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How do I fix the winder on my outdoor umbrella?

janee
Just Starting Out

How do I fix the winder on my outdoor umbrella?

Hello,

I have a Marquee 3m round umbrella ($89).  For some reason, it won't wind up.  It has been working fine, so I'm not sure what went wrong.  

Is it possible to fix the winder, please? It is my third umbrella in 5 years and I am reluctant to re-purchase if I can fix it.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Jane

Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: How do I fix the winder on my outdoor umbrella?

Hi @janee,

 

Welcome to the Workshop community. We're really pleased to have you join the community and look forward to reading all about your projects and plans for around the house and garden. 

 

Unfortunately I suspect it's going to be difficult for our members to assist you with this one, but if you could provide as much information as possible about what you think has gone wrong with the winder and also a photo of the mechanism, some of our clever and knowledgeable members might be able to offer some suggestions for you.

 

Alternatively, if you still have proof of purchase and bought it from a Bunnings store, I'm sure the team at your local warehouse would be happy to assist. 

 

Many thanks,

 

Jason

 

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Re: How do I fix the winder on my outdoor umbrella?

Hi Jason,

 

Mine is not opening either, I believe the cord inside mine has broken. 

 

Can it be replaced? 

thank you 

 

Phil 

 

EricL
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: How do I fix the winder on my outdoor umbrella?

Hello @philrob80,

 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's fantastic to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about your outdoor umbrella.

 

If it has been several years, eventually the rope that pulls the umbrella up will naturally deteriorate. The good news is that it can be replaced. But, it will involve taking the umbrella winder apart. This part would be the most complicated part of the repair. If you wish to have a go at replacing the cord, I suggest using Grunt 5mm x 5m White Starter Cord. It's made for heavy-duty use and has UV protected fibres.

 

The general steps to repair the umbrella are:

 

  • Fold the umbrella so that you can remove the umbrella cloth cover. This will let you access the sliding ring and remove the old chord.

 

  • You'll now have to disassemble the winding cover and take the mechanism apart. I suggest taking a video as you take it apart for ease of re-assembly later on. Once you've disassembled the winder you'll now be able to remove the broken cord.

 

  • Attach your new cord onto the sliding ring, stand the umbrella frame up. Attach a small nut to provide weight for the other end of the cord to slide down the body of the umbrella. When you see the nut at the winder hole, pull the cord and nut out. 

 

  • Once you have the cord in your hand don't cut it straight away. Attach the cord to the winder and allow a little bit of extra cord so that there will be a bit of slack. How the old cord was secured to the winder is how you should attach the new cord. The cord must not be under tension.

  

  • Re-assemble the cord winder and test the umbrella frame before putting the umbrella cloth back on.

 

I suggest keeping the leftover cord in your garage, away from direct sunlight. It's best to attempt this repair on a table so that you don't have to lift the umbrella frame while taking it apart. I've placed a picture of the sliding ring to give you a better idea of what it looks like. If you have any other questions we can help with, please don't hesitate to post them.

 

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your umbrella repaired.

 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

 

Eric

 

 

 

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Re: How do I fix the winder on my outdoor umbrella?

My cord is fine, the winder appears to be broken. It not longer stays fully wound up when the umbrella is fully extended. When you release the brake does not work, it slips back

Can the winder be serviced or replaced please ?

Re: How do I fix the winder on my outdoor umbrella?

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @9aStuartStreet. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about repairing an umbrella.

I haven't heard of umbrella parts being serviced or replaced before. The best place to find out about repairing your umbrella would be with the manufacturer.  Was it one of our products? If so, I'd be happy to contact the company for you to see if there are any repair services available.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Mitchell
 

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