Gate automation starts with the gate
There are two kinds of gate to automate. A sliding gate runs on wheels along a track and parks beside a fence or wall, while a swing gate opens through an arc, so that space has to stay clear.
Every gate motor has a weight limit, and the gate decides which motor fits. Merlin lists its Slide 600 for gates up to 600 kg and 8m long, CENTSYS rates its D5-Evo for gates up to 500kg, and ATA says its Neoslider handles gates weighing as much as 800kg.
Swing gates take a different drive. CENTSYS's V-Series SMART is a piston-driven arm with a 400mm or 500mm stroke, sold as a single kit for one leaf or a double kit for two.
Mains, solar or battery
A gate motor can run on mains power, on solar, or on a battery that either one keeps charged. CENTSYS says the D5-Evo carries two 7Ah batteries so it keeps working in a power cut, and its V-Series runs off a 7.2Ah battery.
Solar saves running cable down a long driveway, but a panel needs sun. A gate under big trees, or one that opens all day, may still be better on mains with battery backup.
Wiring a gate motor in Queensland
Bringing mains power out to a gate is electrical work. In Queensland the person doing it must hold an electrical work licence that covers it, and a restricted licence held through another trade does not authorise installation work.
Once the new circuit is connected, the licensed electrical contractor gives you a certificate of testing and compliance. Keep it with the motor's manual, because it is the record of who did the wiring.
Beams, children and pets
Merlin will not let its myQ app run a gate unless Safety IR Beams are installed, and CENTSYS ties the D5-Evo's alarm functions to gate safety beams. Ask for beams on any gate that children, pets or visitors walk through, and teach children that a moving gate is never something to race.
Gates around Brisbane
Rural blocks on the edges
Logan takes in rural towns such as Jimboomba and Logan Village, where a gate can sit a long way from the house. A solar motor with battery backup avoids trenching a cable all the way down the drive.
Low ground
The Bureau of Meteorology says the Pine and Caboolture rivers are prone to flash flooding. If water lies across your driveway in heavy rain, say so: the motor and its controls sit low beside the gate.
Near the bay
BlueScope counts Redcliffe and Cleveland as exposed to salt water. Rinsing a steel gate and the motor housing with fresh water, as BlueScope advises for steel the rain does not reach, helps there.
Looking after an automatic gate
- Keep the track and the gear rack clear of stones, leaves and toys
- Wipe the safety beam lenses and check nothing blocks them
- Watch the gate open and close fully once a month
- Keep remotes out of children's reach
What we would do
Think about how often the gate will run before choosing the motor. Merlin designs its gate openers for over 150,000 cycles across their life, so a busy family driveway needs a motor and power supply sized for daily use, while a quiet rural entry may do well on solar. Tell the door specialist roughly how many cars come and go each day.