Automation is part and parcel of modern living, making things easier and more convenient. However, there are times when, for one reason or another, you can’t use the automated solution. Let’s look at automatic gates as an example and take a look at what can be done when the gates are unable to be operated using electricity.

Power Outage

In the event you experience a power cut and you wish to open or close your electric gates, you will need to switch to manual operation. This is done by turning the motor to the manual position which should be labelled ‘manual release key’, which disengages the motor and enables manual operation. Through this, you will be able to slide open the gate. If you wish to close it again, do this manually then switch back to automatic and when the power comes on, your gates will work as normal.

Opening with Hand Crank

Some electric gates have a special hand crank tool that is located inside a small recess, usually with a small door. In order to use the crank to open or close the gates, you must first turn to manual crank operation. Once this is engaged, you can slip the crank into position (there is usually a click sound when the handle engages) and turning it one way will open and the other close the gate. If you are unsure about any aspect of your electric gates, ask the electric driveway gate installation team if they would run through the operating procedure before they go.

Swinging Gates

If you have a single or double swinging gate, the process to manually operate them is slightly different that with sliding gates. Take the cotter pin out from the hinge and that will enable the gates to move freely. If you have twin gates, simply repeat the procedure with the second gate and you can open them both.

Motor Breakdown

In the event the electric motor breaks down, you need to disengage the gearing before you can proceed with either using the hand crank or freely pushing or pulling the gates. If the motor made a loud noise before stopping, there may well be internal damage and unless you must exit the property, you are advised to skip the manual opening procedure and call out the service engineer. You should have a set of emergency instructions in the event of a motor malfunction and the service number should be printed somewhere in the document.

If you are unsure about how to manually operate your electric gates, you can search “electric gate installers near me” on Google to find the suppliers in your local area. It is always best to talk to the gate supplier prior to doing anything, as they would know exactly what to do and are likely to want to be the ones to service the unit.

If you mess with the gates, the supplier might not recognise your warranty, so it is best to leave it to the professionals unless you need to get your car out in a hurry, in which case, follow the above instructions.