Short answer: The "74300" on a Somfy motor is part of Somfy's address. Somfy's registered office sits at 50 avenue du Nouveau Monde, 74300 Cluses, France, and Somfy's own documents name the manufacturer as "Somfy SAS, F-74300 CLUSES". It identifies the maker, not the motor. To identify the motor, read the Somfy reference number and model code printed on the same label.
Search "Somfy 74300 motor" and you will find auction listings that use the number as a model name. A seller photographs the label, sees 74300 beside the Somfy name, and puts it in the title. The listings that follow describe a 28 Nm roll-up motor, a 535A2 Altus RTS, a 404S2 Sonesse and a remote, all under the same five digits. The number sits on a wide range of Somfy parts, so it cannot tell you which one you own.
This guide shows you how to read the rest of the label and match your motor to a current replacement in our range of genuine Somfy motors.
F-74300 Cluses is Somfy's home address
Somfy started in Cluses, in the French Alps, and the group still keeps its registered office there. Somfy's legal notices list SOMFY ACTIVITES SA at 50 avenue du Nouveau Monde, 74300 Cluses, France. The French public company register files Somfy SA and Somfy Activités SA under the same 74300 postal code.
The "F-" in front of the number is the country prefix for France. Somfy's installation guides use the same form in their declarations, naming "Somfy SAS, F-74300 CLUSES" as the manufacturer. The same address appears on Somfy labels and paperwork, so it turns up on parts of every size and type.
Searches for "somfy f74300" and "somfy 74300 france" lead to the same answer. The motor was made by Somfy, and the model is somewhere else on the label.
Where the part number and model code sit on the label
A Somfy motor label carries more useful data than the address. Look for these marks, in this order of value:
- The seven-digit Somfy reference. Current US motor references run seven digits, such as 1001809 for the Sonesse 506S2 RTS or 1038170 for the Altus RTS 550R2. This number is the single best key for a replacement.
- The model code. A string such as 506S2, 525A2 or 550R2 gives the platform and torque, plus a speed class.
- Torque and speed. Somfy's part descriptions write them as a pair, for example 50/14 for 50 Nm at 14 rpm.
- The control family. RTS, Zigbee, RS485 or a plain wired name tells you how the motor takes commands.
- Voltage and frequency. US motors read 120V at 60Hz. A label reading 230V at 50Hz marks a European motor.
The label sits on the motor body, and the body sits inside the roller tube, so you usually read it after the motor comes out. Awning labels fade after years of sun. Take a phone photo in raking light before you remove anything. The reference often survives even when the model name has worn off.
Decode the model code once you find it
Somfy model codes follow a fixed pattern: platform digit, torque in newton-metres, a speed letter, then the generation. Our Somfy motor model codes explained guide covers the full pattern. These four codes cover a large share of the residential motors you will find on a label.
| 404S2 | Sonesse 40 platform, 4 Nm (35 in-lb), 36 rpm, 1.46 in minimum tube inside diameter |
| 506S2 | Sonesse 50 platform, 6 Nm (53 in-lb), 32 rpm, interior roller shades |
| 525A2 | LT50 platform, 25 Nm (221 in-lb), 20 rpm, 1.85 in minimum tube inside diameter |
| 550R2 | LT50 platform, 50 Nm (443 in-lb), 14 rpm, 1.85 in minimum tube inside diameter |
The model code describes the mechanism. It does not name the control system, so a 506S2 exists in RTS, RS485 and plain wired versions with the same torque and speed. Pair the code with the control family on the label before you order.
Match your label to a current Somfy motor
If the seven-digit reference is legible, search our catalog for it. Each listing carries the Somfy reference in its title, so an exact match brings up one product.
If you only have the model code and control family, the match is still clear for the common motors:
- A 404S2 RTS on a small interior shade matches the Somfy Sonesse 404S2 RTS Motor with Fast Connector (1240380).
