Fitted a nice set of vertical blinds in the bedroom, to replace curtains.

Very happy with my measurements and choice of material - quite the
candidate for automation.

However, there seems to be an ongoing issue with the little plastic
"chain" that connects the louvres at the bottom via the weighted inserts,

There are clips every "x" cm on the chain that are supposed to snap onto
a matching "bar" on the end of the weighted insert.

4 times I have put each one into position with a "snap" and 4 times over
a few days they start falling off.

Am I missing a trick here ? Is there a magic drop of something that will
prevent them falling off ?

Obviously when they're fitted they seem tight. So why are they then
falling off with seemingly no force ?

On 01/04/2024 14:48, Jethro_uk wrote:
> 4 times I have put each one into position with a "snap" and 4 times over
> a few days they start falling off.
>
> Am I missing a trick here ? Is there a magic drop of something that will
> prevent them falling off ?

We have several vertical blinds, and have no problem with the chains
falling off. On the chains, at regular intervals, there is a C bracket,
to latch on each weight. One problem we do have, is with one arm of the
C snapping off, when they become fragile, due to UV exposure.

Once a C is broken on the chain, it cannot be fixed or repaired, the
whole chain has to be replaced.

On Mon, 01 Apr 2024 15:22:18 +0100, Harry Bloomfield Esq wrote:

> On 01/04/2024 14:48, Jethro_uk wrote:
>> 4 times I have put each one into position with a "snap" and 4 times
>> over a few days they start falling off.
>>
>> Am I missing a trick here ? Is there a magic drop of something that
>> will prevent them falling off ?
>
> We have several vertical blinds, and have no problem with the chains
> falling off. On the chains, at regular intervals, there is a C bracket,
> to latch on each weight. One problem we do have, is with one arm of the
> C snapping off, when they become fragile, due to UV exposure.
>
> Once a C is broken on the chain, it cannot be fixed or repaired, the
> whole chain has to be replaced.

Yes - I have a few metres knocking around when I repaired our patio
blinds which suffered that.

And weirdly despite being used daily, the little "C" clips have stayed
firmly in place.

A visual inspection shows the weighted inserts and the "C" clips to be
identical in both instances. The only difference being the patio is c. 2m
drop and the bedroom just over 1m.

Harry Bloomfield Esq <a@harrym1byt.plus.com> wrote:
> On 01/04/2024 14:48, Jethro_uk wrote:
>> 4 times I have put each one into position with a "snap" and 4 times over
>> a few days they start falling off.
>>
>> Am I missing a trick here ? Is there a magic drop of something that will
>> prevent them falling off ?
>
> We have several vertical blinds, and have no problem with the chains
> falling off. On the chains, at regular intervals, there is a C bracket,
> to latch on each weight. One problem we do have, is with one arm of the
> C snapping off, when they become fragile, due to UV exposure.
>
> Once a C is broken on the chain, it cannot be fixed or repaired, the
> whole chain has to be replaced.
>

You can buy new weights ( the plastic bit with a weight, plastic ‘wings ‘,
weight cage, etc ) and cord with the C clips. As I recall, I bought the
last set off EBay. They come in different sizes.

As you say, the problem is exposure to Sunlight / uV. They go brittle.

On Mon, 1 Apr 2024 17:21:30 -0000 (UTC)
Brian <noinv@lid.org> wrote:

> Harry Bloomfield Esq <a@harrym1byt.plus.com> wrote:
> > On 01/04/2024 14:48, Jethro_uk wrote:
> >> 4 times I have put each one into position with a "snap" and 4
> >> times over a few days they start falling off.
> >>
> >> Am I missing a trick here ? Is there a magic drop of something
> >> that will prevent them falling off ?
> >
> > We have several vertical blinds, and have no problem with the
> > chains falling off. On the chains, at regular intervals, there is a
> > C bracket, to latch on each weight. One problem we do have, is with
> > one arm of the C snapping off, when they become fragile, due to UV
> > exposure.
> >
> > Once a C is broken on the chain, it cannot be fixed or repaired,
> > the whole chain has to be replaced.
> >
>
>
> You can buy new weights ( the plastic bit with a weight, plastic
> ‘wings ‘, weight cage, etc ) and cord with the C clips. As I recall,
> I bought the last set off EBay. They come in different sizes.
>
> As you say, the problem is exposure to Sunlight / uV. They go
> brittle.
>

Something I only realised the second time I replaced some chain: you
don't have to 'snap' the C clips on or off the weights.

Difficult to describe, but the top bar of the lug of the weight the
chain attaches to is slightly thinner than the main lug, about the
thickness of the gap in the C clip, so the clip can be lifted on or off
the weight without putting any stress on it.

No idea why they are falling off, though, I've never seen that happen.

--
Joe

On 01/04/2024 14:48, Jethro_uk wrote:
> Fitted a nice set of vertical blinds in the bedroom, to replace curtains.
>
> Very happy with my measurements and choice of material - quite the
> candidate for automation.
>
> However, there seems to be an ongoing issue with the little plastic
> "chain" that connects the louvres at the bottom via the weighted inserts,
>
> There are clips every "x" cm on the chain that are supposed to snap onto
> a matching "bar" on the end of the weighted insert.
>
> 4 times I have put each one into position with a "snap" and 4 times over
> a few days they start falling off.
>
> Am I missing a trick here ? Is there a magic drop of something that will
> prevent them falling off ?
>
> Obviously when they're fitted they seem tight. So why are they then
> falling off with seemingly no force ?

We've never had a problem with those "chains", other than them being
pulled out or even broken, by our cats. You haven't got any pets that
have access have you?

On Mon, 01 Apr 2024 13:48:43 +0000, Jethro_uk wrote:

> Fitted a nice set of vertical blinds in the bedroom, to replace
> curtains.
>
> Very happy with my measurements and choice of material - quite the
> candidate for automation.
>
> However, there seems to be an ongoing issue with the little plastic
> "chain" that connects the louvres at the bottom via the weighted
> inserts,
>
> There are clips every "x" cm on the chain that are supposed to snap onto
> a matching "bar" on the end of the weighted insert.
>
> 4 times I have put each one into position with a "snap" and 4 times over
> a few days they start falling off.
>
> Am I missing a trick here ? Is there a magic drop of something that will
> prevent them falling off ?
>
> Obviously when they're fitted they seem tight. So why are they then
> falling off with seemingly no force ?

Very embasrassing update to this

walking past a set at work, I suddenly saw that the weights are in the
other way round - the "wings" need to be at the top. This allows the
chain connector to "fall" onto the clip and gravity keeps it there.

Red face all round with the weak excuse that(a) it wasn't shown on the
instructions and (b) google was useless as per.

Jethro_uk wrote:

> Very embasrassing update to this
>
> walking past a set at work, I suddenly saw that the weights are in the
> other way round - the "wings" need to be at the top.

A bit late to say that a photo might have prompted someone to say
"you numpty they're upside-down"

On Fri, 12 Apr 2024 13:41:14 +0100, Andy Burns wrote:

> Jethro_uk wrote:
>
>> Very embasrassing update to this
>>
>> walking past a set at work, I suddenly saw that the weights are in the
>> other way round - the "wings" need to be at the top.
>
> A bit late to say that a photo might have prompted someone to say "you
> numpty they're upside-down"

Late, but very well noted.