The parts of an automatic door system
Knowing what each part is called makes it easier to tell us what you're seeing and to follow what we find.
Operator and header
The operator is the motor and control board that drives the door. On a slider it sits inside the header, the metal box across the top of the opening, along with the track and wiring.
Belt, carriers and rollers
The motor turns a toothed belt. The belt pulls the carriers, the brackets that hold each moving panel, and each carrier rides on rollers. When rollers wear flat or the belt loosens, the door starts to shudder, drift or make noise.
Track and floor guides
The track is the rail inside the header that the rollers ride on. At the bottom, a floor guide keeps the panels from swinging in and out. Dirt in either spot makes the motor work harder.
Motion sensors, presence sensors and safety beams
Motion sensors watch the approach and open the door when someone walks toward it. Presence sensors watch the doorway itself and keep the door from closing on a person standing there. Some doors also use safety beams, invisible lines across the opening that hold the door open when anything breaks them.
A door can open fine and still have a presence sensor that isn't doing its job, which is why we test each zone on its own.
Mode switches
The mode switch sets how the door behaves: off, automatic both ways, exit only, hold open or partial open. Many are key operated so only staff can change them.
Breakaway panels
Many sliders have panels that can be pushed outward like a swing door in an emergency. After a panel is swung open, it has to be latched back in place, and the door may not run in automatic until it is.
Door types and where each one fits
Bi-parting sliders
Two panels split at the center and slide apart. Each travels only half the opening, so they open quickly and leave a wide path for carts, wheelchairs and groups.
Single-slide doors
One panel slides to one side. These work where wall space is limited on one side or the opening is narrower, like a clinic entrance or small storefront.
Swing door operators
A swing door operator mounts above a regular hinged or pivoted door and opens it with a motorized arm. These fit vestibules, corridors and openings that need to stay hinged. Full-power swing operators move faster, so they typically rely on sensors to guard the swing path.
Low-energy push-button operators
Low-energy operators move the door more slowly and with less force. They're usually opened with a push plate or wave switch and suit restrooms, offices, side entrances and accessible entries.
What a service visit with us looks like
We start by asking staff what the door has been doing, when it started and whether anything changed near the entrance, like a new mat, display or sign. Then we watch the door cycle several times before touching anything.
A typical visit covers:
- Checking the mode switch, power and any locks tied into the door
- Cleaning, aiming and testing each sensor zone
- Opening the header to inspect the operator, belt, carriers, rollers and track
- Checking panels, floor guides and breakaway latches
- Adjusting speed and hold-open time
- Replacing worn parts, or explaining what needs to be ordered
Before we leave, we test the door again, including the presence and safety checks, and walk you through what we found. If a part has to be ordered and the door isn't safe in automatic, we'll agree on the safest mode to leave it in until we return.
How we troubleshoot common symptoms
We work from simple causes to complex ones. Some calls end at the mode switch or a tripped breaker.
The door does nothing at all. We check power, the mode switch, any unlatched breakaway panel and any engaged lock. Then we look at the control board and operator.
The door opens but won't close. Something is usually keeping a sensor triggered: a mat edge, a sign, a display or debris. We clear it, check sensor aim and make sure the presence zone fits the doorway.
The door works in one direction only. The switch may be set to exit only, or one approach sensor may have failed or slipped out of adjustment.
The door slams or closes too fast. We check the speed settings, then look for a loose belt, worn rollers or a slipped carrier.
A swing door won't fully close or latch. We check the operator arm, the hinges or pivots and the strike. Sometimes the door itself is the problem, and we'll tell you so.
A daily walk test for your staff
A quick walk test at opening time can catch problems before customers do. Have one person do it daily at a normal, unhurried pace.
- Confirm the mode switch is set the way you want for business hours.
- Check that the floor guide area is clear, mats lie flat, glass is intact and breakaway panels are latched.
- Walk toward the door from outside. It should start opening before you reach it and open all the way.
- Stop in the doorway. The door should stay open while you stand there.
- Step clear and watch it close smoothly and fully, without banging or grinding.
- Never step in front of a closing door to test it. If the door ever starts to close while someone is in the doorway, take it out of service right away.
- Repeat from the inside.
- For push-button doors, press the button. The door should open fully, stay open long enough to get through and close gently.
- Listen for new scraping, clicking or squealing.
If the door fails any step, take it out of automatic service. Switch it to off or another safe mode, post a sign and direct people to another entrance. Then call us and tell us which step it failed.
