Re-tensioning Skylight Rollers ?

[hereticus]

Some advise please !

I have a customer with a Skylight Roller which has lost its tension. I don't want to return it to the factory for repair because the customer really does need it at the window in the meantime. I therefore emailed Service Support to ask how to re-tension it and (full marks to them) they have replied to advise that 'you just pull it right down as far as possible until it won't go any further, then let it roll back up, and this will re-tension it.

Sounds good to me, but has anybody actually done it, and how ?

I don't see how you can pull it all the way down in situ, but if you take it out of the side frame it can't be pulled because there is no lock on the roller pins. All I can think of is to take down the whole blind, assemble in the side channels on a flat surface, and get an extra pair of hands to hold it in place whilst pulling the blind out fully. Easier said then done ! Any ideas please ?

[RED]

hereticus said:

Some advise please !

I have a customer with a Skylight Roller which has lost its tension. I don't want to return it to the factory for repair because the customer really does need it at the window in the meantime. I therefore emailed Service Support to ask how to re-tension it and (full marks to them) they have replied to advise that 'you just pull it right down as far as possible until it won't go any further, then let it roll back up, and this will re-tension it.

Sounds good to me, but has anybody actually done it, and how ?

I don't see how you can pull it all the way down in situ, but if you take it out of the side frame it can't be pulled because there is no lock on the roller pins. All I can think of is to take down the whole blind, assemble in the side channels on a flat surface, and get an extra pair of hands to hold it in place whilst pulling the blind out fully. Easier said then done ! Any ideas please ?

You are correct Mike. You can not simply pull the blind down and it retentions it.
In my experience, the only way has been to take the roller out of the frame mechanism. Then using a pair of mole grips tighten the spring loaded mechanism. Take care though as if you let it go it will just unwind all the way and you are back to square one.
Once you have a bit more tension on it, just slowly let the mole grips go back-wards until you feel the spring has locked in to place.
Only then can you release the grips off the roller mechanism.
All a bit easier to say than to do. Have fun and take some Valium 1 hour before attempting this maneuver.

Red