Hard-Wired or Battery Operated? Which is the Best Blind for You?
An electric blind not only gives your room an air of sophistication and elegance, but is also very practical for difficult windows that are high up or hard to reach as they can be operated by a simple click of a switch. Once you have decided an electric blind is the way forward, you will need to decide whether it is best to have one that is wired into your mains electricity – otherwise known as hardwired, or to have one that is battery operated.
Why Choose a Hard Wired Blind?
There are plenty of advantages of a blind that is connected to your mains electricity; the fact the blinds are connected is the first one. There will be a constant source of power, which is beneficial if the blind is high up or difficult to reach, as you won’t have to worry about changing the batteries. They can come with an app that will allow you to have pre-set times for the blinds to open and close.
You do have to consider a mains source of power when installing a hardwired blind. They can be connected up to a power socket, if there is one nearby, otherwise a switch with a 5-amp fuse is fitted. These blinds are very energy efficient and will not be a drain on your electricity bill.
The hardwired blind is also very good for larger windows, as the motor that rolls the blinds will need to pull slightly more power– the bigger the blind, the harder the motor has to work. This leads on to the other advantage, which is the blinds will be raised and lowered simultaneously, good if you have more than one blind.
As the description suggests there will be wires involved. If you are starting a renovation or building project the wiring for the blind can be factored into the build and will make the installation easier. You could have the wires chased into the wall to make them disappear, but it is a long and fairly messy job. Or they could be discreetly tacked down and hidden as best as possible. How ever the wires are dealt with, it will add to the installation time and costs, making the hardwired blind a bit more expensive.
What about a Battery Operated Blind?
The battery operated blind runs on a D-Cell battery and will last for approximately 5 years with normal usage. The main and obvious advantage of this blind is there are very little installation hassles. There are no wires to be hidden or chased into the wall, which arguably makes it safer. The motor and the battery house is hidden up on the roller. However, the batteries will need to be changed, and it is something you will need to consider on installation, especially if the blind is high – or dangerous to reach. Although the easier installation will mean the cost of it will be lower.
Installing a battery operated blind will also mean that you don’t have to consider how you will connect the blind to the mains power.
Whilst the battery operated blind almost does the same thing as the mains powered blind, the D-Cell battery is not quite powerful enough to pull very large blinds. If you have a very large window and would like the easier installation, you could consider having a number of smaller blinds installed, rather than one large one.
The differences in the batteries can often mean there will be some variation to the speed which the blinds are raised and lowered, and can result in your blinds not raising together. However, they take little power to operate, making them more energy efficient.
There are no two ways about it electric blinds, whether they are hard wired or battery operated, are reliable, safe and quiet to use. They both serve the same purpose and tick the same boxes, but the choice between hard wired and battery operation depends wholly on the size of your blinds and where you will be placing them. You can decide how many are being installed and whether it is important to you if they all raise and lower at the same speed. Which ever you choose it will be a sophisticated addition to your room.