Our Most Frequently Asked Electric Gate Questions
Every day we are asked at least one of our most frequently asked electric gate questions. Because the FAQ that we keep getting asked cover some of the key aspects of electric gate choice, installation and ownership we decided to put this article together.
So, here’s our list of the ten most regularly asked questions our customers want answers for:
Our Most Frequently Asked Electric Gate Questions
1: Is It Possible To Add Gate Automation To My Existing Gate?
2: What Happens To Electric Gates During A Power Cut?
3: What Happens When Visitors Or Deliveries Come?
4: Where Can I Find Someone To Repair My Electric Gates?
5: Why Have My Gate Remotes Stopped Working?
6: What Can Go Wrong With Electric Gates?
7: How Much Do Electric Gates Cost?
8: How Do Electric Gates Work?
10: What Are The Best Electric Gates?
Each one of these questions gets a brief answer here but includes a link to a more detailed answer if you want to explore the topic more.
You can go directly to any questions you want answers to by clicking on each one above or simply read through all our answers to our most frequently asked questions below.
1: Is It Possible To Add Gate Automation To My Existing Gate?
Automatic gate systems can be installed on almost all types of gates. But, in some cases, the gates must be reinforced where the gate motors are attached to the gates. For instance, five bar gates are long and made of wood. This is because a large force is required near to the hinge to get them moving. So, by strengthening the motor mounting point on the gate we ensure that the force applied by the motor doesn’t damage the gate.
If you’re asking, ‘Can I automate my existing driveway gates?’ read more here.
2: What Happens To Electric Gates During A Power Cut?
This is one of our most frequently asked electric gate questions. As the name suggests, electric gates use electricity to operate. However, there are two systems that are used to get you out of trouble in the event of a power cut. Automatic gate systems can include a manual release mechanism so you can open your gates during a power failure. Using a special key, the gate motor’s resistance to movement is partially disconnected from the gate. Then the gate can then be pushed open or closed by hand.
Additionally, a solar panel and battery back-up system can be installed. The solar panels charge the batteries. The then hold enough charge to run the gates a few times. This is not an option that replaces a dedicated mains electricity supply to the gates. However, you can open or close them using the batteries before mains power is restored.
Our blog on how to operate electric gates in a power cut is here.
3: What Happens When Visitors Or Deliveries Come?
Some of our most frequently asked electric gate questions have relatively simple answers while others need a little more explaining. As an example, access control for electric gates is one of the subjects that can be a bit more involved.
Gate automation systems can be designed to allow free access to everyone. Or they restrict entry to only approved visitors. In the first case, a simple push button is positioned outside the gates. You press this to open the gates automatically. However, for most homeowners this is not why they have electric gates installed. It’s much more common to see gates that stay closed until they are opened by the owners. So you need some form of communication system and this is where intercoms are perfect.
An intercom system includes a call unit mounted outside the gate and a receiver handset inside the house. With GSM systems, you don’t need a receiver because your smartphone does that job. When a visitor arrives at the gates, they buzz the house using the call button on the call unit. The homeowner than answers, talks to them, and either lets them in by opening the gates from the receiver unit or keeps the gates closed.
Intercoms can feature just audio connection or give added security with video screens that also show you who is at your gates.
4: Where Can I Find Someone to Repair My Electric Gates?
There are lots of gate automation installers of varying skill levels and experience, but you need to find the right one for you. So, key factors to consider when making your choice include:
- How far are they from you so it doesn’t take ages for an emergency call out?
- What services do they supply? Do they cover repairs and maintenance?
- Do they know your gate automation system (did they install it or have they worked on it?) or do they regularly work on the manufacturer’s motors etc?
- What do they charge?
- Do they have good reviews?
Read more about how to find the best electric gate installer near you here.
5: Why Have My Gate Remotes Stopped Working?
There are a few reasons why gate remote controls stop opening and closing automatic gates. But you need to diagnose the problem before you can fix it. However, testing for each possible problem in the right sequence is the easiest way to find out what the issue is. That way you can identify if it’s the cheapest, easiest fix before having to find out if it’s as bigger, more expensive issue. For the procedure we use, read our gate remote problem solving blog here.
6: What Can Go Wrong With Electric Gates?
This is one of our more frequently asked electric gate questions. The answer varies depending on the sort of gate the enquirer has.
Any machine is made up of a number of moving and powered components. Consequently, electric gates can suffer from breakdowns caused by mechanical failure, electrical gremlins or poor treatment. This means that the best way to to prevent failures is to carry out regularly checks of the whole system.
