Automatic Door Maintenance: What Facilities Managers Need To Know

Automatic doors are used every day in commercial buildings, often hundreds or even thousands of times. When they are working well, they make access simple. When they fail, they can quickly affect safety, security, accessibility and the way a building operates.

For facilities managers, estates teams and business owners, automatic door maintenance should be part of planned building management rather than something that only happens when a fault appears.

Why automatic door maintenance matters

Automatic doors are powered systems with moving parts, sensors, safety devices and control settings. Over time, these components can wear, move out of alignment or become affected by dirt, impact damage or heavy use.

Regular maintenance helps to:

• reduce the risk of unexpected breakdowns 
• keep entrances safe and reliable 
• support accessibility for staff, visitors and customers 
• identify minor issues before they become larger faults 
• protect security and access control systems 
• maintain records for compliance and building management 
• reduce disruption to daily operations 

How often should automatic doors be serviced?

In high-footfall buildings, an unreliable door can quickly become more than an inconvenience. It can create access problems, affect customer experience, increase security risk and place additional pressure on staff.

Automatic doors should be serviced regularly by a competent engineer. The right servicing frequency depends on the door type, usage level, environment, manufacturer guidance and the risk profile of the building.

A low-traffic internal door may not need the same maintenance frequency as a main entrance in a hospital, shopping centre, office block, school or public building.

High-footfall sites, healthcare environments, education buildings, retail entrances and access-controlled doors may need more frequent checks because they are used heavily and play an important role in safe access.

What is checked during automatic door servicing?

A planned maintenance visit will usually include a range of safety, performance and condition checks.

This may include:

• activation sensors 
• safety sensors 
• door opening and closing speeds 
• hold-open time 
• door alignment 
• tracks, guides, rollers, hinges or arms 
• motor and operator condition 
• control unit settings 
• access control integration 
• signage and safety features 
• manual release or emergency operation 
• loose, worn or damaged components 
• general condition of the door leaves and surrounding entrance 

The engineer should also identify any issues that could affect safe operation, long-term reliability or compliance.

Common automatic door problems

Automatic doors can develop faults for several reasons. Some problems build up slowly through wear and tear, while others happen suddenly due to impact damage, electrical issues or sensor failure.

Common causes include:

Sensor faults
Dirty, damaged or misaligned sensors can stop the door from detecting users properly. This may cause the door to open late, fail to open or keep reopening.

Worn moving parts
Rollers, guides, hinges and arms can wear over time, especially in busy buildings. This can cause noisy, uneven or slow operation.

Track obstructions
Debris or damage in the track can affect sliding doors and stop them from moving smoothly.

Motor or operator issues
The operator is one of the most important parts of the system. If it begins to fail, the door may become slow, unreliable or stop working altogether.

Access control faults
Where doors are linked to fobs, cards, intercoms or security systems, the issue may not be with the door itself but with the access control integration.

Impact damage
Doors in commercial buildings are often exposed to trolleys, deliveries, equipment and high levels of daily use. Impact damage can affect alignment, safety and operation.

Signs your automatic door needs an engineer

You should arrange for an engineer to inspect your automatic door if you notice:

• the door opens slowly 
• the door does not open every time 
• the sensors are not responding 
• the door keeps reopening 
• the door does not close fully 
• the door makes unusual noises 
• the door judders or moves unevenly 
• the door has suffered impact damage 
• the door feels unsafe or unreliable 
• users are struggling to access the building 

Intermittent faults should not be ignored. A door that only fails occasionally may still create safety, access or security concerns.

Why planned maintenance is better than reactive repair

Emergency repairs are sometimes unavoidable, but planned maintenance reduces the likelihood of urgent callouts.

A planned maintenance programme gives facilities teams better visibility of the condition of their entrance systems. It also makes it easier to budget for parts, plan repairs and reduce disruption.

Reactive repair often happens when the building is already affected. Planned maintenance helps prevent that situation by identifying wear, alignment problems, sensor issues and safety concerns earlier.

Maintenance records and compliance

Maintenance records are important for commercial buildings. They help demonstrate that automatic doors are being managed responsibly and checked by a competent engineer.

This is particularly important in environments such as healthcare, education, retail, public buildings and managed commercial sites, where entrances may be used by large numbers of people every day.

BS EN 16005 provides safety guidance for powered pedestrian doorsets, including safety in use and test methods. ADSA explains that EN 16005 is used as industry guidance to help companies meet requirements relating to powered pedestrian doors and ensure acceptable levels of user safety. 

Automatic door maintenance from Elite Entrance Systems

Elite Entrance Systems provides automatic door maintenance, repair and installation services for commercial buildings across London, the South East and East of England.

Whether you manage one entrance or multiple sites, a planned maintenance programme can help improve reliability, reduce disruption and keep your entrance systems operating safely.

Contact Elite Entrance Systems to discuss automatic door maintenance for your building.