6 Crucial Things to Ask Your Installer

If you’ve ever dealt with a toddler – and I speak from experience, having a two-and-a-half year old nephew – you’ll attest to their inherently inquisitive nature. In a matter of mere minutes, they can make the word “why” take on more or less the same quality as long fingernails being dragged across a blackboard. “Why is the sky blue?” “Why do dogs go ‘woof’?” “Why are you pulling out tufts of hair and banging your head against the wall?”. That sort of thing.

But, as it turns out, they might just be onto something. I mean, how often have we not uttered the lamentation: “If only I knew then what I know now…”? And yet, we are so often afraid to ask, mainly because we don’t know which questions to ask. We simply don’t feel empowered enough.

One would think that the logical first question to ask when having a new gate motor installed is: “What will it cost?” but, in the words of that Greek sage Plato: “A good decision is based on knowledge, and not on numbers”.

Here are the six things you really should be asking your installer:

Does he offer after-sales support?

In other words, if things do go pear-shaped with regards to the installation, can you depend on him to come and sort it out? A good installer will offer a warranty on his workmanship, and not just on the product.

Are there products that could complement your installation?

Of course, there are times when a standalone gate motor will do just fine but, in the world of access control, a full bouquet of products will offer you enhanced security, convenience and functionality.

Think of your gate motor as a juicy piece of lazy-aged steak; it’s delicious on its own, but add a nice claret and the experience overall just feels richer. Be sure to ask your installer about ancillary products like keypads, tag readers, GSM devices and intercom systems.

How can he make your installation safer?

If you were buying a new car, chances are you’d ask the salesman whether it comes with airbags, ABS, that sort of thing. While most modern gate motors come with features like built-in anti-crushing protection, it’s always a good idea to ask your installer to fit additional safety devices such as infrared gate safety beams.

Does the operator require routine maintenance?

The reality is, any mechanical system accumulates a certain amount of wear and tear over time; it’s an inevitable side effect of moving parts working against each other and the various forces of nature.

Your maintenance schedule will generally be directly proportional to how frequently you use your gate motor, but a routine service every two years or so is recommended, just to ensure that everything keeps running smoothly under the hood.

Is he able to provide you with a users’ guide?

While the installer might not necessarily want to leave you with the complete installation manual – this is, after all, his domain – you should at the very least insist that he give you the users’ guide. As the name suggests, this document contains all information relevant to the end-user, such as the setting up of various features and the coding of remote controls, and even some basic diagnostics.

Does he have references?

Remember, you’re essentially putting your home and family’s security in the hands of this person, so it’s important to be sure that he’ll do a proper job, and that there are past clients that can vouch for his work. Ask for a list of references before giving the go-ahead.

Make Your Property Virtually Impenetrable!

It’s a well-known fact that traffic barriers offer formidable vehicle access control, and for that reason they are favoured by property managers who need to control the traffic entering and leaving the premises.  For the longest time barriers have been used to guard the entrances and exits to shopping centres, office parks and secure housing estates and are usually activated by means of ticket readers, free-exit loops, pushbuttons or other access control devices (such as keypads). 

But how comprehensive are traffic barriers?  Certainly a determined car thief might hightail it straight through a boom pole, and there is always the possibility that a hoodlum on foot might circumvent the system.

The SECTOR high-volume traffic barrier has been designed specifically for sites with heavy traffic flow requiring an extremely high duty cycle, with recorded daily operations in excess of 3000.  Add to that a rapid raising and lowering speed, reliable battery backup and an intelligent controller chock a block with features and functionality, and you’ve got an access control system that won’t let you down. 

But, believe it or not, there are accessories that can make this already impressive system even more formidable, and even more effective.  We’re talking about things like...

CLAWS

There is a certain comic book character that has steel claws extending from his knuckles, which he uses as weapons, but even he would think twice about taking on these CENTURIONs.  CLAWS – our very own range of roadway spikes - can be interfaced seamlessly with the SECTOR, or be used in a stand-alone configuration – but either way, criminals and tailgaters won’t be going anywhere while they’re raised.  A lowering boom pole provides the CLAWS with the only motivation they need to stand at the ready, the mighty stainless steel maw eagerly awaiting the first vehicle that dares not stop when it’s meant to.

TRAPEX

As we mentioned in the introduction, pedestrian access control has been a thorn in the collective side of property owners and building managers since time immemorial.  Yes, vehicle barriers do provide an effective means of controlling vehicular traffic, but a criminal on foot is able to do equally as much damage and arguably more, since he can do said damage without attracting too much attention.

TRAPEX is a barrier fence that literally covers all bases.  Robust and exceptionally easy to install, TRAPEX forms a comprehensive barrier and prevents pedestrians from circumventing the access control system.  Not only will would-be intruders not be able to use the barrier as their own personal limbo pole and gain access by entering underneath the boom, but the vertical poles extend above the boom pole, making it impossible to traverse.

BREAKAWAY COUPLING

Let’s consider for one moment – and we can’t stress enough how unlikely this is – that a particularly determined criminal has made it far enough to break your boom pole before being stopped dead in his tracks by the CLAWS’s powerful bite.  Normally, the damage would be considerable and the barrier would be out of commission for quite some time, but fitting a SECTOR breakaway coupling allows the pole to hinge away from the housing when hit, thereby deflecting the impact and saving you loads of time and money.

So there you have it, three things you can add to your SECTOR to make sure that access is truly controlled.