Planned Maintenance
What is Planned Maintenance?
This is where Pearly Gate enters into a formal planned maintenance contract for an agreed period with a customer, which involves agreeing to complete planned maintenance service visits on the gate or barrier. Generally, we can visit their gate from one to four times a year; this will of course depend on how often the gates are used. We can also complete adhoc services for those customers who want the flexibility of managing their own needs.
Why is Planned Maintenance Important?
The HSE recommend that all automated gate should be regularly serviced and maintained following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
If you consider a gate like a car, having it serviced regularly improves reliability (we all know what it feels like when a car breaks down unexpectedly), reduces operating costs (oil is cheaper than steel) and is safer to use (a gate with defective safety devices is like a car with no brakes).
Key Elements which are inspected during a Planned Maintenance Visit
- Safety devices where present are operational
- The gate leaves, post and hinges are structurally sound
- All moving components are lubricated appropriately to increase life
- Bracket and fixings are present and secure
- Condition of the control cabinet and wiring
- Test induction loop operation
- Clean out foundation boxes
- Ancillary devices, such as intercoms, access control, maglock are working
Is Planned Maintenance Expensive?
It need not be, as any good gate maintenance company will take around an hour to service a gate appropriately. More importantly, you can never be sure how much will you have to spend on reactive maintenance, to get a gate repaired when a problem happens unexpectedly.
Also it is not inconvenient, as there is no need to wait in for the engineer, unlike most other trades, as the gates can be serviced while you are out. To support the service sheet that is issued after the visit, photographs are kept showing worn components or areas of concern.
Pearly Gate offer a loyalty discount for repairs for our maintenance contract customers, plus we offer an upfront menu price of common repairs, so there are no hidden surprises. Coupled with this, our customers can set a pre-agreed spend limit, so that if any repairs need completing during the service visit, we will do them there and then. This means no additional callout charge and improved site security, while customers retain control of the budget.
How Often Should I Service my Gates?
It all depends on how many cycles the gates perform (this is when the gate open and closes) but generally, low usage gates (for example at someone’s home) should be serviced at least once a year and medium usage twice a year (perhaps an entrance to an apartment block carpark).
What if I don’t currently have a planned maintenance routine?
Court judgements have been made against companies who have left dangerous gates operational, which is not only costly and detrimental to reputations but at the end of the day, no one wants the death or injury of a child on their conscience. Having a gate serviced will reduce the future chance of any injuries, deaths or RIDDOR issues being investigated by the HSE.
Having a gate regularly serviced is likely to reduce breakdowns, making the site more secure, with less administration and stress involved.