Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)First off, Sunsetter advertise their awnings as easy to install projects.Securing such heavy attachments to a side of a house is not easy!For example, one has to drill through stucco, brick or whatever the exterior of the house may be.When making those drill holes, one has to make sure that they are centered on a beam or joist.The weight of the product is another reason why installation isn't so easy.A 15ft or longer awning would require a lot of effort to lift it to a height of about nine feet and securing it, perhaps three very good ladders and three strong individuals.
I bought Sunsetter's 18ft motorized awning at the end of season, perhaps October, when there was a good discount at Costco.Besides the not so easy installation process, setting up the awning after installation was a pain.One has to manually open the "motorized" awning to set the open limit and then manually retract it to set the close limit.Manually operating the awning, especially when closing it, can take a lot of efforts.It's really frustrating if the limits were not set correctly the first time and have to be done again, manually.And after setting the limits, it only takes about two consecutive openings and closings to overheat the motor, which would prevent it from operating for perhaps 15 minutes.
As I bought the awning at the end of the season, I only tested it after installation to make sure that it worked, and it seemed to have worked.In the spring, I powered it up for another test run.It opened up ok but when it retracted, it went halfway in but then reversed itself and then stopped opening or closing.Though the awning neither open nor close, the motor kept on running, not with a humming sound but a louder irritating noise.I contacted customer service and long story short, the representative said that I have to pay for the shipping costs of a replacement motor, for a $2000 awning that I've never used.Also, Sunsetter doesn't trust their customers to return the damaged parts so they went ahead and charge customers for the parts and then give a refund when they received the parts; would have been better business if they have more faith in customers and only charge customers if the parts are not returned, say within three weeks.Sunsetter's representative also said that any little moisture can damage the motor.Wow, it's not as though I brought an awning designed for indoors outside!I didn't want to ask if the motor is supposed to be sealed, thinking that I won't be happy with his answer anyway.
Anyway, below are a few of my concerns for those considering a motorized awning.
***Easy installation is really stretching the truth.Assembling an office desk is easy; installing something heavy to a stucco or brick house is not.
***Consider the angle of the sun and make an estimate to determine how much shade you're really gaining.It'll help cool down my house but it offers limited shade below the awning, say about a third or fourth of the area below is unprotected in mid summer.
***I am not the only one who has had trouble with the motor, within the first year.The motor offers convenience when it works but many people are quite happy with manual awnings.
***Even though the awnings are made of "light weight" materials, it's still quite heavy and exert a lot of torque when fully opened, therefore, can put a lot of stresses on the side of the house.Needless to say, there are customers who have had their awnings collapsing or who have had damages to the side of their houses.I am quite weary myself when my awning is fully opened, especially on days with some breeze.
***Perhaps most important, one can't simply return it if not satisfied.Assuming that it could be returned, the house has been damaged with the holes.
Click Here to see more reviews about:
Sunsetter Retractable Awning - Motorized Pro 15ft. (Cream) (15' wide x 10' extension)Product Description: The Sunsetter Motorized Pro retractable patio awning instantly creates shade, protection and comfort anytime you want!With a touch of a button, the deck awing can make your deck as much as 20 degreescooler, while guarding you, your family, and guests from harmful UV rays.This porch awning can also lower your home's air conditioning bill by shading windows from direct sunlight.This house awning fits under eaves and overhangs as low as 7'6" and extends out 10' 2" for instant shade.No vertical arms or braces to block your view, and the awning fabric is 100% waterproof!The aircraft quality aluminum arms won't rust or corrode, because of baked-on enamel cream colored finish.The awning canopy is made of 5-layers of Acrylic, Dacron and color pigmentation to provide ultimate resistance to fading, mildew, UV rays, and harsh weathering.The window awning can be installed on any kind of siding, including wood, masonry, brick, aluminum and vinyl.It simply plugs into any standard outlet, so no electrician is needed for installation!The quite, SOMFY motor is hidden inside the awning roller and crank override is included in case of a power outage.A handy remote control allows you to adjust your awning and unroll it in less than one minute!Plus, a built-in weather breaker (included) rolls down with ease to provide additional shade when the sun gets low or a breeze rolls in.See related items below for awning accessories. Please Note:Because installation of the"
Want to read more honest consumer review about Sunsetter Retractable Awning - Motorized Pro 15ft. (Cream) (15' wide x 10' extension) now ?