Good gate maintenance is the best way to avoid many of these electric gates problems:
Vehicle impacts cause:
- Damaged gates
- Damaged motor mountings
- Damaged motors
Lack of maintenance causes:
- Seized components
- Electrical problems
- Mechanical failures
- Gate deterioration and weathering
- Squeaks, graunches and other mechanical noises
Insects, slugs and other creepy crawlies can cause:
- Electrical system failures
- Safety photocell failures
Poor design and installation causes:
- Flooded underground motor housings
- Safety issues
- Poor operation of the gates
Read more about the potential issues good electric gate maintenance and day-to-day care can help avoid here.
7: How Much Do Electric Gates Cost?
There’s a wide range of designs, specifications, gate styles, motor types, installation requirements and accessories. Together, they affect the total price of a gate automation system. Therefore, your installer assembles a range of components to build the electric gate system you need. Each gate automation installation is bespoke. This means that it is unique to the physical requirements of your driveway and adjacent obstacles, and how you use the gates daily.
Consequently, there’s no easy way to answer the question, ‘How much do electric gates cost?’ However, for more guidance on how the individual elements that make up a complete electric gate installation affect the final price, read our ‘How much do electric gates cost?’ blog here.
8: How Do Electric Gates Work?
Electric gate motors open and close automatic gates. These are mounted on the gates and a nearby fixed location like the ground, a gate post or a wall. A motor lives inside the fixed part of the motor body. This moves an arm or gear that’s attached to the gate. The mechanics of each system are designed to open or close the gate when the gate motor is operated.
Sliding gates and swing gates
Sliding gate have wheels along their base that run on a track laid across the driveway entrance.
Swing gates hang on hinges mounted to driveway gate posts or other solid surface at the side of the driveway.
Other parts of a gate automation system
The main control panel manages various peripheral electric systems. This controls the gates depending on what signals the other devices in the system send to it. Remote, hand-held transmitters instruct the gates to open or close at the touch of a button. Safety photocells tell the gates to stop moving and even to reverse when they detect something in the path of the moving gates. Intercoms allow visitors to communicate with the homeowners who can also control who they let in at the touch of another button.
Other electric control systems that give extra functionality in electric gate systems include:
- Loop systems are buried into the driveway and automatically open the gates when a vehicle passes over them.
- Lights and safety warning systems show that the gates are in operation.
- Safety edges on gates and hard surfaces adjacent to where the gates move stop the gates when they touch an object.
- Additional access control systems including card and tag readers, and code keypads mounted outside the gates, and gate release buttons mounted inside the gates.
9: Are Electric Gates Safe?
Electric gates are machines and all machines need to be used carefully to avoid accidents. Just think how easy it would be to burn yourself if you tried to cook a meal blindfold or how dangerous driving a car is if three different people try to operate the controls.
Electric gates use powerful motors to move heavy gates from a position of inefficient leverage. Without carrying out a safety audit during the design stage and including safety devices in the finished gate automation system, electric gates can be very dangerous.
But a competent electric gate engineer will design, build and install the safest possible system by considering how the gates will be used in conjunction with the changing physical environment they will operate in.
Basically, electric gates don’t need to be dangerous. But some homeowners scrimp on gate safety or use installers who are not familiar with the potential risks. That way leads to unsafe gate automation installations.
Are electric gates safe? Yes, when designed and installed by qualified gate engineers.
10: What Are The Best Electric Gates?
There are gates that slide open and gates that swing open. Also, some gates fold in half as they swing open. And some sliding gates don’t even need tracks and others can even slide around corners.
Swing gate motors are articulated arm, underground, linear screw or hydraulic and sliding gate motors are different from all of them. Safety requirements and how the homeowners intend to use their gates determine what accessories to add to each system. Gate designs are open boarded or close boarded, classical, or modern. And the gates themselves are wood, metal or a mixture of both.
In short, the best electric gates are the ones that look great outside your house and do everything you want them to do. They work well, don’t cost a fortune to run and give you the levels of privacy and security you hoped for.
You can read more about what makes the perfect electric gates here.
We hope that this list of the most commonly asked questions we get asked was useful. But there are lots of other questions we get asked about electric gate repairs, servicing electric gates and installing new electric gates that we’ve not included here.
If you have your own questions about anything to do with residential or commercial electric gates, please get in touch. You can call us on 0800 194 1470, email info@egrl.co.uk or fill in our contact form and we will answer all the questions you have.
