Somfy 515S2 RH LT50 Wired Motor Torque and Tube Fit

Tube diameter decides whether this motor goes in. The Somfy 515S2 RH asks for a tube with 1.85 inches of clear internal diameter, and Somfy publishes the motor body at 1.97 inches across the barrel. Measure the tube first. Torque comes second.

Pick the 515S2 RH by tube and torque

The 515S2 RH is a 120V AC tubular motor in Somfy's LT50 range, rated 15 Nm at 38 rpm. RH marks the round motor head. Somfy builds this reference as a standard 4-wire unit, which puts a wired switch or a third-party relay in charge of it. No radio receiver sits inside the tube.

15 Nm handles mid-weight exterior solar screens and interior shades on a 2 inch or 2.5 inch tube. Fabric weight, drop and tube deflection set the load the motor sees, and a shade that stalls a 15 Nm unit wants the 20 Nm 520R2 in its place. 38 rpm sits at the fast end of the LT50 wired range, which earns its keep on tall screens where a slow motor turns every close into a wait.

Somfy publishes this reference for exterior solar screens, interior window coverings and retractable insect screens. Contractors specify it on pre-construction jobs, where the low-voltage and line-voltage runs go in while the walls stand open and the control choice waits until the switch goes on the wall.

The round head changes the bracket order, not the shade order. A round collar needs a bracket pocket cut for a round collar. Confirm the head shape on the label before the brackets ship.

Verified specs for reference 1040061

Those figures come from Somfy's own catalog entry for reference 1040061. Two of them carry the buying decision on their own: 1.85 inches of tube and 15 Nm of torque.

Round head mounting and bracket fit

Somfy names the LT50 Universal Motor Bracket (9410665) as a fit for reference 1040061 in its own catalog entry for that bracket. Somfy rates that bracket to 25 Nm of motor torque and a system load of 126 pounds, builds it in zinc-plated steel, and gives it horizontal and vertical adjustment. A 15 Nm motor sits inside that ceiling with margin left over.

Star head brackets take a different collar pattern. They will not seat a round head, and forcing one risks the head casting. Order the bracket against the head you hold.

Somfy allows six orientations for the motor head, which gives the installer room to clear a reveal, a fascia or a pocket wall without moving the bracket plate.

Crowns and drives that seat on an LT50 tube

The crown centers the motor at the far end of the tube and the drive wheel carries torque from the head into the tube wall. Both parts have to match the tube profile. A 2.5 inch round tube takes the LT50 2.5" Round Crown and Drive Set (9012231), and a 70mm octagonal tube takes the Octagonal LT50 70mm Crown and Drive Set (9012234).

Mixing profiles costs a return trip. A round drive in an octagonal tube spins against the flats and chews the plastic, and an octagonal drive will not enter a round tube at all. Match the set to the tube you measured, then dry-fit the assembly on the bench before the shade goes up on the brackets.

Wiring and limit setting on a 4-wire motor

Somfy supplies this reference with an SJTW cable, four conductors, 9.84 feet long, and the cable detaches at the motor head. That detail matters on a retrofit where the existing run sits short of the head or where a cable takes damage during framing. The installer swaps the cable instead of the motor.

Control comes from a maintained wired switch or a relay output. An automation panel with dry relay contacts drives the motor the same way a wall switch does, which opens a path into third-party control without a Somfy radio receiver in the circuit.

Somfy rates the mechanical limit switch at 46 turns of the tube, with repeatability of plus or minus 5. Count the turns your shade needs across its full drop and keep the total under that ceiling. Thermal protection runs for 4 minutes of continuous travel, long enough for any shade on a single tube and short of what a stuck shade needs to cook the windings.

Order the 515S2 RH and the parts around it

The Somfy 515S2 RH 120V 4-Wire Motor (1040061) ships as a genuine Somfy unit with the 5-year wired warranty. Pair it with a crown and drive set cut for your tube profile, a bracket rated past 15 Nm, and a maintained switch or relay at the control end.

Builders ordering several openings at once hold a spare crown and drive set on the truck. Tube profiles vary across a single job, and the second set costs less than the second trip.

Frequently asked questions

What tube size fits the Somfy 515S2 RH?

Somfy publishes a minimum internal tube diameter of 1.85 inches for reference 1040061. The motor body measures 1.97 inches across and the external diameter runs 1.77 inches. Tubes of 2 inches round, 2.5 inches round and 70mm octagonal all work with the matching LT50 crown and drive set.

How much torque does the 515S2 RH produce?

Somfy rates it at 15 Nm, which converts to 133 in-lb, at 38 rpm. That figure covers mid-weight exterior solar screens and interior shades. Heavier fabric or a long drop points to the 20 Nm 520R2 or a larger LT50 unit.

Which bracket fits a round head LT50 motor?

Somfy lists the LT50 Universal Motor Bracket 9410665 as compatible with reference 1040061. It carries motors to 25 Nm and a system load of 126 pounds, with horizontal and vertical adjustment. A star head bracket uses a different collar pattern and will not hold a round head.

Does the 515S2 RH work with a Somfy remote?

This reference is a standard 4-wire motor with no radio receiver inside it. A maintained wall switch or a relay output controls it. Jobs that want remote or app control run an RTS or Zigbee motor from the LT50 range instead, or add an external interface ahead of the switch leg.

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