How Extreme Heat Affects Automated Gates
The Met Office has issued four consecutive Amber Heat Alerts, with temperatures across the country expected to soar past 30c. While most of us are looking for shade and staying hydrated, there is an overlooked piece of security technology that takes a massive beating in this kind of weather: your automated gate system.
Extreme heat can cause major disruptions to electric and automated gates. If your system suddenly becomes sluggish, behaves erratically, or stops working entirely over the next few days, the weather is the likely culprit.
Here is exactly how intense heatwaves interfere with automatic gates, and what you can do right now to protect your system.
Safety Sensors Get "Blinded" by Sunlight
Automated gates rely on infrared photocell sensors to detect obstacles and prevent the gate from closing on vehicles, pets, or people.
During a midsummer heatwave, intense glare and direct, low-angle sunlight can overwhelm the receiver sensor. The infrared beam gets completely washed out by the sun’s brightness, effectively “blinding” the system. When this happens, the control board assumes there is a permanent obstruction in the driveway, causing the gate to lock open or refuse to close.
Motor Overheating and Thermal Shutdown
Just like a car engine, electric gate motors generate their own heat while operating. When the ambient temperature climbs past 30c, the cooling-off period required between cycles drops drastically.
Most modern, high-quality gate motors are built with internal thermal cut-out switches. This is a safety feature designed to protect the motor from melting its own components. If your gate is used frequently during the hottest hours of the day, the internal temperature can trigger a complete thermal shutdown, leaving the gate unresponsive until it cools back down.
Dried-Out Lubrication and Increased Friction
The mechanical components of your gate, including the hinges, rollers, tracks, and articulated arms, rely on specialised grease to move smoothly.
Intense, prolonged heat causes standard lubricants to thin out, break down, or dry up much faster than usual. Without proper lubrication, friction increases dramatically. This puts immense physical strain on the motor, making it work twice as hard to push the exact same weight, accelerating mechanical wear and triggering safety errors.
Component Expansion and Alignment Shifts
Physical materials expand when exposed to high temperatures. Large metal gates, structural posts, and even heavy hardwood timber panels will swell or expand slightly under a blazing sun.
Even a few millimetres of expansion can shift the precise alignment of your gate. This can cause latching mechanisms to jam, magnetic locks (maglocks) to misalign, or the gate to drag slightly along the ground. Automated systems are highly sensitive to resistance; if the control board detects unexpected friction from a misaligned hinge, it will halt the gate instantly as a safety precaution.
How to Protect Your Automated Gate This Coming Week
If you want to keep your property secure and avoid an emergency breakdown call-out during the heatwave, take these immediate preventative steps:
Reduce Unnecessary Cycles: Limit the number of times the gate is opened and closed in rapid succession, especially during the peak heat hours between 11:00 and 15:00. Give the motor ample time to cool down between uses.
Clear the Tracks and Vents: Ensure that there are no grass cuttings, dry leaves, or dust accumulation blocking the ventilation slots on your motor housing. Keep sliding gate tracks completely swept and clear of debris to minimize friction.
Check the Manual Release Key: Always know where your manual override keys are kept. If the system suffers a thermal shutdown or an electrical fault due to the heat, you will need to manually disengage the motor to open or lock your gates.
Shade the Sensors if Necessary: If a specific photocell sensor is being blinded by direct sunlight at a certain time of day, creating a temporary makeshift shade or hood above the sensor housing can block the blinding glare and restore the infrared connection.
A Quick Warning on Lubricants: If your hinges or tracks are creaking in the heat, do not spray them with standard household oils or penetrating fluids like standard WD-40. These attract airborne dust, pollen, and grit, creating a abrasive paste that will permanently grind down and damage the moving parts. Always use a high-quality, heat-resistant silicone or lithium grease.
Long-Term Resilience
Weather extremes are becoming far more common. If your gate regularly struggles when the summer peaks, it may be time to look into long-term upgrades. This includes installing specialised sunshields for your safety beams, upgrading to high-duty cycle motors designed for intense workloads, or scheduling a comprehensive mid-summer service check.
If your gate system is acting up during this Amber Alert period and you need expert advice or an emergency inspection, get in touch with the team at Owl Access Ltd.