What To Do When Your Gate Won’t Open

Picture this: you’re late for work, and you can’t get out of your driveway as the gate is stuck.  Sounds like a nightmare?  Well, it can happen if your residential gate installation suddenly stops working.  Before you freak out and call the professionals and spend a lot of money on 24/7 emergency service, here are a few things to try.

Step one: Check Up!

Modern gates have a variety of sensors and safety features that prevent the gate from moving if there’s an obstruction.  The idea is to prevent the gate from closing on your car, or even worse, on a person, but something innocent can set off the sensors as well.  Most gates have two “eyeball” LED lights that create an invisible tripwire near the base of the gate.  If something breaks the beam, the gate won’t open.  That’s why your first check should be to see if a stray branch has fallen near the gate, or perhaps a dog or small child left a toy nearby.  It could be anything.

You’ll also want to check the shadow loop and the safety loop.  These are pressure-sensitive pads that stop the gate from moving when there’s a car actively on them.  Sometimes they can be tripped or faulty from corrosion; their covers can sometimes get dirty.  It’s not unheard of for ants to crawl across the circuit board and cause a short.  For that fix, you’ll need a maintenance service on hand.
Step two: Power Up!

Especially in cold weather, batteries are often a problem, especially when the whole system is located outside and subject to cold weather.  Your opener may not be getting enough power.  You could try gate service, but first, check the battery.  Replacing it might be all you need to get yourself a quick fix, and then you’ll be out the driveway in no time.