Short answer: The Somfy battery wand, part 9018685, is Somfy's 12V DC Reloadable Battery Tube. It holds 8 AA lithium batteries and powers Somfy WireFree motors built for an external battery, such as the Roll Up 28 V2, Cord Lift CL32 and TLW25, Sonesse 28 WireFree and Tilt 50 Through-Shaft. Somfy does not approve alkaline or rechargeable AA cells in it.
Buyers search for this part by number more than by name. A shade that stops mid-travel, a wand with a cracked cap, a second shade going up in the same room: the fix starts with the same tube. The Somfy 12V DC Reloadable Battery Tube (9018685) is the AA-powered supply Somfy builds for its external-battery WireFree motors, and the fitment question that decides the order is whether your motor takes an external supply at all.
Somfy motors the battery wand powers
Somfy lists the wand against its WireFree motors that carry an external battery lead. The motor names on Somfy's page for ref 9018685 include:
- Roll Up 28 WireFree RTS V2 (External Battery)
- Sonesse 28 WireFree RTS and Sonesse 28 WireFree Zigbee, both the External Battery versions
- Cord Lift WireFree CL32 RTS (External Battery)
- Cord Lift WireFree TLW25 RTS, TLW25 Zigbee and TLV25 Zigbee (External Battery)
- Tilt 50 WireFree Through-Shaft RTS and Tilt 50 WireFree Through-Shaft Zigbee
Two of these sit in the Shade Motors Direct catalog as the Roll Up 28 WireFree RTS V2 (External Battery) (1241162) and the Cord Lift WireFree CL32 RTS (External Battery) (1002422). The radio protocol makes no difference to the wand. RTS and Zigbee motors on that list both take the same 12V tube.
Motors with an embedded Li-ion cell are a different product. A Roll Up 28 V2 (Li-ion) or a Sonesse 30 WireFree recharges through a charging port and has no battery-tube lead, so the wand has nothing to plug into. Check the motor label or its product page for the words "External Battery" before you order.
Battery wand specs Somfy publishes
| Somfy reference | 9018685 |
| Official name | 12V DC Reloadable Battery Tube |
| Output | 12V DC |
| Batteries | 8 x AA lithium, sold separately |
| Not approved for | Alkaline or rechargeable AA batteries |
| Length | 17.76 in |
| Color | White |
| Use | Indoor |
| Warranty | 5 years |
The battery rule is the spec that trips people up. Somfy approves AA lithium cells for this tube and states in plain terms that alkaline and rechargeable cells are not approved. A set of the right cells comes as the Somfy 8 AA Lithium Battery Package (9014834), sized to fill one tube. Somfy's instructions also call for new cells and say not to mix old and new ones in the same load.
Mounting the tube behind the shade
The wand mounts in the window opening behind the shade, so depth decides whether it fits. Somfy asks for at least one inch of extra space behind the window covering. Measure the shade depth, measure the opening depth, and confirm the gap before you drill.
Somfy publishes these steps in its Reloadable Battery Tube instructions:
- Unscrew the cap and load 8 AA lithium batteries, following the guide printed on the outside of the tube. Tighten the cap to secure the battery connection.
- Confirm you have at least one inch of additional space behind the window covering.
- Position the clips about 3 inches from each end of the tube, then measure and mark those spots in the window opening.
- Mount the clips with the included screws, taking care not to over-tighten them.
- Place the tube so its power cable sits on the same side as the window covering's power cable.
- Snap the tube into the clips and connect the two cables.
Somfy calls for an extension cable if the tube sits more than 10 inches from the window covering's power cable. Replacement clips come as the Somfy Wall Mounting Clips for Battery Tubes (9013263), which helps on a re-hang where the old clips went missing.
Doubling up with the Y harness
A large or busy shade can run two tubes on one motor. Somfy makes the Y Harness for Dual Reloadable Battery Tube (9018625) for that job, a 25 cm Y cable that joins two wands into one motor lead. Somfy lists it against the same external-battery motor set as the wand itself.
Plan the second tube in the layout. Two wands need two pairs of clips and twice the length of mounting surface.
Wand, Li-ion pack or plug-in supply
The wand is one of several 12V sources for these motors. The Somfy Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery Pack (9021217) fills the same role with a rechargeable cell, and you top it up with a charger in place of swapping AA cells. A 12V DC plug-in supply suits a window with an outlet nearby.
Pick the wand when you want tool-free reloads and no charger on hand, or when you are replacing a wand that already sits in the opening. Pick the Li-ion pack when swapping AA cells on a schedule is the chore you want gone. Our guide to WireFree batteries, chargers and cables compares the power options motor by motor. The full range of supplies sits in the Somfy power, battery and charger collection.
Replacing a wand on an existing shade
A shade that slows, stalls or stops answering its remote on a WireFree external-battery motor points to the power supply first. Load fresh AA lithium cells before you condemn the wand. If the tube itself is damaged, a cap that will not seat or a cracked body, the 9018685 is the direct Somfy replacement.
If your old tube carries a different part number, match the connector on the motor lead with the one on the tube you receive, and keep the motor's own install guide to hand from the Somfy spec library. For the Roll Up 28 V2 in particular, our Roll Up 28 WireFree RTS V2 external battery guide covers tube size, crowns and drives.
Sources: Somfy Pro e-cat ref 9018685 (12V DC Reloadable Battery Tube); somfysystems.com product pages for 9018685 and 9018625; Somfy Reloadable Battery Tube consumer instructions.
Somfy battery wand FAQ
What batteries go in the Somfy battery wand?
The Somfy 12V DC Reloadable Battery Tube (9018685) takes 8 AA lithium batteries, sold separately. Somfy states that alkaline and rechargeable AA cells are not approved for this tube. Load new cells as a full set and do not mix old and new ones. The Somfy 8 AA Lithium Battery Package (9014834) holds the right count for one tube.
Does the 9018685 wand work with a Li-ion WireFree motor?
Not with a motor that has an embedded Li-ion cell. Those motors recharge through a charging port and have no external battery lead. The wand fits Somfy WireFree motors sold as External Battery versions, including the Roll Up 28 V2, Sonesse 28 WireFree, Cord Lift CL32 and TLW25, and the Tilt 50 Through-Shaft. Check the motor label before ordering.
How much space does the battery wand need?
The tube measures 17.76 inches long. Somfy asks for at least one inch of additional space behind the window covering inside the opening. Place the clips about 3 inches from each end of the tube. If the tube sits more than 10 inches from the shade's power cable, Somfy calls for an extension cable.
Can one shade run on two battery wands?
Yes. Somfy's Y Harness for Dual Reloadable Battery Tube (9018625) is a 25 cm Y cable that connects two wands to one motor lead. Somfy lists it for the same external-battery WireFree motors as the wand. Allow mounting room for both tubes and a second pair of clips along the head of the opening.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
