Automatic gates can be used for many different reasons. Some of the most common include driveway and fence gates, and agricultural and farm gating. There are also automatic versions for commercial use. All of these can have swinging or sliding doors. The main things to consider when purchasing one for your home are privacy, design, security and type of automation desired.

Some can be opened with in-vehicle openers that are like garage door openers. Other openers can be on the gate and require a code to be entered before it will open. Some other types of accessories for automatic gate openers include key pad systems, photo beams, exit loops, phone entry systems, and safety loops. There are even those that are solar powered. Most have a backup system in case there would be a problem with the main opening system.

Most work when a radio signal is transmitted to a receiver that is wired to a control box. The control box reads whether to open or shut the gate. They are typically powered by electricity but can also be solar powered. Because there are different types of gates there are different power supplies for them. For heavy-duty or commercial use three phase wiring may be needed. The majority will use 240 volts. Closing can be done by a timer or by pressing a transmitter button. The time it takes to close depends a lot upon how heavy it is. An average gate will open in about 20 seconds. One of the few things that can keep a gate from opening is snow, but if the snow is removed there should be no problems.

After it has been installed the next most important part is the maintenance. Swing gates require greasing of hinges and sliding gates have chains that need greased as well as adjustments to the tension of the chain. Both types of automatic models will require motor and electrical maintenance. Those that are battery or solar powered require additional maintenance to maintain the battery and to keep the solar panels clean.

The choice of which type of automatic gate to use is generally determined by personal preference, fencing design, amount of upkeep needed, amount of available space and the reason for having one. The companies which sell gates will, most normally, be glad to help look through the different options and help determine which will work best for the given situation.

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