Automatic Door Inspection: What to Check Daily, Seasonally, and Every 6 Months

An automatic door is the first thing anyone entering a building sees. It is also a significant investment: from a few thousand to tens of thousands of euros, depending on size, finishes, and customization level. Most costly malfunctions start as small problems that building staff can notice early. New noises, jerky movement, or incomplete closing are signs that the door needs attention.

In this guide, you will find what anyone in the building can check daily, what to do after snow or a storm, and when it’s time to call a specialist.

How to Perform a Daily Check of an Automatic Door

The American Association of Automatic Door Manufacturers (AAADM) recommends a daily check of automatic doors. It requires no tools and takes about 2 minutes. It can be done by reception, security, or the building administrator, preferably at the start of business hours.

Activate the door. Approach the sensor or use the manual command. The door should open completely, without hesitation.
Observe how long it stays open. After fully opening, the door should remain open for at least 5 seconds before beginning to close.
Observe the closing. The movement should be smooth and continuous, without jerks, unusual noises, or gaps between the door leaves.
Check the area in front of the door. The floor must be clean, free of debris, gravel, or objects that could block the guides. In high-traffic buildings, the area check should be repeated several times a day.
Look for missing or damaged elements. Loose covers, torn gaskets, cracked glass, or faded markings.

If you notice a problem: do not attempt to adjust or repair the door, and do not deactivate safety features to force it closed. If operation could endanger people, manage access according to the equipment instructions and request an intervention. KADRA Service operates nationwide, including for equipment installed by other providers – KADRA Automatic Door Service.

Signs That Your Automatic Door Needs Service

Some symptoms appear gradually and are easy to ignore. They are worth noting and reporting:

The door opens by itself or remains open without reason. Often, the sensor detects movement outside the pedestrian path.
The door does not close completely or reopens immediately after closing. The cause could be in the guides, alignment, an obstacle, or sensor signals.
Jerky movement or new noises, a sign of mechanical wear.
Delayed reaction when a person approaches.

A diagnosis establishes the cause before any adjustments are made. Adjustments made without diagnosis can mask the problem or affect safety functions.

What to Check in Winter and After Storms

Bad weather puts more strain on automatic doors than traffic. In the cold season and after heavy rains, snow, or storms, the daily check should be supplemented with a few steps:

Salt and ice on guides and frame. Clean carefully, as they can block movement and accelerate mechanism wear.
Sensors. Snow, water, or dirt on sensors can cause unwanted openings or, more seriously, lack of detection.
Access area. Wet or displaced mats can get in the way of the door leaf.

After heavy snowfall or a storm, the check should be repeated several times on the same day.

Mandatory Safety Markings

A correctly marked automatic door reduces the risk of accidents and blockages. Periodically check that they are visible and intact:

pedestrian access direction (arrows for entry, stop sign for prohibited direction);
marking of the opening area, so no one stands in the door leaf’s movement path;
stickers on glazed surfaces, so the door is noticed in time.

How Often Should a Specialist Check It?

In addition to daily checks, an automatic door should be serviced by a specialized technician on average every 6 months. For high-traffic doors (malls, airports, hospitals, train stations), the interval may be shorter. The appropriate frequency is determined by a risk assessment, based on the number of cycles and operating conditions.

During a service, the specialist checks what is not visible from the outside:

mechanical and electronic components: motor, belts, rollers, guides, locking systems;
speed, force, and timing adjustments;
safety functions: presence detection and protection of movement areas;
for doors on escape routes, the break-out function and other evacuation functions, where they are part of the equipment.

The European standard EN 16005 establishes the requirements for the safe use of automatic pedestrian doors. Checking safety functions is part of any correctly performed service.

For buildings with multiple doors, a maintenance subscription schedules revisions and prioritizes interventions. Details about automatic door maintenance can be found on the KADRA Service page. If you don’t know the current condition of your doors, you can start with a technical audit.

Preventive Check or Emergency Repair

A planned service costs less than an emergency repair. The difference also comes from indirect costs: a blocked entrance in a store, a hospital ward without access, or a stopped car park means greater losses than the intervention itself. A specialist finds small problems before they become major malfunctions. The full calculation can be found in the article Automatic Door Repair Cost: How Much You Save with a Preventive Maintenance Subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions - Automatic Door Inspection

How long does a daily automatic door check take?

About 2 minutes. It requires no tools or technical knowledge.

Who can perform the daily check?

Any trained person in the building: reception, security, or the administrator. Adjustments and repairs should only be performed by specialized technicians.

How often is technical servicing performed?

On average every 6 months. For high traffic or difficult conditions, more often, depending on the risk assessment.

What do I do if the automatic door gets stuck?

Do not force the door or deactivate safety features. Manage access according to the equipment instructions and request a rapid service intervention.

Service and Maintenance Solutions Offered by KADRA, per Product Category

Leave Technical Checks to Specialists

KADRA Service has its own teams and multi-brand diagnostics for automatic pedestrian doors, with national coverage. The teams travel over 400,000 km per year and have over 20,000 hours of interventions, with over 3,000 pieces of equipment under their care. Request a quote for a service and maintenance contract, and your doors will be checked on time, before blockages occur.