- A 506S2 RTS on a living room roller shade matches the Somfy Sonesse 506S2 RTS 120V Motor (1001809).
- A 525A2 RTS on a cassette awning or zip screen points to the Somfy 525A2 Altus RTS 120V Motor (1043423).
- A 550R2 RTS on a large retractable awning or exterior screen points to the Somfy Altus RTS 550R2 (1038170), which delivers 50 Nm at 14 rpm.
Somfy engineers each platform around a tube size, which keeps a like-for-like swap easy to plan. A 550R2 replaces a 550R2 in the same tube with the same crown and drive. Match the head type as well, and the existing bracket stays.
No readable label: identify the motor by fit
A missing label slows the job but does not stop it. Four measurements get you to the right Somfy motor.
- Measure the tube inside diameter. Somfy publishes a minimum for each platform: 1.13 in for Sonesse 30, 1.46 in for Sonesse 40, 1.85 in for LT50 and 2.37 in for LT60.
- Look at the motor head. Somfy uses star, round, square and CMO heads, and the bracket has to match. Photograph the head where it meets the bracket.
- Count the conductors in the cable. Somfy's 120V RTS motors carry the receiver inside and run on three conductors. A standard wired motor runs on four, with separate up and down leads to a switch.
- Size the torque to the load. Our guide on how to size a Somfy shade motor works from fabric weight and shade size.
With those four answers, the Somfy install guide and databook for the matching family confirm the fit. You can find them in our Somfy spec sheets, manuals and databooks library.
Programming a remote to a motor labeled 74300
The 74300 on the label does not change the pairing procedure. The control family does. An RTS motor pairs with Somfy RTS remotes through the PROG button on a remote that already controls it, and our walkthrough on how to pair, add and delete a Somfy RTS remote follows Somfy's published steps.
A single-channel handheld such as the Somfy Situo 1 RTS Pure II remote (1870571) suits one motor or one group. A Zigbee motor needs a Zigbee control instead, and a plain wired motor has no receiver at all. If an existing remote has stopped responding, work through the Somfy remote troubleshooting checklist before replacing any part.
Programming steps vary by motor generation and remote model. Check the motor's install guide in the spec library before you start.
Sources: Somfy Group legal notices (registered office, 50 avenue du Nouveau Monde, 74300 Cluses, France); the French public company register entries for Somfy SA and Somfy Activités SA; the Somfy Maestria WT installation guide declaration naming "Somfy SAS, F-74300 CLUSES"; Somfy product records on somfypro.com for references 1240380, 1001809, 1043423 and 1038170.
Frequently asked questions
Is 74300 a Somfy model number?
No. 74300 is the postal code of Cluses, France, where Somfy keeps its registered office at 50 avenue du Nouveau Monde. It identifies Somfy as the manufacturer and appears across many different products. Your motor's model sits elsewhere on the label, as a seven-digit reference such as 1001809 and a model code such as 506S2.
What does F74300 mean on a Somfy motor?
The F is the country prefix for France, and 74300 is the postal code of Cluses. Somfy's own installation guides name the manufacturer as "Somfy SAS, F-74300 CLUSES". Read past it to the reference number and model code, which tell you the platform, torque, speed and control system of the motor you own.
Can I order a replacement using only the 74300 number?
No, since the number matches the manufacturer, not the part. Look for the seven-digit Somfy reference on the label and search our catalog for it. If the label has faded, measure the tube inside diameter, photograph the motor head, count the cable conductors and note the shade size, then match those to a current Somfy motor.
My label says 230V 50Hz. Will a US Somfy motor replace it?
A 230V 50Hz label marks a European Somfy motor. US homes need a 120V 60Hz motor. The model code still helps: a 525A2 or 550R2 torque rating carries across, and the tube platform tells you which crown and drive fit. Match the torque, head type and tube, then choose a 120V Somfy motor that fits all of them.
Shade Motors Direct is an authorized source for genuine Somfy motorized window shade, blind, and drapery parts.
