How to Maintain Your Automatic Gate Between Services

Just like a car engine, your automatic gate needs a bit of care and attention every now and then. To make sure your motor keeps working in between services, here’s a couple of very easy maintenance tips you can carry out.

Cleaning the Photocells

Firstly, make sure the photocells are clean and clear of dust or dirt. Something like a dry microfiber cloth that you can get from the supermarket for just a couple of dollars will work fine.

Avoid using any chemical based cleaners as these could damage the surface of the cells.

Cleaning the Mechanical Parts

The other thing to look out for is if there’s anything getting stuck in or near the actual mechanism of the gate.

Sticks, leaves, stones and other obstructions could cause the gate to stick and keep the motor from working smoothly. Sliding gates tend to get these obstructions in or around the gate track, but a simple garden broom will do the trick in removing them.

You may be tempted to spray a little lubricant into the mechanism of your gate, but we generally advise against this as you could end up damaging internal parts. If you think your gate does need a little help or has developed a bit of a squeak, that’s usually a good indication it’s time to call in a technician.

When Should an Automatic Gate be Serviced?

Above are just a couple of ways to ensure your automatic gate and its parts runs smoothly. Our recommendation for having your gate fully serviced by a technician is around every 6-12 months for regular domestic usage, but if your property has above average or commercial use, we suggest shortening this time frame appropriately.

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