Hunter Douglas Duette Skylight Battery Wand Replacement
A Duette Skylight shade with PowerRise, made 2003 to 2010, is repaired with two 12V battery packs, part 7520069000, each holding eight AA lithium batteries. The original skylight wand and pack are discontinued, so counting the old cells will not give you a like-for-like part; the retrofit replaces them with two eight-cell packs, sixteen AA in all.
Duette and Applause SkyLift shades made after April 2013 are a different case: they keep their own wands and only need fresh lithium batteries. Both are covered below. BatteryWands is an independent retailer, not affiliated with Hunter Douglas.
Which skylight shade do I have?
Hunter Douglas documents two generations, and the date and the system decide which applies:
| Shade | What Hunter Douglas documents | What to order |
|---|---|---|
| Duette Skylight with PowerRise, 2003 to 2010 | Original 6V lithium skylight wand and the later 16 AA lithium skylight pack (2980922000) are both discontinued | The retrofit below: two 12V packs, 7520069000, plus cables and mounts |
| Duette or Applause SkyLift, PowerRise or Legacy PowerView, made after April 2013 | Battery wands in the bottom rail taking 16 AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium; a rear satellite pack version takes 12 | New lithium batteries in the existing wands. Hunter Douglas publishes no wand part number for these |
If your shade falls between 2010 and April 2013, Hunter Douglas's help center does not say which applies. Send a photo of the wand and the headrail label to support@batterywands.com and we will tell you what we can, including when the answer is a dealer.
What is in the Duette Skylight retrofit?
Hunter Douglas lists these parts to replace the discontinued skylight wand:
- Two 12V battery packs, 7520069000. We stock these: the 12V wand is $17.95 each or $34.95 for two.
- One double connector power cable, 1026990, which joins the two packs. We do not stock it.
- One SkyLift battery tube clip, 2420020000, for shades 38 inches or wider, or two battery pack mounting kit covers, KIT8105, for shades narrower than 38 inches. We do not stock these.
- One power cable, 2920247000. We stock the power cable at $17.95.
Hunter Douglas's warning for every skylight application: use lithium AA batteries only, because they handle the high temperatures at a skylight. That is sixteen lithium AA cells for the two packs.
The cable and mounts we do not carry come from a Hunter Douglas dealer or the Hunter Douglas parts store. Which kits do what is on the repair kit page.
How do I fit the retrofit?
Hunter Douglas has a separate article with the detailed skylight retrofit steps. Its steps for the closely related PowerRise 1.0 external retrofit on Duette and Applause give the order of work:
- Load the batteries into each pack, in the direction shown on the pack. They sit in series, so one reversed cell can damage the cells or the pack.
- Mount the battery clip or covers for your shade width.
- Connect the power cable to the motor and the battery packs, through the double connector cable on a skylight.
- Snap the packs into their mounts and fit the battery cover.
- Test the shade from the remote.
If nothing happens, check every cell's direction before assuming a part is faulty, then work through the six-symptom check.
How do I change the batteries in a SkyLift shade?
For Duette and Applause SkyLift made after April 2013, Hunter Douglas's steps are: raise the shade or lift the moving rail slightly, remove the bottom rail cover, unplug the wands from the power cable, take them out, load 16 AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries following the label inside, then refit, plug in and replace the cover.
If the shade is down and will not move, slide two cloth-wrapped straight edges, such as credit cards, between the moving rail and the bottom rail at each end and push up gently. Do not lift the moving rail more than six inches.
Questions people also ask
Can I use alkaline batteries in a skylight shade?
Hunter Douglas says no. Its battery guidance recommends alkaline for most shades but makes Duette and Applause SkyLift the exception, and its skylight retrofit says to always use lithium AA.
Do I really need two battery packs?
Yes. Hunter Douglas lists a quantity of two 7520069000 packs for the skylight retrofit, joined by the double connector power cable 1026990.
Does the 18V wand fit a Duette Skylight?
Hunter Douglas does not list it for either skylight generation, so we do not recommend it. The documented retrofit uses the eight-cell 12V pack.
Is a Duette Skylight the same as a regular Duette?
No. A standard Duette takes one wand, either the eight-cell 12V or the twelve-cell 18V; see the Duette page and the PowerRise 1.0 page for the older ones.
Sources: Hunter Douglas Help Center articles "PowerView Battery Wand Identification" (42770291229076), "Replace Duette and Applause SkyLift Batteries" (41323598760468), "Repair Guidelines for Duette and Applause Honeycomb Shades with SkyLift PowerView" (40166470019860), "Retrofit External Battery Wand for PowerRise 1.0 on Duette or Applause Honeycomb Shades" (40450410080404) and "Battery FAQs for PowerRise and PowerView" (39426525094548).
Replacement parts. Complete your repair.
Common parts for Hunter Douglas motorized shades.
