August 2017 - Mr Gate Mr Garage

Maintaining your Gate Motor Battery

It is important to keep your gate motor battery in good working order. Under normal circumstances and with good care, it should last two to three years. Here are some tips as to how to take care of your gate motor so that you get maximum life from it.

Gate Motor Battery Voltage

The battery charger usually keeps the battery voltage about 12V. If there is a power outage or problem with the charger, the battery will start to run down. When the voltage falls below 10.5V you will need to replace the battery.

Power Failures

The Centurion D5 Evo sliding gate opener does not run directly from the power mains. It is driven by a battery that is charged by the mains. So if the battery has run down, the motor will not work properly even if there is power. The battery does not function as a back-up. During power outages, the battery will enable you to still use the automated gate, but only until it runs down. With a Centurion D5 Evo your gate can normally be opened ten to twenty times using the battery when there is no power. As soon as your battery runs down it will need to be replaced – even if the battery is new. Therefore, if a power outage is long (more than 4 hours) or the gate is opened and closed often, it is best to disengage the motor and use the gate on manual.

The new Centurion D5 Evo gives a beeping sound when the power is off, but unfortunately this functionality is not present on the older models and the Hansa gate motors.

Charging the Gate Motor Battery

If you are needing to replace batteries often, then you may want to consider other charging options. These include using a deep cycle battery or a solar charger. With the solar charger, the battery is charged by the sun during the day and then at night the gate runs on battery power.

Basic Checks for Your Gate Motor Battery

Make sure that the battery terminals are connected correctly.
Check that the battery voltage is above 10.5V. If it is below this you will need a new battery
Make sure that there is no build-up around the battery terminals.

How to check your Centurion D5 EVO battery health

The Basics of an Electric Fence Energizer

The electric fence energizer is what drives the entire electric fence system. There are numerous makes and types of energizers, but the ones we prefer are manufactured by Nemtek. Specifically these are the Wizard 4 and the Merlin 4. The Merlin 4 comes with a keypad which can be installed where convenient. Energizers are usually fitted inside the house or building; however, occasionally they are situated outside. In the latter case, they must be properly shielded from the weather.

The energizer serves to create and transmit an electric pulse along the wires of the electric fence. It is also what detects if there is any interference in the system, such as wires being cut or pushed together in the event of someone jumping over the fence. The energizer can be connected to a siren, alarm system, panic button or siren so that you and your security company can be notified if there are any attempts to damage, get over or get through the fence. Electric fence energizers come with battery-backup. This is exceptionally useful if there is a power outage so that your fence keeps operating and your security is not compromised. The energizer must be regularly checked to see if the battery needs replacing. There is a light on the energizer that will shine if the battery is at end of life. There are a few things to consider when choosing your energizer. These include:

How long is the fence? The longer the fence, the larger the energizer required.
What type of wire is used. Some wires (e.g. stainless steel) offer more resistance and a larger energizer is needed.
How you want to control the energizer i.e. with a remote, a keypad etc.
How many zones you want – this is only applicable in the case of larger fences.

Month: August 2017