Electric Gates

fitzie79

Hi,

we are looking at installing electric gates. In order to save costs we are looking at doing a lot of it ourselves but have a number of questions that hopefully people can answer.

We have the cables for the supply ran down the drive and from one pillar to the other. We also have a cat 5 cable at the entrance.

1) Are the overground or underground systems better?
2) Our drive is on an upward incline. We don't want the gates to open outwards so is it possible to get a hinge that will open "in and up". Does the electric gate work ok with this?
3) What is the best type of intercom receiver to use? I don't want to be in the bedroom and not know that someone is trying to get in.
4) Is it possible to have a sensor so that the gates open automatically when you are leaving? Does this mean that if a burglar wants to get in all he has to do is stand on the inside of the gates and they'll open for him?

And finally the most important question - what is a guideline price for the gates and the electric system. Any reliable brands that people would recommend?

ART6

http://www.colmcheevers.com in Waterford do such things (no, I don't have any connection with them. I just know of them) They supply a lot of radio network systems for things like that.

Melodeon

I was looking at electric gates a while ago, and found these guys to be most helpful:
The Electric Gate Shop

I finished up doing something entirely different, so didn't buy anything from them, but their prices appeared to be good at the time and they were very helpful with advice and suggestions.

Melodeon

I knew I meant to say something else.

fitzie79 wrote: »

2) Our drive is on an upward incline. We don't want the gates to open outwards so is it possible to get a hinge that will open "in and up". Does the electric gate work ok with this?

Have you room to the left or right of your entrance? A sliding gate might be a good solution to this issue if you have.

fitzie79

thanks for the replies

there is room to one side alright. i presume that the sliding gate is a different mechanism altogether. is it more expensive?

Dbgle

Automation Supplies in Meath done the work on our gates and also sell kits seperately as far as I know, www.seagateautomation.ie, well worth a call, Peter was the chaps name

Melodeon

Going on the prices from the crowd I linked above, unless you have very lightweight conventional gates, prices for the automation equipment appears to be broadly similar.
The gate hardware (rails, concrete work, etc) would probably be a bit dearer for a sliding gate all right.

54kroc

hI fitzie79 I'd say your best option would be to go with a sliding gate which would get around the problem of the incline, I prefer this type of gate myself.
You can have a ground loop installed so the gates open when a car is exiting but a burglar could also just place some metal on the loop to open the gates as well.
A brand I know of and used to install is FACC who are very good imo.
I haven't done this type of work in 10 years so I don't have a clue about current prices.

riccol1966

I bought underground openers from "the electric gate shop" in the UK and they have proven very reliable. They were also helpful with additional information. I think the motors etc are not FAAC but Italian made.

To save money I got the gate made and put in the underground boxes, control box and electrics myself. You will pay a lot more money to have it installed. You can also do a half-way house and install the boxes and control box but leave the final hooking up for an electrician if you like.

to answer your questions :
1) underground systems are much neater, if you want a neat and tidy solution, but they require more work to install and the boxes have to be placed accurately. You also need to provide ducting to allow rainwater to escape from the boxes.

2) you cannot have rising hinges with electric gates as usually the arm of the motor is welded to bottom of the gate, or in the case of overhead arms they are welded to a part of the gate frame, therefore the gate is only moveable on the horizontal plane. As the other posters say you either go with a sliding gate, which may not look as good if you wanted to center it on pillars, or you level the gate entrance area enough for inward opening gates to have clearance.

3) lots of intercom choices, some work wirelessly also, you need to check the decibel level of the indoor intercom to see if it will be adjustable.

4) If a burglar wants to get in he doesn’t have to drive his car in, he can just hop over the wall or climb over the gate! Electric gates make your entrance secure from large objects, they wont stop a determined burglar getting in if they really want to. Ground loops are expensive for what they do, which uses a large set of coils in a square pattern at the start of the drive, with a separate control box linked to the main gate control box. A cheaper option, and what I did, is to by 2-3 gate remotes, keep one in the house and the others in your cars and just use these to control the gate opening and closing.

hope this helps.

VitaminDave

We used Michael Comerford for our electric gates, reasonable and very professional http://comerfordelectrical.ie/services/electric-gate-automation/

colm_mcm

Probably sorted 7 years later

White Clover

VitaminDave wrote: »

We used Michael Comerford for our electric gates, reasonable and very professional http://comerfordelectrical.ie/services/electric-gate-automation/

I'm confused now....are u Michael or Dave?

exaisle

riccol1966 wrote: »

<snip>
2) you cannot have rising hinges with electric gates <snip>

Actually, you can.

Just google "rising hinges electric gates" or have a look here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gZ85Tisq7E

My cousin in the uk has gates very similar to those at about 1.50 into that video...I'm not sure how they work but they do :-)

exaisle

Who the hell resurrected this damned thread...I just spent ten minutes on the blower to my cousin in the uk trying to get him to remember who installed his gates...and he can't remember...feckit!

Ginger83

colm_mcm wrote: »

Probably sorted 7 years later

What did you go for

red sean

Ginger83 wrote: »

What did you go for

Vitamin Daves cousin