Awning does not retract

Much like awnings that won’t extend, non-retracting awnings are also reasons to search for a recall. Should nothing pop up, it’s time to start troubleshooting your stuck awning. Here’s what to do:

1. Check to see if the awning is properly positioned on the rail. Both manual and electric awnings have difficulty retracting if they aren’t positioned evenly on the rail. Are the awning arms stretching the fabric evenly, keeping things parallel? If not, you may need to call a service group or manually shift the awning over to fix it.
2. Check the screws on the awning chords. Can you move the awning’s chords? If so, that’s not a good sign. This suggests that your chords’ screws are loose, which could be interfering with your awning.
3. Move the awning’s arms. If your awning’s arms aren’t moving parallel to each other and working smoothly, then this could be a sign that you need awning arm repair. If they’re just rusty, using some WD-40 can help.
4. Look at the fabric. If you left your awning open during heavy rain, there’s a chance your fabric may have gotten warped as a result of water and debris accumulation. The only fix to warped fabric is to replace your awning’s fabric.
5. Check your awning’s fuses, wiring, and circuit breakers. Much like an awning that won’t extend, electrical issues can also cause an awning to be unable to retract.
6. If your motor runs and you don’t see improvement, get a professional to check the motor. It could be a broken piece in your motor, or it could be something else entirely. That being said, this is highly unusual.