Frequently Asked QuestionsTelephone calls from customers have identified some common problems encountered when they try to design, install, or troubleshoot their Wintrol M2100 Window / Skylight Motorizing System. These frequently asked questions explain some of the problems, why the problems occur, and provide an answer to your questions. Designing Your Motorizing SystemInstallation
TroubleshootingI'd like to motorize my skylight, casement window, and/or awning window but I don't know where to start. Can you at least give me a starting point? This seems to be one of the most commonly asked questions from people who want to motorize and/or automate their windows and skylights. You should download and print the following documents. They are in Adobe PDF format and require Adobe's free Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader you can download it from Adobe's website.
After you have printed the documents you can use them to help you determine if your windows and skylights can be motorized and also pick the components you need for your window and skylight motorizing systems. After you have planned your motorizing system and identified all of the components for your system come back to our website to place your order. That's it in a nutshell: plan your system, pick the window and/or skylight motorizing kit, and finally select the items to control the motors. If you ever need help you can always contact us with this form or send an e-mail to and we'll help you select the items for your motorizing system. Where can I go to download your installation instructions, manuals, and guidelines? These are the current installation instructions, manuals, and guidelines that we have. All of these documents are in Adobe PDF format and require Adobe's free Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader you can download it from Adobe's website.
I wired everything like it says in the installation instructions but when I try to use the switch nothing happens. What's wrong? Note: In this FAQ the term "Control Switch" refers to either the LC-I Control Switch or the LC-II Control Switch. The most common cause of this problem is when you wired the motorizing system with the power on. This is referred to as "wiring hot". Since the motorizing system is low voltage (24 VAC and 24 VDC) most installers know there is no risk of electrical shock once the transformer is wired to 120 VAC. However, this is a problem for the motorized system because of the way the Control Switch works. The first job of the Control Switch is to determine how many and what type of motors (standard motors, skylight motors, and motorized locks) are to be controlled. To accomplish this, the microcontroller in the Control Switch immediately sends out a signal at power-up to determine this information. The problem shows up when the motorizing system is wired hot because the motors have not been connected to the Control Switch yet so the microcontroller thinks there are no motors to control. The solution is to turn the power off, wait about 30 seconds, and then turn the power back on. When power is reapplied the Control Switch goes through its normal motor detection and initialization sequence. I wired everything like it says in the installation instructions but when I apply power the motor runs continuously. What's going on? Note: In this FAQ the term "Control Switch" refers to either the LC-I Control Switch or the LC-II Control Switch. Sometimes you just can't refuse the temptation to test the motor before mounting it to the window/skylight operating hardware. This is a problem because when power is applied the Control Switch sets up its operating parameters during it initial start-up procedure. In order to correctly determine the operating parameters the motors must be connected to the operating hardware. If the motors are not connected to the operating hardware the Control Switch can't find any hardware limits and the motor will run continuously in one direction. During the initial start-up procedure, the Control Switch ignores any switch inputs until the start-up procedure is completed. The solution is to turn the power off for at least 30 seconds, mount the motors to the window/skylight operating hardware, and then turn the power back on. When power is reapplied the Control Switch goes through its normal motor detection and initialization sequence. Why won't my window open to its full open position? Note: In this FAQ the term "Control Switch" refers to either the LC-I Control Switch or the LC-II Control Switch. The purpose of the Control Switch's start-up procedure is to learn the limits of the window/skylight operating hardware. Correct operation of the Control Switch depends on a successful start-up procedure. During the start-up procedure the Control Switch times the open and close movement and once these times are determined the Control Switch can establish the proper venting position. Except for skylights, the relationship between the opening/closing time and window position is not linear. The venting position for a casement or awning window is roughly 70% of the opening time - not 70% of the window's full open position. Window position will also vary between casement and awning windows with different types of operating hardware. As a note, a casement or awning window can be manually opened to its full open position by holding the Control Switch's "Open" button after the normal open vent position is obtained. Can I use my motorized window as an egress window? Wintrol does not recommend the use of our M2100 Motorizing System for Windows and Skylights on any egress window or skylight - even with the use of a battery backup system. My system used to work but now everything seems to be dead. What can I do to isolate the problem? There can be many reasons why your once-working window or skylight motorizing system no longer works - too many reasons to list here. You should download the Troubleshoot Dead System (1.67MB) guideline to help you isolate the problem with your window and skylight motorizing system. The guideline is in Adobe PDF format and requires Adobe's free Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader you can download it from Adobe's website. |
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