfy motor accessories collection. Motor install guides and spec sheets sit in the Somfy spec library.

Sources: Somfy Pro e-cat pages for 9026001, 9025816, 9015234, 9025812, 1003310 and the Sonesse 30 RTS 24V DC (1241142) compatible accessories list; Somfy Systems product page for 9016953.

FAQ

Can I put a Somfy motor in my Hunter Douglas shade?

Somfy publishes crown and drive sets for several Hunter Douglas tubes, including 31 mm and 37 mm tubes, paired with Sonesse 28 and Sonesse 30 motors. Measure the tube's inside diameter and profile and photograph the bracket. We stock the Silhouette Crown & Drive (9025816) and can match the other sets by part number.

How do I measure a roller tube for a replacement motor?

Remove the old motor or end plug and measure the inside of the tube across the open end, twice at right angles, and use the smaller number. Compare it with the motor's minimum tube inside diameter: 1.05 in for Sonesse 28, 1.13 in for Sonesse 30, 1.46 in for Sonesse 40 and 1.85 in for LT50.

Will my old remote run the new Somfy motor?

Plan on a Somfy control for the new motor. Somfy RTS motors pair with Somfy RTS remotes, wall switches, hubs and sensors, and Somfy Zigbee motors pair with Zigbee 3.0 controls. A remote from another shade system talks on its own radio protocol, so it will not pair with the Somfy receiver built into the motor.

Do I need new brackets for a Somfy retrofit?

In many retrofits you can keep them. Somfy adaptor plates fit RollEase SkyLine, ZMC XL, RollEase 360 R3-R8 and Acmeda 12 mm brackets, and each plate names the motors it fits. Check the pin size, since 7 mm and 6.8 mm pins look alike. Proprietary or worn brackets get swapped for Somfy brackets sized to the motor head.

Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.