Electric Gate fault

agentsmith

Recently the electric house gate has failed to operate correctly-wont open on fob key or keypad operation. Mains power to the control box seems to be OK as lights on gate pillars still work but noted that the sensors no longer 'click' when obstructed or movement between them. Anybody any ideas or tips on fault finding or why issue? Might it be an auxillary power/fuse issue? problem is not quite sure what this looks like or how to check.

Attached is pic of setup.

kub

The pictures you have posted are not actually the control board for your gates, what you have there is a GSM receiver unit, a relay and a power supply unit, they are all suplemantarys to the actual controller.
So you have no click on the photocells, can you recall, if your photocells were obstructed before this break down would the gates still open?

You could have a faulty fuse indeed, but best to find out why the fuse blew. You could have a problem with a cable, faulty photocells, insects after getting in somewhere they shouldn't or indeed a big juicy slug after crawling up the back of your gate PCB and is after frying himself and your PCB with him.

When you mentioned the light is on, is that the Intercom unit?

agentsmith

Hi Kub, yep since realised was wrong 'control' box and checked the motor box. Checked fuses and found the aux fuse (3.15A) had indeed blown - not too bad as glass still clear. All other fuses and resistors etc seemed ok. Just need get new fuse and replace to see if blows again (so will get a few ) indicating other issues as suggest maybe with sensor etc got some water ingress. Hopefully not and one off problem. There was a lot of cobwebs in box around board etc and pretty llarge spider so maybe something to do with it.

kub

agentsmith wrote: »

Hi Kub, yep since realised was wrong 'control' box and checked the motor box. Checked fuses and found the aux fuse (3.15A) had indeed blown - not too bad as glass still clear. All other fuses and resistors etc seemed ok. Just need get new fuse and replace to see if blows again (so will get a few ) indicating other issues as suggest maybe with sensor etc got some water ingress. Hopefully not and one off problem. There was a lot of cobwebs in box around board etc and pretty llarge spider so maybe something to do with it.

It is either moisture or a little creature, is there a smell of burn off the control board by any chance?

Just Murphys law will probably dictate that is a spider can get in then so can a slug.
Have a good look at that PCB, but before you do make sure and switch off the power.

agentsmith

cheers, might wait until after rain before check PCB again was no obvious smells when first opened though. will reseal all photocells also as some of existing sealing showing signs of perishing/weathering. Bit hard to prevent bugs entering when large opening in bottom of mototr box where cables entering.

Is the fuse a fast or slow blow fuse? any ideas where to get on high street as not near a maplin etc

agentsmith

ordered some slow blow "T" fuses online

kub

agentsmith wrote: »

cheers, might wait until after rain before check PCB again was no obvious smells when first opened though. will reseal all photocells also as some of existing sealing showing signs of perishing/weathering. Bit hard to prevent bugs entering when large opening in bottom of mototr box where cables entering.

Is the fuse a fast or slow blow fuse? any ideas where to get on high street as not near a maplin etc

Get yourself some low odour silicone also, the fumes from the normal stuff will perish the metals on your PCB. Dab that around those cable entry holes, also as i said power it down first but what i would do then would be to actually remove the PCB from the base and inspect around the back of it.
Clean out the control box thoroughly, do like wise with the photocells, if someone has left large holes on the control board i imagine it is the same with the photocells.

Hopefully your PCB is ok.

agentsmith

any suggestions for sealent brand - assume can pick up at B&Q or similar?

yep sure hope pcb ok

kub

agentsmith wrote: »

any suggestions for sealent brand - assume can pick up at B&Q or similar?

yep sure hope pcb ok

Places like that just think of bathrooms when you mention silicone, i usually get mine from my suppliers. Might be worth having a look here http://cpcireland.farnell.com/
Or alternatively give your local electrical wholesaler a call.

Evolution1

be wary of the fuses you replace them with. 3.15 is high. google the control board pdf and that will tell you what fuses are needed as sometimes they are replaced with a higher rated fuse. try not to adjust any dials or dip switches when removing the board as you dont want any setting changed like the force at which the gate operates.

kub

3.15 is not strange on gates, its why the thing blew is what i would be more interested in.

agentsmith

Evolution1 wrote: »

be wary of the fuses you replace them with. 3.15 is high. google the control board pdf and that will tell you what fuses are needed as sometimes they are replaced with a higher rated fuse. try not to adjust any dials or dip switches when removing the board as you dont want any setting changed like the force at which the gate operates.

3.15A rating stamped on blown fuse and also listed in motor manual. Cant say noted any dip switches but could be wrong? see pics attached when opened.

Let me know if spot anything obvious that might suggest blown fuse.

kub

agentsmith wrote: »

3.15A rating stamped on blown fuse and also listed in motor manual. Cant say noted any dip switches but could be wrong? see pics attached when opened.

Let me know if spot anything obvious that might suggest blown fuse.

A picture tells a thousand words, right if it was my call, i would remove both PCB's just to inspect the back of them. I would silicone that bottom right hole so its only the cables that are going through and no space for any little offenders.
How old are those batteries? When did the gates last run without electricity?

I am not too worried about creatures in the motor area, no harm to clean it but they can't do much damage there, just themselves really.
Does that motor jig much when it is in action?

agentsmith

Kub, sorry for slow reply. As under bit of time pressure I first replaced aux fuse to check operation - all sensors fully functional. Decided to leave and see how went - so far so good so maybe just random fuse blow.

The batteries when checked initialy showed 13.57 and 13.46v which i believe indicates good trickle v charge readings?.

kub

No bother, real life has to take priority. That is good that the fuse did not blow straight away, keep an eye on it, will be interesting when it rains.

Whenever you get a chance switch off the electricity supply to gate and get them to run on the batteries, just to see how it does.

agentsmith

half expected to blow straight away so pleasantly surprised when didn't - it rained heavey for 2 days after so got good test also

shareboy

Hi. My gates have stopped working. Intercom, Sensors and keypad all working fine. I opened the control box and the PCB unit shows the stop led light illuminating and the DL10 led light illuminating. Any someone might know what's going on before I'll call someone out on the off chance I could fix it.
Picture below of PCB

kub

shareboy wrote:

Hi. My gates have stopped working. Intercom, Sensors and keypad all working fine. I opened the control box and the PCB unit shows the stop led light illuminating and the DL10 led light illuminating. Any someone might know what's going on before I'll call someone out on the off chance I could fix it. Picture below of PCB

What model is that PCB please, it looks familiar.
Do your photocells click when you obscure them, note this will only happen on one side and it is a very quite click.

shareboy

kub wrote: »

What model is that PCB please, it looks familiar.
Do your photocells click when you obscure them, note this will only happen on one side and it is a very quite click.

It's 7PCB 452/455. Nice underground system. The photocells on the roadside of the gate click but the Ines on the house side of the gate don't.

kub

Sounds like the issue is your internal photocells.
I have to advise you to get this professionally fixed due to Health and Safety rules which apply to auto Gates now.

exaisle

kub wrote: »

What model is that PCB please, it looks familiar.
Do your photocells click when you obscure them, note this will only happen on one side and it is a very quite click.

Its a FAAC board..

shareboy

got them working. Photocells were off line. The motor arm was getting stuck on the gate too due to lack of lubricant. Thanks everyone for there input. Greatly appreciated and probably saved me in someone calling out.