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1. Check for debris around your gate
This is one that’s definitely worth doing little and often. With stronger winds and a lot of dead leaves and debris on the ground, they can easily start accumulating along your gates’ tracks, which can prevent them from moving smoothly back and forth. It’s best to check them every few days or so, and clear them if necessary.
Similarly, debris can also end up blocking your gate sensors. Blocked sensors are one of the most common reasons why automated gates won’t move, even if they look like they’re in perfect working order. If your sensors are blocked just wipe them with a warm, moist (but not wet) cloth. Water will do the trick just fine – don’t use oil or anything like that.
This is also a good time to check for snow – along with dead leaves and twigs, it’s another of the most common culprits for cluttering your gate tracks and blocking your sensors. You might even want to consider keeping your gates in the open position if snow is forecast – having your gates open for an evening or so might make you more wary in the short term, but it can save you a major headache later on.
2. Lubricate regularly – and (3.) don’t be afraid to run the system occasionally
More rain means more danger of rust, so your winter maintenance plan for 2023 will need to account for that. Articulated arms, sliding stainless steel rams and wheel hubs and bearings are all good examples of the kinds of things that all need to be lubricated. Hinges in particular need to be greased regularly so that there will be minimal resistance from the gates, saving the motors from any unnecessary strain.
Your gates are subject to that annoying winter rule of physics – namely that any machinery that alternates between stationary and moving can face issues in colder conditions. Crucially, electric gate kits can require more force to get things moving in cold weather (they’re not entirely different to humans in that regard).
If the temperature has been below freezing, one option to help make it easier on your gates is to run the operating system a few times. This will do an effective job of warming the motors, and alert you to any frozen or binding mechanisms. It also keeps the inner gears and linkages free, so that the mechanism remains moving freely.
4. Don’t forget to check your batteries
It’s no secret that batteries aren’t massive fans of the cold – as you’ll know if you’ve ever found that your car fails to start in exceptionally cold weather. (There’s a lot of science behind it, but the simple way of saying it is that essentially the cold causes the chemical reactions inside the battery to slow down, which ultimately means it ends up draining faster.)
The same applies to your wireless safety equipment, so it’s always worth keeping some spare batteries on hand. If you find that your gates won’t move, or some other function doesn’t seem to be working, there’s a good chance that dead batteries may well be the cause!
And as a general rule, gates will benefit from a service visit once or twice a year for maximum peace of mind. If yours haven’t had one for a while, winter may well be the perfect time to schedule one in!
That’s exactly where can help here at Gate Auto. For over 30 years, we’ve been supplying and fitting high-quality gate automation, and we provide a wide range of electric gate kits, garage door openers and many more accessories, so you can get the most out of your gates. Feel free to browse our ranges right here on our site or give us a call on 01282 677300!
