How to get the most out of your existing automatic doors

Automatic doors, cctv, cctv systems, fire alarm, covid, burglar alarm

Automatic doors are a great addition to any business or building – both from an aesthetic and a security perspective. Brand new, state-of-the-art doors can help you achieve that next level of security as well as making your business look sleek and modern. But finding the funds is not always practical, and for some even a little bit of upheaval and disruption is too much during certain times. For some businesses, this means it might not be a feasible project to embark on.

No problem – you can still upgrade the security, effectiveness and looks of your existing doors and automatic doors without installing new ones. Here’s how.

 

Regular maintenance

Our recommendation with any security product for your business is that you keep it regularly maintained. Not only does this help you ensure they’re functioning correctly, but also that they’re remaining compliant with key industry standards. For automatic doors, that’s BS EN 16005 – which is the European Standard and code of practice for safety in the use of automatic doors. Regular service and maintenance can also ensure your doors run smoothly and look good. A build up of rust, hanging wires and other wear and tear can not only affect the performance, but make your doors look a bit untidy. A service and maintenance package with a reputable provider can help you make sure your doors can be up and running and functional quickly in the event something breaks.

 

Make sure you’re following safety regulations

This is something that your service and maintenance contract provider can help you with – but it’s very important that you ensure any existing automatic doors you’ve got follow safety guidelines. This includes displaying and maintaining the correct signage to warn users that the doors are automatic, and the risks of using the doors. Any accidents that occur due to lack of signage are the responsibility of the owner of the premises. Not following the relevant safety guidelines can result in serious injury for the individual, and for the business, this could mean lengthy court processes, large payouts and possibly closure in extreme circumstances.

 

Optimise for energy usage

Automatic doors – when setup correctly – can help you to save on energy and therefore cut down on your costs. Because they open and close automatically rather than being held open or left open for extended periods of time, they stop heat escaping. One way to optimise your current automatic doors is to check the settings – you might be able to decrease the time taken to close after opening. You could also reduce the sensitivity of the sensor, to stop them opening needlessly – making them more efficient and meaning they use less power over time. Some doors have pre-configured low energy settings to assist you with this, and can also be added to pre-existing doors if they don’t have them already.

 

Upgrading non-automatic doors

It’s possible to get all the benefits of automatic doors without having to install an entirely new set of doors. A reputable provider can retrofit an automatic operator to existing manual doors. Not only does this make your existing doors more efficient and energy saving,it could also help you be more compliant with Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Regulations, by making your building more accessible. This is all for a fraction of the cost of installing brand new automatic doors. To get the most out of these retrofits, they should still be regularly serviced and maintained to ensure they’re operating correctly.

 

If your existing automatic doors need a bit of TLC and a tune-up, or you’d like to add automatic operators to your manual doors, Century Secure Group UK Ltd can help. We’re proud members of the Automatic Door Installation Association (ADIA), and the Door and Hardware Federation (DHF), and all of our installation and services are fully compliant with BS EN 16005. If you’d like to find out more – get in touch.

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