Tips for troubleshooting a faulty electric swing gate.
A guide with some useful tips to troubleshoot the installation of a faulty electric swing gate. I hope this guide will help you if you are having problems with your electric gates. Their goal is to help you find the source of the problem and hopefully help you fix it, or give your friendly door repairman an accurate description of the problem.
- Check the power supply. Yes, I know it sounds obvious, but some people don’t check it out. Because the light is on in the house, they assume it is on at the door. Check circuit breakers. Look at any other equipment, such as the intercom or keypad, to see if the lights are on. Press the buttons on the keyboards to see if there is a corresponding beep or sound. All of this will give you an indication of whether or not there is power to the gates. If the breaker keeps tripping, call the repairman. If you have power at the control box, check the remotes.
- Check transmitter. Normally there is a light on the transmitter (remote control) that indicates it is working when you press the buttons. This can be misleading, as sometimes the light works, but the signal is not strong enough to reach the receiver. Replace the battery just to be sure. Check with another transmitter if you have one, or use another form of access control, eg digital keypad, intercom, key switch, etc. If the remote controls work, check the photocells if there are any.
- Check safety devices. Sometimes a short in a photocell can cause the system to stop working. Wave a hand (it’s easier to use one of yours) in front of the photocell and you should be able to hear a very quiet click. If you can hear this click, you know you have power at the control box.
If your doors still do not work after verifying that power is present and peripheral equipment is working properly, follow these steps:
If your doors are stuck in the open position and won’t close, try waving your hand in front of one of the photocells (as shown above) and you should hear a quiet click. This can only be heard from one of your photocells, so you may need to test both. If you can’t hear that clicking sound, there may be a problem with your safety beam/photocells, or the power they are receiving. It may be that the security beam has failed because it is broken or it may be full of bugs that are blocking the beam, or it may be without power.
It is quite easy to remove the photocell cover. Check that the beams are clear. There is usually a small light inside the box if you have the correct voltage connected.
You may have reflector type photocells, check the alignment as this is a very common cause of them not working. If the photocells appear to be aligned, but are not working, you should contact a professional. This type of photocell is normally a sealed unit, with no serviceable parts.
If the gates failed in the closed position, using the manual release, move the gates about halfway open, if on a ram arm system, re-lock the arms. If they’re in an underground system, leave the doors spinning freely (as you can see the motor turning), now activate the doors with a transmitter (if you’re sure it’s working), and watch for any movement of the doors. If none of the motors work and you know you have the correct power supply, there is likely a problem with the electronics on the control board. If one motor runs, it is likely that the other motor has failed. If both motors work, this has not provided you with a solution to the problem. It could be a mechanical problem, the doors could be stuck on something.
If the doors work again, we recommend that you continue to use them. Only until perhaps a professional can service you at your doorstep.
Please – Remember.
Electricity is very dangerous, please do not touch any exposed wires or circuit boards. convert the power OFF before opening the control box.
Call an expert if you have any questions.