Driveway Gate & Automation System Maintenance
You can add years of life to your gate with simple annual maintenance. Some of the maintenance requires access to your gate operator. If your operator has key lock cover or access door and you have lost track of the key, contact us for a replacement.
Before Performing ANY Maintenance, Make Sure the Power is Turned Off!
Driveway Gate Sealed Bearing Lubrication
Hinges take the brunt of usage in your gate installation. Almost all hinges have a grease joint (zirk fitting). Use of a standard grease gun and a tube of heavy grease available at any hardware or auto parts store is all you need.
Pictured here is a sealed flange bearing often seen with a plastic cap over the zirk fitting. Pump grease in until you see some coming out of the bearing. You are not actually greasing the bearing because it is sealed, but rather the gimbaled joint that the bearing moves around in.
Garden & Driveway Gate Block Pin Hinge Lubrication
There are several sizes of these popular hinges. Smaller block hinges are found on garden gates and larger ones can hold a driveway gate. The Hinge Pin is usually stainless and sits on one large ball bearing. These hinges take a lot of lateral weight (sides of pin on wall). They wear rapidly when not greased and the cylindrical pin hole becomes oval shaped causing the gate to sag. This type of hinge requires annual greasing in order to perform optimally.
The grease fitting (zirk fitting) is located on the bottom. Use of a standard grease gun and a tube of heavy grease available at any hardware, or auto parts store is all you need. Pump grease in until you see some come out around the pin.
Slide Gate Chain Lubrication
Chains should be greased annually using heavy axle grease. The most effective and least messy method is to place a liberal amount of grease in a cloth, wrap the cloth around the chain and run it along length of chain ensuring you grease the entire chain. You will have to move the gate to get to the part of chain the passes through the operator
Slide Gate Chain Tensioner Adjustment
All chain driven slide gate have tensioners usually located at each end of the chain. Over time, the chain stretches and the tension should be adjusted periodically as needed. You can tell when it needs tensioning by how much the chain sags. 2" of sag is normal in a 12'-16' gate and more in longer gates. There should always be a little slack in the chain. A chain that is too tight (looks like a straight line) will wear the idler wheel and the sprocket inside the operator.
If the tensioner is fully tightened and there is still too much slack in the chain, you will have to remove some links. They should be removed at the end of the chain. This is a difficult task and you should consider having a professional do it. It requires grinding the head off of one of the link pins and removing as many links as required to reset the tensioners to their begriming position. There is a master link at end of the chain connecting each tensioner.
Bottom Swing Arm Gate Operator Maintenance (DoorKing 6050,6100,6300)
Use heavy grease on the rim gear (large diameter plastic gear). Check to see if there is any plastic dust or shavings coming off the gear which indicates misalignment. The aluminum cast housing below the gear assembly has a zirk fitting which should be greased using a grease gun.
Check the motor V belt tension. It can have a bit of play in it and still function fine however, if it is too loose it will start to slip. Look for cracks in the belt, which indicates that replacement is needed.
The two nuts you see on the top of the plate of the ring gear, is the clutch adjustment. If the gate is slipping, or has too much or too little force, you can adjust it here. Test your gate by holding the end of it while it is in motion. It should have about 8 - 15 pounds of force. You can measure it with a fish scale. Be very careful with this adjustment. It is the key safety feature of your operator.
The emergency lock located on the bottom arm should be lubricated with graphite. A little oil around the lock pin that goes through the arm keeps the pin from seizing up. It will also make it easier to remove the pin should an emergence occur. Squirt some graphite into the cover lock as well.
Remove any insects, critters and webs which tend to get under the circuit board. Any unused open conduit holes should be plugged to prevent further infestations.
Top Swing Arm Gate Operator Maintenance (Most Popular Manufacturers)
Grease all chains with heavy grease. Check tension of chains. Replace if there is excessive slack. Remove insects, webs, and the occasional dead critter. Some of these operators have sealed flange bearings for the drive axle. These bearing generally have a grease fitting which should be greased using a grease gun.
Put a little light oil on the shaft where the collar from the gate arm assembly slides over. This will keep it from rusting which makes it difficult to remove in the future.
Check the motor V belt tension. If it is too loose, tighten it. Look for cracks in the belt, which indicates that replacement is needed.
Check cover of circuit board compartment to make sure it is fastened. Any unused open holes in the control box should be plugged to prevent insects and critters from entering.
Gate Operators with Battery Backup
The gate operator may be functioning normally, but will not operate very long during a power failure due to a failing battery which can no longer hold a charge.
Inspect battery for corrosion around the terminals; clean with a wire brush.
Batteries should be replaced every 5 years. Most operators use gel cell batteries although some use car batteries. When replacing, write the replacement date using a permanent marker directly on the new battery.
Solar Panels and Battery Maintenance for Solar Powered Gate Operators
Clean solar panels at least once a year; Windex works fine. In very dusty locations, panels should be cleaned more frequently as layers of dust and dirt lowers the efficiency dramatically. Good, high-end solar panels can last up to 20 years with regular maintenance while cheaper ones may only last 5 years.
If your gate is losing power or opening slowly, check the battery. Batteries should be replaced every 5 years. Most operators use gel batteries although some use car batteries. When replacing, write the replacement date using a permanent marker directly on the new battery.
If your battery is new and it does not hold a charge, it can be one of two things;
- The voltage/charge regulator (if present) is failing and should be replaced. If your solar panel is connected directly to your battery, there is no regulator. Most 12 volt panels output 18 volts. Voltage coming out of a regulator (after the solar panel) is around 13.85 VDC. Batteries getting less than 13 volts will not charge properly.
- The solar panel is at the end of its life cycle and should be replaced