What to Do if Your Gate Operator is Making Noises

We all prefer to push our gate operators to the back of our minds and trust that everything is operating as it should, so a gate operator that has started making irregular noises is never welcome. When you have done little to no maintenance on your gate operator for the last several years, these noises are you signal that it’s time to do so.

You may even be going down American Access Company’s checklist of items that need to be greased, painted, lubed, tightened or replaced on your operator, and some items could still get overlooked. Sometimes I can be difficult to figure out where the noise is coming from. Is it the gate? Is it the operator? If you are having issue determining the source of the noise or are nervous about getting hands-on with your gate operator, it is time to call in the professionals.

Figuring out the Gate Noise

The photos featured here are of a couple of different gate operators that were creating some strange noises. This one was making a noise as it moved in one direction as the gate was in operation. We opened up the gate operator and went through the checklist and could not find anything wrong nor were we hearing the noise anymore. Once we shut the gate operator and ran the gate again, the noise came back. Our officials at American Access Company looked high and low as the door was opened and finally saw a tell-tale sign of a pulley that had come loose. The key in the pulley had begun rubbing the door.

In the next case of a gate operator making strange noises, the overall issue was larger than just tightening a few screws. This noise was indication that something needed to be replaced. The noise sounded like a chatter, as it sounded like while the operator was in operation that it was louder than it should have been. It took us a few minutes to locate the source of the noise, but once we took into consideration the age of the operator, we realized it had to be the motor of a bearing. The shaft has worn down from the many operation cycles over the past years.

We Can Help

If you have any funny noises coming from your gate or operator, it may be pretty easy to see, hear or even smell what is wrong. Once you’ve identified what is wrong, then it’s time to call us at American Access Company. We work solely with gate access control systems and are experts in installing, maintaining and repairing these devices. You can schedule a service call online or give us a call at the branch nearest you to book an appointment today.