How Does an Exit Loop for Gates Work?
If you’ve been investigating an automated gate system, there’s a good chance you’ve been offered an exit loop for your gate. This is a very common motorized gate accessory and very useful if you want to have easy egress from your site.
However, while most people have heard of an exit loop for gates, most also don’t know how they work or how they are made. Let’s take a closer look.
What Do Exit Loops for Gates Do?
When you install an automated gate, you probably do it at least partly for security. You might also have a gate code, card readers or something else to limit access to authorized people only.
Exit loops for gates, or as they are also known, “free exit loops,” act as a trigger that tells the gate operator to open the gate without needing a code, card, or gate remote. They are usually installed on the inside of the gate so that only traffic that is leaving your property can trigger the gate this way.
Are Gate Exit Loops Pressure Plates?
Many people believe that gate exit loops are pressure plates of some kind and that they are triggered by the weight of a vehicle.
This has also led to some people believing that you can trigger the gate by hitting the loop with a hammer or something heavy.
This is not true. Exit loops for gates are not pressure plates, and the weight of the vehicle has nothing to do with how they work. You can hit the ground near a gate loop all day too, and it definitely won’t open.
So How Does an Exit Loop for Gates Work?
You might be surprised to discover that gate exit loops are actually made from wire. Usually, when they are installed on an existing asphalt or concrete surface, your gate contractor will cut or “chase” a grove into the surface to install the loop right below the surface.
This continuous wire is then carefully twisted and connected to the gate operator.
Once the loop is in and connected, the electrical current from the gate operator creates a magnetic field – something like an electromagnet. This magnetic field resonates at a standard frequency.
Since vehicles are made of metal, they change the frequency of the loop when they are parked on it. This change in the frequency is relayed to the gate, and that triggers the gate to open.
Of course, you do need the right kind of wire for your gate loops, and a few other pieces of equipment, but the concept is actually quite simple.
How Can You Get Gate Exit Loops?
Most gate and gate operator installers will be able to install a gate exit loop for you, either when they install the gate operator or at a later stage.
There are also other kinds of loops you could have installed, including safety loops, closing loops, and more.
So if you’re looking for the perfect combination of gate operator accessories to make your electric gate as secure and convenient as possible, be sure to explain exactly what you need and want and ask your gate contractor to provide a proposal.
