Roller Shutter Won't
Close Or Open?
The five faults behind almost every jammed shutter, what you can safely check yourself, and what needs an engineer. Written by the people who fix them across Yorkshire, day and night.
Safe To Check
Before You
Ring Anyone.
Three checks are safe to do yourself and occasionally save a callout. Is the power on — has a breaker tripped or a fuse blown? Is there anything obvious jammed in the guide rails, like stones, packaging or a bent slat edge? And does the shutter move at all on the manual override?
Stop there. Anything involving the counterbalance springs, the barrel or the motor housing is a job for an engineer — those springs hold enough tension to cause a serious injury if they let go while you're working near them. If the three checks come back clear, the fault is mechanical or electrical and it needs someone out.
Moves On Manual Only
Almost always electrical — motor, capacitor, control box or key switch.
Won't Move At All
Usually mechanical — snapped spring, seized barrel or a shutter out of its guides.
Grinding Or Dragging
Worn bearings or damaged guides. It will fail completely soon; get it looked at first.
Reverses On Closing
A failed safety edge or dirty photocells telling the shutter the opening isn't clear.
The Usual Culprits
What's Actually
Gone Wrong.
In our experience these five account for the overwhelming majority of shutters that stop moving.
Motor Or Capacitor Failure
The shutter hums, clicks or does nothing at all, but the manual override still works. A worn motor or a failed capacitor — a same-visit fix in most cases.
Snapped Counterbalance Spring
Often a loud bang, then a shutter that's suddenly far too heavy or crashes down. Never attempt this one yourself; the tension involved is genuinely dangerous.
Jammed Or Damaged Guide Rails
Debris, corrosion or a knock from a vehicle pulls the curtain out of line. It binds, drags and eventually stops part-way.
Bent Slats Or Bottom Rail
Usually forced entry or impact damage. The shutter won't seat properly and won't lock, so the premises aren't secure even when it looks shut.
Failed Safety Edge Or Photocell
The shutter starts to close then reverses. The sensor thinks something is in the way — sometimes just dirt, sometimes a genuine failure.
Stuck Open Right Now?
If the building is exposed, don't wait until morning. Ring 07492 737 695 — we'll make the premises secure first, then repair the fault.
Call Now — 07492 737 695Where We Repair
Faults Fixed
Across Yorkshire.
Need someone out tonight? See our 24-hour emergency callout, or call 07492 737 695.
Fault FAQ
Questions We Get
On The Phone.
Repair Enquiries
Tell Us What
It's Doing.
Describe the symptom — humming, grinding, stuck part-way, reversing — and we can usually narrow the fault down before an engineer even sets off.
07492 737 695