Getting Your Security Gate Opener Ready for Winter

The weather is turning cooler and winter weather will be here soon. If you have a security gate at your home, business, self-storage facility or as a part of your gated community, now is the time to be thinking about getting your security gate opener ready for winter. That’s right. Your security gate opener needs a little TLC to keep it running smoothly no matter what kind of weather we receive this winter. And to help you get ready, we’d like to share four things you can do to get your gate opener ready for winter.

Four Ways to Prepare Your Security Gate for Winter

While no one can guarantee that a security gate operator will continue working no matter the weather, there are a few things you can do to keep your security gate working this winter, even in ice, snow and below-freezing temperatures.

1. Schedule a “tune-up” for your security gate opener. Security gate openers are true workhorses. Whether they open and close a security gate once a day or 100 times a day, we depend on them to work correctly every single time. But your security gate opener is a machine and all machines need servicing to prevent breakdowns from happening. Fall is a great time to have a maintenance tune-up performed on your security gate opener. Our team of skilled technicians can perform an on-site maintenance check to make sure everything works as it is supposed to. We can also alert you to any problems before they occur, which can save you a lot of time, money and headache!
2. Be prepared to keep you gates locked in the “open” position if snow or ice is in the forecast. Every winter, we receive calls from security gate owners needing help because their security gate is frozen in the closed position. Or even worse, a car slid on the snow or ice right into the security gate and damaged the gate and gate operator. Both of these situations could be avoided by simply leaving the gate in the “open” position if snow or ice is in the forecast. You’ll still need to post someone at the gate to control the flow of traffic, but it is worth it to avoid costly damage to your security gate.
3. Be careful when placing Christmas decorations on your security gate. The security gates we install for many of our customers are amazing works of art. And what better way to dress up that gate at Christmas than putting a nice holiday wreath on the gate or a decorative Christmas tree nearby? The only problem with that idea: when the security gate retracts or lifts, the wreath and other decorations can get caught up in the moving parts of the gate and do a lot of damage. Another concern is that the decorations may blog the photo eye of your gate opener, preventing it from operating the gate correctly and safely. Our advice is simple. Make sure you have enough clearance before you put the wreath or other decorations up. If you don’t, keep them off the security gate.
4. Consider adding a heater to the security gate opener’s gearbox. When temperatures drop below freezing, the oil in your gate opener’s gearbox can thicken and may cause the gears to lock up. While this doesn’t happen as often in the temperate climates of the Southeastern US, it can happen. An easy solution to this problem is to install a heater on the gearbox to keep the oil at normal temperatures. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you determine if a heater is right for your security gate opener’s gear box. In most cases, we can have a heater installed in very short order and give you the peace of mind that your security gate will continue to operate throughout the winter no matter how cold it gets.

Of course, the most important factor in determining what you need to do to get your security gate opener ready for winter is location. A homeowner in North Carolina will experience a much different winter than a homeowner in Florida or Minnesota. Your best bet is to plan ahead and keep an eye on the forecast.

Let Secure Access Services Help Your Security Get Ready for Winter

If you need help getting your security gate opener ready for winter weather, give us a call at (919) 773-8889 or (910) 343-1295 and schedule a maintenance appointment today. Our service team will be glad to help you keep your security gate working all winter long.