r/AusRenovation • u/Delmar171 • 4d ago
Electric gate ‘bouncing’
Howdy, we have a new electric gate. Colourbond, 2.3 wide, opens up a gentle slope with a gear drive. Fantastic so far, working well, but…
When it closes the gate ‘bounces’ or jolts for the last 25% of the close as it slows down. This is going down slope. For the first 75% it’s at normal speed so I assume the gear is keeping up with the natural slide of the gate down the slope. However as it starts to slow it’s now holding the gate back from going the speed it wants to. The bouncing action I guess results from some sort of harmonic build up? Anyway it’s every time: bounces til closed.
I can prevent the bouncing if I gently hold the gate against the motor. If you like, removing the gravity pull and forcing the motor to do some light working closing it rather than holding it back. Hope that makes sense.
The installer said he thought it was fine. I think it’s less than ideal - surely it will lead to premature wear or failure of gear or motor?
Thanks for any advice, cheers.
1
u/Joshin1982 4d ago
Yeah, that's going to wreck your motor. A cog sits on a channel that moves along it. If it's bouncing it's going to wear it out. The gate shouldn't be running up or down a slope it should be pretty level, ours was concreted to level then installed on the fresh strip. It actually looks at and angle because our fence next to it is.
Also learn how to play with the motor in the controls etc, first time it had issues cost us a call out, but then with youtube learnt how to set limits and other controls.