Preventative Maintenance Contracts: Why You Should Have Them for Your Automatic Doors

Problems can arise for anyone in the process of doing business. Something doesn’t work properly, you make a phone call or two, someone comes out – assesses the problem, makes a call or two for parts, and fixes the problem.

Photo credit: Besam

Now suppose that happens a couple hours before closing time. You’re thinking ahead to dinner or the evening’s plans, and the automatic door won’t close. Or it’s frozen partially open, and your customers have problems getting in… or out.

Even well-maintained automatic doors could have a problem at such an inopportune time. In most other cases, however, a maintenance contract could be the proverbial “ounce of prevention” that keeps your business running smoothly.

The Importance of Having a Maintenance Contract

This kind of contract gives you the peace of mind knowing that when the door malfunctions there is someone who can come and solve the problem. Here are a few other benefits of having a contract:

• You get a technician who is familiar with your door, and the specifics of its operation.
• You have a contract to service your door on a predetermined schedule. This can lessen emergency break-downs and help avoid more severe (and costly) repairs.
• Get phone support from your AAADM Certified inspector.
• These contracts include preventative maintenance on the doors to solve problems before they come up.
• The contract also is important because you receive 24/7 response, meaning the service professional will be in contact with you right away.

The Importance of Your Plan

Maintenance plans are customized to your needs. Your door system will be inspected for Code Compliance following every service call.

Photo credit: Besam

The Importance of Self-Checking the Doors

Checking the automatic doors for safety issues daily will keep your doors operating for a long time. Here are some benefits of performing routine checks:

• Keep repair costs down by identifying problems early.
• Your customers will be safe, as they use the doors on a daily basis.
• You will also learn how your door operates as you perform the daily checks.
• You will also be able to extend the life of your door by keeping it running properly.

For more about automatic door maintenance, or how you can connect with an AAADM Certified door inspector, call The Door Company at (614) 338-1414.

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Making Sure Your Automatic Doors Run Properly

It can happen to anyone… you’re getting ready to walk into a building, and maybe the door doesn’t open right away, and you have to stop short. Although the close call may bring a little nervous chuckle in the short term… a lapse in an automatic door’s function is no laughing matter.

Automatic doors are something that a lot of us take for granted. We simply trust that when we step under that sensor, that the door is going to slide right open and clear the path to where we're going. So we may not give a lot of thought to making certain that our automatic doors actually work. Nevertheless, it is important to have a contract in place  for regular maintenance on your doors to make certain that your doors work as intended.

Here are a few things to consider if you have automatic doors in your place of business:

The Potential for Injury

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to automatic doors should be obvious: a door that doesn't work properly may actually malfunction and cause real injury to you, your employees, or your customers. This could lead to you being found at fault due to negligence, which is an expensive thing to fight even if you win the case. Make sure that nobody has any reason to believe that you have been negligent in the maintenance of your place of business.

The Sheer Inconvenience

An automatic door is there for convenience. When you have to prop it open at the start of every day, it's not exactly a convenience anymore, and it makes your place of business look cheap and unprofessional. Make sure that you keep your door working as intended, if only to present a professional appearance.

AAADM Inspections

Sideload Header from an automatic door
(Courtesy: NABCO)

If you want to make sure that your automatic door is going to work as intended, you'll want to get an American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) certified inspector. This will ensure that your inspector knows what to look for, and what sort of information you need in order to keep your doors code compliant. Some businesses might even go a step farther, and enlist the help of an AAADM Certified door inspector as part of a preventative maintenance contract for their automatic doors to prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

Whether you're installing a new door or just conducting regular maintenance on the door that was already there when you moved in, it's important to make sure that your doors work as intended. It's a good idea to keep the AAADM on your phone and know your inspector by name to ensure that you can get the service you need when you need it.

Proper maintenance now means avoiding problems with doors that don't work -- whether the door doesn't open, or worse, doesn't close and presents a potential security risk.

For more information on automatic doors, their function and maintenance, contact The Door Company at (614) 338-1414.

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