How do you maintain automatic doors?

Looking for automatic door maintenance service with years of trusting experience and knowledge, then look no further than Safetell, the automatic door servicing and maintenance specialists. Call us today on 01322 428 971

To ensure the safe and reliable operation of automatic doors over any length of time requires regular automatic door maintenance. The schedule for such automatic door maintenance will reflect the age of the doors, the mechanisms involved, where they’re installed and the amount of usage they have.

Automatic doors are a broad category which means that such automatic door maintenance schedules and techniques will need to be adjusted depending on the particular installation.

What are automatic doors?

Broadly speaking, an automatic door is a door that opens and closes when detecting a person. Most commonly these will be public access doors operated by a motion sensor. When someone passes close enough for the motion sensor to detect them, it will operate the opening and closing mechanism.

Automatic doors are widely used across public and commercial buildings such as hospitals, office buildings, banks, hotels, and retail stores. They provide greater accessibility and provide a more welcoming environment, particularly for people with disabilities or mobility issues. Because of the type of places where automatic doors are commonly installed, they are used heavily and are therefore more liable to wear and tear over time. Automatic door maintenance is essential to prevent access issues for your customers.

Why do you need automatic door maintenance?

The principal reason for ensuring automatic doors is well maintained is safety. You need to be confident that your automatic doors are opening smoothly and safely as and when required. An automatic door that is not working properly could pose a safety risk to anyone attempting to use it.

If automatic doors are not functioning properly, then it can be highly inconvenient for people and organisations that rely on them. When a door gets stuck open or closed it creates bottlenecks and delays for anyone trying to enter or exit the building.

Well maintained automatic doors are also more energy efficient. They help to reduce energy consumption by removing the risk of doors being left open and heat escaping. Regular automatic door maintenance will also help to extend the service life of said automatic sliding door, preventing costly repair or replacements in the future.

Regularly maintained automatic doors are less likely to break down and require expensive emergency repairs. For safe, efficient and cost-effective automatic door operation, an ongoing automatic door maintenance schedule is essential.

What are my legal obligations for automatic door maintenance?

As a business owner you also have a legal obligation to ensure that your automatic doors are properly maintained. The Supply of Machinery Safety Regulations (2008) states that automatic doors must be operated safely. This doesn’t give any specific guidance, but as a minimum requirement you are expected to ensure that your automatic doors are maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

The accepted standard is BS EN 16005 which is not a legal document, but many organisations consider it to be the best practice for ensuring automatic door safety, and it has been referenced in court cases involving automatic door accidents. While there is no legal requirement for specific automatic door maintenance, should your automatic doors fail due to poor servicing, then you may be held liable.

Weekly checks for automatic doors

While more technical and thorough automatic door maintenance and servicing should be carried out by an experienced technician, there are regular checks that the owner can carry out themselves. Weekly checks will ensure that the doors are opening and closing properly. You should ensure that there are no obstructions around the door, that door panels are intact, and that proper signage is in place. All of the manual and automatic activation switches and sensors should be tested. You should also check that emergency stop buttons are operating effectively.

To check the safe operation of the doors, conduct a test using a box the size of a small child. BS EN 16005 compliant test boxes are available to purchase. Place the test box in the door’s plane of movement, and check that the door remains open. You should also check that the door slows when the box is placed in the door’s plane of movement.

Many of these checks are common sense but in a buy working environment may be neglected. It’s important to ensure that they are carried out on a weekly basis and that it’s clear who is responsible for the task.

Essential servicing and automatic door maintenance

As well as the weekly safety checks, automatic doors must be serviced by an experienced and qualified technician at a minimum of once per year. It’s important to remember that this is a bare minimum, and many companies will opt for more regular servicing to ensure efficient operation of their doors and peace of mind. A bi-annual servicing schedule is recommended by the British Standard.

Regular maintenance checks ensure that all of the electrical and mechanical components are in good working order. Any faults will be addressed, and parts that are showing advanced wear and tear will be replaced. Because all mechanical systems deteriorate over time, regular servicing and maintenance is essential. By setting up a regular servicing schedule your automatic doors will remain reliable, and your company will stay compliant with the law.

Automatic door maintenance you can trust

Our clients minimise the risk of their automatic doors failing. They avoid costly, unplanned, emergency expenditure, by getting their equipment serviced and maintained regularly by Safetell. We have a ‘repair not replace’ mentality and are always able to give the best advice on equipment regardless of the make and model.

We service all major manufacturers equipment, and we are an ADSA member company with trained and qualified engineers to all relevant standards including BS EN16005.We have strength in depth with engineers providing full national coverage and have 24/7 helpdesk support.

Our Standard Planned Preventative Automatic Door Maintenance includes one or more visits per annum subject to usage. We carry out any required basic adjustments to keep the doors operating and correct any faults. Clients also have access to a 24/7 service call centre.