Exit door occasionaly staying open

[JGinther]

Does the door have its own auto-close timer? Or is the car wash generating the door down signal? What type of auto? I have made autoclose timers using a dual/multi-function relay from grainger with good results. Do you have a duplicate auto that does not have this issue?

 

[slash007]

It closes based on a signal from the loop detector in the ground. I do have a duplicate auto that works fine.

 

[JGinther]

Have you tried swapping the loop detector to the other bay?

 

[slash007]

I have not. Honestly I have zero experience with the loop detector and have not messed with it before. As far as I know it's built into the concrete and all I have access to is the wires in the junction box where it comes into the bay and ties in.

 

[JGinther]

There's a controller somewhere that sends the signal through the underground loop. Hopefully it's a plug into socket type and you can just swap it.

 

[slash007]

There is a plug in controller that is for the photo eyes, I'm guessing it probably controls the loop detector too? My plan was to swap that with my other bay tomorrow as the next step in troubleshooting the issue. Too bad it's going to be warm (and rainy) for the next few days so it won't be until next week before I know if it made a difference. As long as I can figure it out before it's super cold, I should be ok.

 

[soapy]

My rykos send the open\close signal through the door control buttons. When the photo eyes get dirty they occasionally keep the door.open. In rare occasions the door control buttons inn the bay gets corroded and does not allow the signal to always reach the opener. I replaced.one door control button week and problem is fixed.

 

[mjwalsh]

Soapy & others,

This is probably a ridiculous & silly question but does a dog sometimes walk across your photo eyes causing the door to open improperly? Or do you have your photo eyes like I have seen where they have the transmitter side much higher than the receiver side ... which in that case the dog could get crushed .... I know ...I know ... if the dog is that stupid to not get out of the way...

 

[soapy]

I actually have 2 sets of photo eyes on each exit door. So it will see something low on either side. The reason I have mine setup like this is not to save dogs but to require that both sets of photo eyes to be clear before the exit door lowers or turns off the dryers. I had many vehicles with push bars ( police vehicles ) that would sometimes turn off the dryers because the bar would break the photo eyes. With 2 sets of eyes the dryers stay running until timed out or both eyes are clear.

 

[mjwalsh]

I actually have 2 sets of photo eyes on each exit door. So it will see something low on either side. The reason I have mine setup like this is not to save dogs but to require that both sets of photo eyes to be clear before the exit door lowers or turns off the dryers. I had many vehicles with push bars ( police vehicles ) that would sometimes turn off the dryers because the bar would break the photo eyes. With 2 sets of eyes the dryers stay running until timed out or both eyes are clear.

Soapy,

That makes sense & at an unattended car wash ... your system of 2 eyes could make is safer for the possibility of a small child wandering right underneath the door. Not that the child in that position would be likely (only an extreme possibility) ... just thinking out loud & based on what I saw at another car wash with automatic doors with only a single photo eye for each door.

I have some ZAP openers bought from Airlift over 15 years ago that I don't let the customers use on my self service doors where the included 24VDC controllers will stop if there is resistance from any obstacle to door movement. It is safe & great as long as the doors & rollers are kept working perfectly. Airlift got them as imports from UK I believe. If a door is left open ... remotely from far away along with carefully monitoring the cameras at the same time ... I can close the door ... very useful in -20° F with a wind factor weather.

I wonder how many forum members besides myself allow their customers to manually pull down their self service bays with non shrinking Marine Rope???

 

[slash007]

View attachment 1237 View attachment 1238

I spent some time on the doors today and have attached a picture of the whole control area and also of the plug in module. On my other 3 doors, anytime someone passed through the photo sensor area, the yellow area labeled #1 flashes and you hear a click. If I pass my hand back and forth through the sensors, it does it consistently. On the trouble door, every time I pass my hand through the sensors, the area with the triangle, labeled #2 lights up red. Sometimes the yellow #1 area will flash and you hear the click, but it is not consistent. What is consistent is the red triangle lighting up every time. What does that mean?

 

[JGinther]

I see the amplifier for your photo eyes, but no loop detector. I also see in the photo the black cable is stripped wrong where the signal could be grounded to the shield wire right beside the terminal connection.

 

[slash007]

Is the rectangular box an amplifier? I don't think the wires are touching, but good catch. They shouldn't be crossing. I did replace the sensor and it wasn't like that before and it acted the same exact way, so I don't think that's the issue.

 

[JGinther]

Is the rectangular box an amplifier?

Yip.

I don't think the wires are touching, but good catch. They shouldn't be crossing. I did replace the sensor and it wasn't like that before and it acted the same exact way, so I don't think that's the issue.

If you are getting a trouble light on the amplifier (red indicator), chances are the wires are touching like they look to be in the picture.

 

[slash007]

I hope that's the case. If it is, why does it only light up red when something passes through the sensor? Is that how it's supposed to work?

 

[JGinther]

Depends on the manufacturer. Looks like a Carlo Gavazzi Amplifier. They have a few renditions. It might have documentation sticker on the side to describe the fault. Some have separate leds for transmitter or receiver faults. Others have one light that flashes. The yellow light usually indicates relay status. The potentiometer on the front adjusts signal strength. Looks like Airlift put their sticker over the top so you call them to order the part.

 

[slash007]

It is a Carlo Gavazzi. I swapped it with another, so amplifier is fine. I just need to figure out the fault. I'll try to mess with it more tomorrow. Thanks for the help.

 

[slash007]

View attachment 1239 I separated the wires this morning just to make sure it wasn't the issue. Still getting the red light, even when the yellow light flashes. According to the information on the amplifier, it looks like the red light is cross talk? Is that right? If it is, what could cause that? I opened the junction box where the loop detector wires come in, and it is just really a pass through. Nothing but wires there.

 

[soapy]

The dial on the amplifier should be turned all the way up. If it already is at what point does the light go off when you turn it down?

 

[slash007]

It is turned all the way up, I will have to check at what point it goes off. Are you talking about the yellow light, or red error light that comes on when the beam is broken?