Pre-Installation and Preparation
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| Automatic Gate Opener Pre-Installation Guide |
English (PDF) |
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Before You Begin
Advanced preparation will help assure the Zareba Automatic Gate Opener installs
successfully. Before you start:
| 1) |
thoroughly review the Installation Manual included with your Gate Opener kit |
| 2) |
have two people on hand for the installation |
| 3) |
allow 3-4 hours to complete all steps |
Gate Preparation
For the Zareba Automatic Gate Opener to operate smoothly, the gate it is attached
to must be in good working condition and MUST meet the following requirements:
- Gate needs to be plumb, level and swing freely on its hinges
- Wheels can not be attached to the gate
- Gate can move through its arc without binding or dragging on the ground
- Ball-bearing hinges with grease fittings are used with gates weighing over 250-pounds
- Fence post is secured in the ground with concrete to minimize flex or twist
- Gate has a horizontal cross member to provide stability
Tools required
Have the following tools on hand before you begin installation.
- Power drill with 3/8" drill bit
- Open-end wrenches - 3/8", 7/16", 1/2" and 9/16"
- Hacksaw or heavy-duty bolt cutters
- Small (flat-bladed) screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
- Tape measure
- Level
- Wire strippers (for stripping transformer cable)
- Two c-clamps
You Will Also Need
You will need the appropriate length of low voltage wire to run in one continuous
length from your gate opener control box to where the transformer will be plugged
into AC power. DO NOT splice this wire as voltage loss and corrosion will occur
to spliced, buried wire.
This low-voltage wire must be 16-gauge, multi-stranded, dual-conductor wire. It
is available from Zareba Systems (part number GW1) Customer Service or in the
electrical department of most hardware stores.
Note that voltage degradation occurs the further your gate is from the AC power
source. You will need to use solar panels to charge your battery if greater than
1,000-feet from an AC power source.
Situation Specific Parts
Threaded rods or carriage bolts longer than 8" - if your fence post is more than
6" in diameter the bolts in the Gate Opener kit will not be long enough
Reinforcement supplies - a thin-walled tube or panel gate may require a wood or
metal reinforcement plate or pipes to adequately attach the opener arm to the gate
Horizontal cross member or mounting plate - may be needed on some types of gates
for mounting the front of the opener and gate bracket to the gate.
PVC conduit for burying low voltage wire per applicable local electrical codes.
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