Electric curtain tracks

What is an electric curtain track?

An electric track is a ceiling track with a built-in motor that opens and closes the curtains. The motor sits at the end of the track and pulls the gliders along it. The motors are Brel Home, and the price with fitting and programming is from €170 per metre.

The motor is powered by a 230 V cable run in the ceiling to the top of the window, or by a battery charged with the maker's charger. A remote controls the motor directly; for the app, schedules and voice control the motor needs Wi-Fi: the Wi-Fi motor (BG-980) has it, and a Brel Home Box hub brings in the other motors. If the track is to be hidden in a ceiling recess, plan the power outlet inside the recess, 10–15 cm from its end.

What are the advantages of an electric track?

Control by remote, switch, app or voice: the remote from the sofa, the app from the office, a spoken command from bed, all working the same motor.

Heavy and long curtains: the motor draws a light sheer and a heavy lined curtain across a whole window wall at an even pace, so the fabric does not rub and the pleats do not crease.

Schedules and scenes: the curtains close at sunset and open at sunrise, and scenes can be set for leaving, coming home or watching a film.

Which motor: one-way, two-way or battery?

All three are Brel Home motors on the same track; they differ in how the curtain opens and where the motor gets its power. The table gives the price of the shortest track, motor included.

The two-way motor suits most windows. A one-way motor is chosen when the curtain is drawn to one side, for example beside a balcony door. The battery version is for renovations where a cable can no longer be run; it has to be charged with the maker's charger from time to time.

How much does an electric track cost, by length?

The price depends on the length and the type of motor. The table shows the track with its motor; the remote costs €74, programming the motor €20, and fitting €15 per metre for a track up to 3 m and €17 per metre for a longer one. A window longer than 8 m needs two motors.

For example, a 4 m track with a two-way motor costs €531, or €625 with the remote and the programming, before fitting. The exact price is given after measuring.

What are the specifications of the Brel Home electric track?

The figures in the maker's manuals for the Brel Home BG-980 and BGLE-980 motors, to use when you plan the curtain fabric. The track length is the range of our sets, not a Brel figure.

How is an electric track controlled?

A remote: works by radio. A Brel 15-channel remote runs several motors (the maker advises one motor per channel), and channel 0 runs them all together. It suits anyone who does not want an app.

A wall switch: wired to the motor's switch port (the BG-980 and BGLE-980 manuals), so a cable has to be run to the motor. Brel also makes a battery-powered radio wall transmitter.

An app (Wi-Fi): the Wi-Fi motor (BG-980) joins the home network by itself, with no hub; a radio motor (BGLE-980, BG-45) is brought onto it by a Brel Home Box. The app then sets timed functions and scenes.

Voice control: in the maker's manual the Brel Home app links to Siri, Google Home and Alexa. If your home already runs another smart-home system, compatibility is checked before you order, not after fitting.

Joining a smart-home system

An electric track can join the same system as the lighting and the heating, so the curtains close with an evening scene and open in the morning. Know beforehand which system you use, and either provide a 230 V cable or choose a battery motor.

What to decide during the renovation, and how to combine curtains, roman blinds and roller blinds in one system, is covered in separate guides.

Five common mistakes with electric tracks

These five most often cost money or make the track less reliable.

1. Forgetting the 230 V cable during a renovation. Once the ceiling is closed the cable cannot be run, and only a battery motor is left. The fix: during the renovation, bring a cable to the top of the window or into the ceiling recess, 10–15 cm from its end.

2. A fabric too heavy for the motor. The maker allows up to 40 kg of curtains on a Brel motor, so work out the weight of a long, heavy blackout curtain beforehand. The fix: two motors and two tracks for a heavy fabric on a very long window.

3. A weak Wi-Fi signal at the window. The Wi-Fi motor (BG-980) works on a 2.4 GHz network, and a motor without Wi-Fi is brought onto the network by a Brel Home Box; if the signal at the window or the box is weak, the app will not see the motor. The fix: check the Wi-Fi signal at the window before fitting.

4. Hiding the track in a suspended ceiling with no access. The motor may need servicing one day, and without a hatch the ceiling would have to be taken apart. The fix: when the suspended ceiling is built, leave a 30 cm × 30 cm service hatch directly under the motor.

5. Forgetting to charge the battery. When the battery runs flat, the curtain stops where it is. The fix: put a charging reminder in the calendar, or choose a wired motor while a cable can still be run.

How is an electric track fitted and set up?

The track and the motor are fitted, the end positions set, the remote paired and, if needed, the app connected. From order confirmation to installation takes 1–2 weeks. Motors and mechanisms carry a 24-month warranty, and tracks 12 months.

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