🛠️ Overview
T-clips are small but crucial components that hold your pergola louvers in place. If clips are breaking, it often indicates an issue with alignment, calibration, or mechanical stress.
This guide walks you through the most frequent causes and step-by-step troubleshooting checks to help prevent future breakage.
1️⃣ Incorrect Louver Angle or Stroke Calibration
If the motor lifts louvers past their intended stop angle, it can create excessive stress on the plastic clips, causing them to snap.
The rotation arc may be overextended, applying upward pressure beyond the clip’s tolerance.
🔍 Troubleshooting:
Watch the louvers during operation — do they press upward or jam at the end of movement?
Look for signs of fatigue or torsion stress, such as cracking from rotational force rather than pulling.
2️⃣ Misaligned or Warped Beam/Track
Even small twists or uneven mounting can cause clips to bind or catch, forcing them to break under motion.
🔍 Troubleshooting:
Use a straight edge or laser line along the beam to check for dips, bows, or misalignment.
Run your fingers along the clip slots to feel for unevenness or twist.
Check if breakage happens only on specific beams or areas — this often points to a mounting or manufacturing defect.
3️⃣ Excessive Tightness or Friction
If louvers fit too tightly or clips grip too hard, minor misalignments can result in snapping instead of smooth motion.
🔍 Troubleshooting:
Remove 1–2 louvers and test insertion/removal force manually.
Rotate louvers by hand to feel for resistance or catching.
Inspect the louver ends and clip grooves for rough spots, burrs, or over-tight fits.
4️⃣ Improper Clip Placement or Quantity
Incorrect placement or too few clips can lead to uneven load distribution, putting excessive strain on certain clips.
🔍 Troubleshooting:
Check if broken clips always occur at the same position (e.g., first or last clip).
Measure spacing — clips should be centered and evenly distributed.
Off-center clips create torque stress and early fatigue.
5️⃣ Motor Torque Too High / Startup Shock
A motor that jerks suddenly into motion instead of ramping up smoothly can cause instant torque shock, snapping multiple clips at once.
🔍 Troubleshooting:
Observe the awning or pergola motor during startup — does it snap into motion, or ramp up gradually?
If movement begins abruptly, check for soft-start configuration or contact support for motor torque adjustment.