A door that doesn't detect people, or doesn't stop and reverse, should stay out of automatic service until a trained technician has checked it.
Please don't adjust sensors or open the header yourself. Settings that look simple can change the safety zones.
Power outages, manual mode and open mode
What happens in an outage depends on the door. Some sliders can be moved by hand once power is off, some have a battery unit that keeps the door running or opens and holds it, and many swing operators can be pushed open like a standard door. Learn how yours behaves before an outage. Ask us at your next visit.
- Know where the mode switch key is kept and who has access.
- Hold-open mode suits heavy traffic or deliveries, but it lets heat and dust in.
- Off mode is for closing time or a door taken out of service.
- If a door won't move by hand, use another exit instead of forcing it.
- When power returns, run the walk test before switching back to automatic.
Adding an operator to a door you already have
Many existing doors can be converted to automatic, but not every one should be. Before we recommend an operator, we look at:
- The door. A heavy, sagging or damaged door strains an operator.
- Hinges or pivots. Worn hardware needs attention first, or the operator will fight it.
- The frame. The operator needs solid mounting above the door.
- Power. If there's no power near the header, you may need an electrician, and we'll tell you what's needed.
- Locks and exit hardware. The lock and operator have to work together so the door never tries to open against a latched bolt.
- Activation. Push plates, wave switches or sensors, and where each one mounts.
If the door itself is worn out, replacing it first may make more sense. We also work on glass storefront doors and steel commercial entry doors, so we can look at the whole opening.
Accessibility and push-button entrances
Automatic and push-button doors help people using wheelchairs, walkers or strollers, and anyone carrying packages or pushing a cart. Owners usually think about where buttons sit and how easy they are to reach, how long the door stays open, how hard it is to open by hand and whether the path is clear.
Requirements vary by building type and location and change over time. Confirm what applies with your local building official before you install or change a door. We can talk through options, but the building official decides what your building needs.
Care habits that keep doors running
- Keep tracks and floor guides clear. Rocks, receipts and leaves make panels drag.
- Keep sensors clean. Wipe dust, pollen and cobwebs off sensor covers with a soft, dry cloth, without bumping their aim.
- Watch what goes near the door. Signs, banners and displays can trigger or block sensors.
- Keep mats flat. A curled edge can hold a door open or trip someone.
- Don't prop or shove panels. It strains the belt and carriers.
- Report noises early. A new squeak is often a small repair if it's caught before parts wear into each other.
Automatic doors in DFW buildings
Grocery and retail
Busy stores put doors through constant cycles, carts and summer heat. Wide bi-parting sliders handle the traffic, and exit-only mode at closing lets the last customers out without letting new ones in.
Clinics and medical offices
Patients may move slowly or use wheelchairs and walkers. Presence sensors and hold-open time matter most, and low-energy operators work well on interior doors and restrooms.
Offices
Lobby sliders often run automatic during the day and locked after hours. If the door ties into an access system, the operator and access hardware have to work together.
Senior living
Residents and visitors may need more time. Gentle movement, longer hold-open times and push-button operators at common areas are typical requests.
We work with businesses in McKinney, Frisco, Dallas and across North Texas.
What affects the cost
It's hard to price a job without seeing the door. The main factors:
- Repair or new install. Adjusting a sensor is a different job than installing an operator.
- Door type. Sliders, swing operators and low-energy operators use different equipment.
- Size and panels. Wider openings and heavier panels ask more of the operator and track.
- Existing condition. Worn hinges, damaged frames or bent tracks may need work first.
- Sensors and activation devices. How many, and what kind.
- Power. Whether it's already at the header.
- Parts. Some have to be ordered, and older systems can be harder to find parts for.
- Timing. Regular hours or an after-hours or Sunday appointment.
How to get started
Call us at (903) 294-1846, email prodoorsandgates@gmail.com or request service online. It helps to tell us the door type, what it's doing, which mode it's in and when it started. Photos of the door and header help too, if you can take them safely.
Our hours are Monday to Saturday, 7 AM to 5 PM. Emergency service is available by appointment after 5 PM Monday through Saturday and on Sundays.
We're a family-owned company based in Bells at 1940 Everheart Rd, Bells, TX 75414, serving Dallas-Fort Worth and North Texas, including Bells, Sherman, Denison, Anna, McKinney, Allen, Princeton, Farmersville, Frisco, Forney and Dallas.