Plano Fence Company owner Sean Eubanks, President of Texas State Fence Co., offers some practical considerations for installing an automatic gate on your drive.
There are several things that you should consider when selecting and installing an automatic gate opener:
1) Power Source
Most Automatic Gate Openers are powered by 12 volt DC power sources. 12 Volt DC Power is what your car battery uses an you can use many components from the automotive parts supply house if you wish. The battery will need to be charged either on a continual basis or periodically. Since it is not typically practical to remove the battery and charge it there are a variety of recharging systems that are available. The most common is to run a 110 Volt AC power from the home to the Controller unit and install a AC to DC Converter that will recharge the battery on a continual basis. Another good option, though more expensive, is to use a solar panel to provide a continual source of DC current to the Battery. In either case you will need a regulator to maintain the proper charge rate and to turn off the recharging current when the batter has reached peak charge.
Manufacturers of gate openers supply battery charging regulators but you can also pick them up at hardware stores or similar facilities. Be sure to that you use a device that is called a ‘maintainer’ to make sure that the charger turns off when the battery reaches maximum charge as to continue charging will damage the battery.
2) Gate Opener Controller
Be sure to consider how you are going to activate the gate opening and closing process when you install the gate opener.
Several options are available. One is a simple remote control that you can keep in your car similar to a garage door opener. You can get multiple units and distribute to everyone who has a car so that they do not need to get out to manually activate the gate.
When guests arrive you will have to consider how they gain access. Intercom systems can be installed but they can be quite expensive. A variety of system are available but you may not even need an intercom system with the prevalence of cell phones today most people will have a cell phone and they can call you to let you know they are at the gate. If you want to install an intercom system you may consider a Dorbell Fon System. The Dorbell Fon System allows people to press a key on the call box that will ring your designated phone with a special ring. When you answer the phone you can communicate with the guest and when ready hit the star key to open the gate.
Plano fence company owner Sean Eubanks started his company, Texas State Fence Co., to provide quality outdoor fencing and landscape hard structures to clients in North Texas. Texas State Fence Co. provides all types of fencing along with automatic sliding gates, swing gates, security fencing, outdoor kitchens and enclosures, patio covers, arbors, and gazebos. Sean also provides maintenance and repair of fences that have been damaged by weather and wind. For more information please contact Sean Eubanks at 972-898-1307 for visit his website.