The problem
The gate had become slow and was occasionally stopping short. It had been getting gradually worse rather than failing suddenly.
How we diagnosed it
- Released the operator and moved the gate by hand. It required significantly more effort than it should, particularly through the last third of travel.
- Hinge wear on a heavy leaf, compounded by the leaf hanging slightly low.
- The operator was being asked to overcome that resistance on every cycle, which is why it appeared to be weakening.
What we did
- Replaced the hinges, re-hung the leaf true, and re-checked by hand through full travel before touching the operator.
- Re-learned the operator limits once the gate moved freely, since the previous positions had been set against a binding gate.
Watch this repair
No other gate repair company in Dallas–Fort Worth publishes video of their work.
The outcome
Full speed and force restored with no operator components replaced.
What you should take from this
An operator is sized to move a gate that swings freely. When the gate gets harder to move, the operator looks like it is failing — and replacing it simply hands the same problem to a new unit. Always check the gate by hand first.
