Gate Planned Maintenance

What is Planned Maintenance?

Pearly Gate enters into a formal planned maintenance contract with customers for an agreed period, which includes completing planned maintenance service visits on the gate or barrier.

We can visit the gate from 1-4 times a year, depending on its usage.

Additionally, we offer ad-hoc services for customers who prefer managing their own needs.

Is Maintenance Important?

The HSE recommends that all automated gates 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 makes it safer to use (a gate with defective safety devices is like a car with no brakes).

Gate Maintenance Frequency

It all depends on how many cycles the gates perform (this is when the gate opens and closes), but generally, low-usage gates (for example, at someone’s home) should be serviced at least once a year and medium-usage gates (perhaps an entrance to an apartment block car park) twice a year.

Planned Maintenance

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 like intercoms, access control, and 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 you will have to spend on reactive maintenance to get a gate repaired when a problem happens unexpectedly.

Also, unlike most other trades, it is not inconvenient. There is no need to wait in for the engineer, as the gates can be serviced while you are out. To support the service sheet issued after the visit, photographs keep showing worn components or areas of concern.

Pearly Gate offers a loyalty discount for repairs for our maintenance contract customers. We also provide an upfront menu price for common repairs, so there are no hidden surprises. Coupled with this, our customers can set a pre-agreed spending limit, so 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 budget control.

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, fatalities 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.