Typical everyday weather conditions, fortunately, won’t affect electric gates from working and operating smoothly. However, harsh weather conditions and, in particular, extreme rainfall that causes flooding can!
Problems can begin if control boxes become soaked with water causing them to short circuit and ultimately stop your gates from working.
There’s nothing worse than when you need to run out into the pouring rain to open the gate manually – so how can you keep your gates in good working order at all times, and what should you look out for so you can help resolve any issues quickly and easily?
Issues with electric gates caused by extreme weather
Snow and ice – an electric gate not opening in cold weather could be due to snow and ice affecting photocell sensors from working, which in turn stops your gates from working too. This is because the beam is broken in its connection. Wiping your sensor clean should fix the problem and have your gates up and running in no time. For sliding gates, tracks also need to be kept clear to keep them sliding correctly rather than blocking them and triggering an obstacle.
Heavy rain – the good news is electric gates are designed to weather out heavy rainstorms. However, if your electric gate is not working after rain, it could be because those gates with an underground motor have suffered slightly. To help, underground motors should be contained in boxes with soakaways that help drain away any excess water.
Autumn leaves – during the autumn months, leaves can pose a big problem. Ensure you check your tracks regularly to keep them leaf-free and your gates continue to slide open smoothly.
Bug alert – bugs can be attracted to control panels! Keeping a check on your control panels and dusting away any newly formed cobwebs and beetles are key. If bugs infest your control panel, it may damage it entirely, and you may require a whole new board.
Wind – those solid electric gates where the wind can’t pass through will require stronger electric gate openers to help cope with the wind resistance placed on them. We’d advise staying away from built-in detection systems for these gates as these can often detect wind as an object and stop it in its tracks.
You must have the right electric gates, electric gate repairs, and servicing in place to help keep your gates in perfect, safe working order.
Protecting the control box
All control boxes on electric gates should be watertight.
If water does find a way in, this can be because the box is suffering damage in some way, maybe it is slightly bent, or it has been scraped or bumped as a car has accidentally driven past?
Whatever the reason, no matter how slight the damage, it can negatively affect the seal, allowing moisture and, even worse, rain into the box.
It’s advisable that your control box is not installed close to the ground because if the area doesn’t drain away well or suffers from flooding, water may pool around the base of the box, and trust us, it will find a way in.
Electric gate owners should regularly check their control box, ensuring the seal is still intact, and it is tightly closed. Electric gate maintenance Yorkshire is what Adfabs specialises in, providing you with a complete quality service.
Things to look out for
Check your gates foundations – check for movement on pillars and posts, especially after heavy rainfall and flooding – if there’s a slight sway in your posts, this must be rectified asap.
Hinges – in strong winds, hinges can buckle, or mounting points can become damaged, causing excessive wear on the gates – watch out!
Locks – make sure to install secure locks on gates and use these during storms.
Keep an eye on the battery power – cold weather can affect battery life, and often your battery might not be completely dead but simply in need of a clean to help reignite it!
What to do when the worst happens
During a storm or torrential rain, do not open your control box to try and fix your gates. This will only let in considerably more water and cause further damage.
If there is a small amount of water in the control box, this can evaporate on its own, and your gate will open again like new shortly.
Call a professional! A professional electric gate installer and maintenance team can be with you after the storm is over to take care of the control box and get your gate back up and running in no time.
A professional will most definitely be required if all of the rain and moisture has evaporated from the control box, but your gate is still not working.
To find out more if electric gates are for you or you’re looking for electric gate repairs Yorkshire or maintenance and service work carried out on your automatic gates, give the team at Adfabs a call on 01274 307117.
Our Adfab team is ready to help you with all new installations and come equipped to diagnose any issues there and then.
Reference video: comeinhandynow