What - My Automatic Gate Quit Working Again?!!!
My Automatic Gate Quit Working! Hit the Panic Button!
Your Last Repairman’s Attitude? “Go Ahead-Make My Day!”
I received a call last week from a very distraught homeowner who said his sliding automatic gate would only go about 18” and stop. His car was trapped, he had tried the gate several times and had even tried to manually push it back out of the way. Fortunately I was able to walk him through disengaging the gate from the operator so he could get his car out.
That’s a good result! Unfortunately it doesn’t always work out this way…
When Titan Doors and Gates made a service call later that afternoon, we found the issue and replaced the part that caused the problem. Our technician also lubricated and adjusted the gate for the completed repair.
The homeowner had purchased the home with the installed gate, had never had an automated gate in the past and didn’t know much about it. Like most people, you push a button and the security gate opens or the garage door comes up…it’s really pretty simple, or so we think. Unfortunately the gate was not all that old, but it didn’t appear that it had ever been maintained and mechanical parts that move, wear out more quickly if not kept clean and lubricated.
Simple or Not?
Operators for automatic gates are in fact, pretty simple on the surface. Whether it’s a sliding gate or a swinging gate, the operator is attached in some manner to the gate and an electric motor moves that gate when it’s turned on. When each individual piece or part is installed and aligned properly and all the controls are correctly adjusted, it all works like it’s designed.
However for all the simplicity in the description above, open up the gate control box or remove the cover to your garage door operator. You immediately notice that it looks more like a circuit board from a computer.
Just as most people aren’t trained to work on the inside of a computer, only trained, experienced technicians should perform repairs on an automatic gate or overhead door opener. A professional can quickly walk through the steps of properly diagnosing whether it’s a mechanical, electrical or controller issue and know how to resolve the problem.
Don’t Let Your Automatic Gate Create Panic for You!
In some follow-up articles, we’ll discuss some simple things you CAN do for your electric gate as a homeowner that will help prevent most of these emergency situations that result panic calls for help.
If you need help with your automatic gate in the DFW area, call the professionals at Titan Doors and Gates. We maintain or repair existing electric gates and can get your old automated gates working like new again. Titan Doors and Gates can also help you design, fabricate and install a custom gate just for your home and style.
