How Hard Is It To Install Electric Gate Kits?

If you're considering whether to install electric gates, you may wonder if it's possible to save money by doing the job yourself.

Perhaps you think it's possible, but are unsure where to start.

But is it a straightforward procedure?

And what types of skills might you need to do it successfully?

Here, we'll take a look at the practicalities and challenges involved when installing electric gate kits.

It should help you make an informed decision about whether to attempt it yourself or seek the help of a professional.

Who Can Install Electric Gates?

Many people are surprised to learn that there are no regulations regarding the automation and installation of electric gates.

It's perfectly legal for anyone to install them.

This technically means that a homeowner is legally entitled to attempt to install electric gates using a DIY kit if they wish.

It also means that it's possible for someone without any qualifications or experience to set themselves up as an installer. 

Electricians may be qualified to work with electricity, and landscapers can undertake the necessary groundwork for the installation, but neither necessarily understands the unique safety requirements of electric gates.

The same applies to the installers of security systems.

All these trades sometimes offer electric gate installation.

If electric gates are installed incorrectly, at best they will not work as they should.

At worst, they could be lethal.

This is why it's extremely important that the individual that installs yours has the skill and experience to do so.

Staying Safe

There is a range of health and safety regulations that come into effect once gates are installed.

These include the Supply of Machinery Regulations 2008, the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Certain standards must be met, otherwise companies installing automated gates can face substantial fines, or even imprisonment, if a serious breach occurs.

The technical specifications of automated gates must be retained for at least 10 years. 

A list of potential risks, and a description of the solutions adopted to minimise them, must also be kept.

The gate user should retain manuals for the operation and maintenance of the gate and general safety warnings.

A logbook should be kept with details of regular services.

High Risk

If you intend to install the gates yourself, you should bear in mind that there are certain areas where the installation of an automated gate is considered high-risk.

These are where:

• There are multiple occupants
• There are children, elderly or disabled people living or visiting
• There is free public access
• There are remotely-operated automatic gates

The risk is also considered higher when it's not possible to train a gate operator, or to appoint authorised users, and when a higher number of people regularly use the automated gate.

Minimising Risk

There are a range of features that assist in making automated gates safer.

These should include safety photocells, gate motors with obstacle detection, physical guarding and the use of force-limitation measurements.

Obstacle detection is a feature of the gate motor and the control system, detecting any movement within a defined area close the gate. It uses infa-red beams.

When working correctly, safety photocells instruct the gate controls to stop the gate if someone, or something, interrupts the beam as the gate is moving.

When gates open and close, the force provided by the motors acting on the moving gates should be limited in line with the British and European standards guidelines.

They should also reverse automatically if they collide with an obstacle, including a person or animal, after the slightest of impacts.

Choosing The Right Kit

Before you purchase a DIY kit, it's important to consider what type of usage your gates will have.

Is your site commercial or domestic?

How many cycles of opening and closing will they complete in a day?

Gates that are used on commercial sites will probably need to withstand a great deal more wear and tear than those in a residential setting.

A hydraulic system might be a smart choice if a gate will be used frequently and cost is not an issue.

Other Issues To Consider

Before you make a start on the installation, there several other issues that you should consider.

It's important to do this before buying your kit, because not all of them are ideally suited for every set of circumstances.

You will need to take into consideration the weight and length of each gate leaf, as well as the number of operational cycles the gates will have to perform each day.

Also, it's important to think about possible limitations to the fitting, including how wide the entrance is and if it is on any kind of slope.

Other considerations include environmental factors, such as wind, rainfall or overhanging trees and shrubs.

If you're opting for a swing gate, how much clearance is available behind it?

If you're installing a sliding gate, is there sufficient opening space for it to slide open into?

Another important factor to account for is the overall condition of the gate and gate posts.

Before fitting any kind of automation, you need to be confident that the gate can function well manually.

An easy way to test this is to slowly open the gate using the tips of your fingers to mimic automated movement.

Are the gates able to run freely without any obstacles?

Is there space to fit the gate onto the pillar?

Do the angles between the gate and the pillar post allow for the gate to open and close without the gate motor catching?

DIY Versus Professional Installation

A qualified electric gate installer will carry out a full, thorough safety audit prior to designing an electric gate system for your home or commercial premises.

They will:

- Assess the size and weight of the gates and the force required to move them

- Want to know how regularly the gates are to be used, which will influence which gate motors they select

- Ensure that the installed swing gate will move freely on its hinges and that a sliding gate runs cleanly on its track

- Ensure the geometry and hardware are all working well before the motor is installed

- Take account of environmental factors, including wind exposure

- Assess the proximity to traffic and pedestrians not using the gates, as well as those who will pass through

- Look at how the ground lies. For example, does it rise or fall in the path of the moving gates? What is the drainage like? Will electrical components be at risk of sitting in standing water? If so, what can be done to providing suitable drainage?

- Look at any potential crushing, shearing, pinching and impact points that are created by moving gates

An experienced automated gate installer will understand all these issues and others that may arise. They will have encountered a wide range of different circumstances, and will have found solutions that ensure the reliability and safety of their electric gate installations.

If you decide to install the gate on your own, you must have answers to all of the questions above.

It's easy to create issues that can reduce the reliability, longevity and safety of your automated gates.

Gates and electric gate kits are expensive and use forces capable of damage and harm, so it's important that any installation of automatic gates is done correctly.

Unless you have the appropriate range of skills, and are confident that you can handle the complex requirements of an automated gate installation, it's always better to allow a suitably qualified professional to install yours and give to you peace of mind that they are safe and fit for purpose.