Hello there,
I’m looking to automate curtains and blinds in my home and particularly use Google home or/and Home assistant for automation.
Could you please recommend good models/brands that do motors, etc? The quality and look is priority over price but of course price matters.
Also how does it usually work with power for motors? Do i need to get special socket nearby or do they usually use solar batteries and how reliable it can be in the UK in winter on north facing window for example?
Sorry if some questions sound naive, I’m just starting and appreciate any input and directions. Any advice, good resources or videos on this topic are very welcome.
I wouldn’t bother with solar for inside blinds as the anti UV protection most glass comes with will make the panels very inefficient (esp. for the North facing windows in the UK in winter ). I’m making my own atm based on https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2392856 - however this is for roller blinds. There are others for Venetian type or the curtian or the office long blind type. It depends on whether you want an off the self solution or homemade .
thanks @keithh666 this looks pretty cool. It doesnt matter whether solution is hand made or off the shelf - have time to play with it if necessary. What matters is reliability, low level of noise, and how all that look all together.
I am using this motor for my curtains, it’s a little noisy but it’s not like you are opening and closing your curtains every five mins…
I have the PSU plugged into a WiFI plug socket, you do have to cut the power to the PSU for the motor to run in the other direction but a simple automation solves that.
automations.yaml
# Due to curtain controller needing to be turned off in order for it to run again
# a timer is setup to automaticaly turn it off, so it can run again with same call
- alias: Bedroom Curtains
trigger:
- platform: state
entity_id: switch.BedroomCurtains
to: 'on'
action:
- delay: '00:00:10'
- service: switch.turn_off
entity_id: switch.BedroomCurtains
I then just call that one automation to both open and close the curtains.
I’m running somfy roller curtains in combination with an rflink controller. Scripted with node-red to drop down if the sun gets to hot on the windows, or after sun goes down for privacy
They are 100% reliable, but motors still make a bit of noise, don’t think there are completely silent engines.
Quite big blinds are possible(I got one 9 on 7 feet window on them)
Available from poweredblinds.co.uk (dunno if this is allowed).
They are quite pricey though, but the quality of the motors/material is worth the price imo .
Also, u can run them on battery/sun/ac, 1 ac-adapter can feed 2 curtains if u manually rewire them.
Just don’t buy their somfy automation junk buy a remote and configure an rflink/trx433 with the covers ^^
A zwave adapter module exists, but I never found a EU version of it…
Hi @Wim_L thanks a lot for that. I think this sounds as a perfect option in my case and im going to try it. However looking at the website i’ve got few questions about curtains/blinds and wonder if you could help with some of them please?
Can i use my own material or does it have to be their for blinds and curtains? I didn’t find any option to buy only techical parts so far. If it has to be theirs is it easy to replace it afterwards?
You mentioned that curtains can work on solar battery but i only can see solar battery in their blinds pack. And for curtains it seems to be only mains. Is there any workaround to use solar panel for curtains?
-As per the blinds when using solar panels are they stay inside or outside? And if inside are they still able to accumulate enough energy?
Is it easy to hide away under the curtain that huge motor on the side?
I can only speak of the roller blinds.
The material can be replaced, its just some kind of tape holding it.
(order free samples!)
Solar units are placed on the inside, they should charge enough, But a north faced window in the middle winter is rly worst case scenario so I’d ask them first.
Audible, but not loud enough to bother you too much… I don’t think you would get away with it in a bedroom not waking you before the light woke you though if that’s the plan…
). I’m making my own atm based on 
.
, so I’ve built my own now