It's common for commercial businesses to have automatic sliding doors, which are the type of doors that slide open automatically when someone approaches them. From an outside perspective, their ability to sense when people are nearby and when they aren’t can seem like magic. In reality, they use automatic sliding door sensors to determine when they should open and close. As one of the most common issues that cause automatic doors to fail, if the sensor isn't working correctly, the doors can start to malfunction. This means that your automatic door won’t open or close or start opening and closing at the wrong time. In this guide, we'll explain some of the signs your automatic sliding doors sensor is not working and needs to be replaced.

Automatic Door Troubleshooting 

The Door Isn't Opening or Closing

If customers are standing by the automatic sliding door and it's refusing to budge, it could be a sign of a bad sensor. The first thing you'll want to check, however, is the power supply. A blown fuse or popped circuit are two other reasons the door might not be working. Most doors will have two automatic sliding door sensors, one on the interior and one on the exterior side of your building. If people can leave your establishment without problem, but are having trouble entering, the exterior sensor is the one that’s failing. If people on both signs are having a hard time getting the door to open, it's more likely to be a power issue. It's rare to have both sensors fail at once. 

The Door Opens at Random

Your automatic sliding door is designed to open and close whenever someone is standing near it. If they're opening and closing for seemingly no reason, it could be a problem with the automatic sliding door sensors are not working. The first thing you'll want to check is whether there's something else that's triggering the sensor, such as a flying plastic bag, a wandering animal, or a large insect. If the door is opening repeatedly and there doesn't appear to be anything that's triggering it, call an expert. In some cases, the solution to your automatic door sensor not working involves cleaning or re-calibrating the sensors. If that doesn’t work and your automatic door keeps opening and closing, the sensors need to be repaired or replaced.

The Door is Shutting on Customers

Another sign your automatic sliding doors need a new sensor is that it’s starting to close too early. If your door is shutting prematurely, you should have the sliding door sensor replaced as soon as possible. A door that closes while something is passing through it is a major safety hazard. It can hit or close on customers and employees, causing injuries you could be held liable for.

Pacific Entrance can handle everything related to automatic sliding door repair and installation, whether you’re in need of a simple repair or full replacement. Contact us today for a free quote!