“That which we call an automatic door service by any other name would be as helpful.”
Okay, so we might not have a calling in writing plays like Shakespeare, but we do know a thing or two about automatic doors and all the benefits that come from getting your doors routinely checked.
Especially with the snow and ice building up on your sidewalks and around your doors, it’s the perfect time to think about longer-term maintenance plans that can help you tackle any issues your doors might have both now and down the road as the weather warms up.
The Benefits of Long-Term Maintenance vs. One-Off Calls
Right now, you might just call the experts when a problem arises with your automatic door system, and you might be wondering why you need to invest in more frequent services. The truth is, having your doors professionally maintenanced on a regular basis can save you time, money, and headaches in the long run. In fact, the American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) recommends that you get your doors inspected by certified professionals annually, at a minimum.
The reason for this is that your automatic doors are a feat of engineering—they have multiple, complex mechanical and electronic parts that are constantly working to keep people moving in and out of your buildings. But the unfortunate thing is that the winter, with its snow, ice, wind, and extreme cold, is rough on all those individual parts. Tracks become a collection ground for snow and ice, rollers get stuck, sensors and battery back-ups fail—all of which can spell disaster for your doors (typically at inconvenient times when the weather is at its worst) and stick you with expensive repair bills.
Many of these problems, however, can be prevented by having a professional come and give your doors a thorough inspection. Tracks will be cleared, rollers adjusted, and sensors and battery back-ups tested and replaced well before anything gets to the point of breaking or failing. Then, when the weather warms up, you can give your doors another professional check-up to nip any potentially developing problems in the bud.
With routine maintenance, you pay an annual fee that’s easy to budget for, you schedule your services whenever’s convenient for you, and there’s no large inconvenience to the customers using your doors. But without routine maintenance, you risk unexpected problems that can show up without warning, cost an arm and a leg to fix, and make it inconvenient or impossible for customers to use your doors.
What Do You Get With a Maintenance Plan?
So then, what exactly do you get with a maintenance plan for your automatic doors? While every company is different, there are a few aspects to your plan that you can expect to be fairly standard across the board:
- 1–2 services per year.
- In-depth inspection of each component. Your tech will look at and listen to every part of your doors on a micro and macro level for any strange behavior or noises.
- Adjustment and lubrication of necessary parts. Things like belts, gears, pivots, glass and guide rails will be cleaned, adjusted, and lubricated to reduce friction and keep your doors lasting longer.
- Calibration of sensors. Your doors’ sensors will be checked on things like their sensitivity to motion/weight, opening and closing speeds, and how long they stay open, and will be checked against the current American National Standards Institute (ANSI) safety standards.
- Minor repairs and final testing. Any minor issues that can be made on the spot will be completed, followed by a final test to make sure everything’s working as it should.
- Service report. After everything has been inspected, adjusted, and repaired, your tech will provide you with a report of everything that they found and fixed.
As you can see, you get a lot of bang for your buck with an automatic door maintenance plan. It’s an easy way to make sure your doors last longer and stay safe for your customers without needing costly repairs.
Join Our ProActive Maintenance Plan for Top-Tier Support
Giving you peace of mind for your doors is our goal at ADA. Consider signing up for our ProActive Maintenance Plan, where you’ll get two in-depth inspections and tune-ups a year from our AAADM certified techs.
Whether you have automatic swing and sliding doors, revolving doors, speed lanes, turnstiles, or manual doors, we’ll get every sensor, gear, and track in ship-shape, as well as answer any questions or concerns you have along the way. Our team will also perform an AAADM safety inspection during each visit, help educate your teams on how to conduct daily safety checks of their own, and even provide you with the documentation you need to prove that your doors are compliant with ANSI’s safety requirements with your service report.
Learn more about our ProActive Maintenance Plan here, or give us a call to sign up, then get ready to enjoy a stress-free year with your automatic doors!