An automatic entrance that stops working is an accessibility problem the moment it happens. A few checks take two minutes and sometimes get you running again — everything past those needs someone with the controller open.
Check the mode switch first
Most operators have a switch or keypad set to OFF / HOLD OPEN / AUTO / EXIT ONLY. Staff bump these constantly. Confirm it is in AUTO before anything else.
Look at the sensors
Overhead sensors get knocked out of aim by cleaning, deliveries and ladders. Dirt, cobwebs, ice or a sun-facing reflection can all blind them. Wipe the lens and clear anything hanging in front of it — but don't start adjusting aim yourself, since sensor coverage is a safety function.
Clear the threshold
Floor mats out of position, grit in the track, a wet-floor sign inside the door's arc: all common causes of a door that opens partway and reverses.
Power and breakers
Confirm the operator has power and its breaker hasn't tripped. If it trips again after resetting, stop — that's an electrical fault, not a nuisance trip.
Call a technician when
- The door opens or closes at the wrong speed or force
- It stops partway, judders, or reverses without an obstruction
- The controller shows a fault code
- Safety sensors don't stop the door on approach
- There's grinding from the header or the belt is slipping
Secure it in the meantime
A failed automatic door often can be put into manual mode so the entrance still works. If it can't be secured, that's an emergency call — the entrance is the building.
