Why Your Rapid Door Keeps Opening (And It’s Not the Doors Fault)

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by a rapid door that seems to have a mind of its own – opening at random or staying open for far too long – you’re not alone. While the instinct may be to blame the door itself, the real issue often lies elsewhere: the activation method.

At first glance, choosing an activation system for a rapid door might seem straightforward. Motion sensor? Remote? Pull cord? Easy, right? Not so fast. As we’ve discovered through years of hands-on experience, the wrong activation choice can sabotage the efficiency, security, and energy savings that rapid doors are designed to provide.

In this blog post, we’re taking a deep dive into the often-overlooked world of rapid door activations – what they are, why they matter, and how getting them right can dramatically improve your operational efficiency.

 

Understanding Rapid Door Activations: The Unsung Heroes

Before we get into the problems, let’s talk about what activations are. Simply put, activations are the mechanisms that tell your rapid door when to open and close. These can include:

• Motion sensors (radars)
• Floor loops
• Remote controls
• Pull cords
• Photo eyes
• Timers
• Push buttons

Each of these options serves a different purpose and is best suited to specific environments and traffic types. The trick is choosing the right one – or the right combination – for your particular setup.

Unfortunately, that’s where things often go wrong.

 

Common Complaints: “My Door Keeps Opening By Itself!”

This is perhaps the most frequent complaint we hear: “My door goes up all the time for no reason!”

At first glance, it’s easy to assume there’s a malfunction with the door. But more often than not, it’s a misconfigured or mismatched activation sensor causing the problem.

Take radars, for example. These are great when you want a free flow of traffic, like in high-speed environments or areas with constant movement. But they’re also incredibly sensitive. They pick up everything – not just forklifts or staff, but stray movement, air drafts, and even birds flying past.

This results in what we call ghost cycling, where the door opens unnecessarily because the sensor mistakenly detects “presence” due to humidity, air movement, or other environmental changes.

 

The Hidden Cost of Poor Activation Choices

It’s easy to underestimate the impact that activation choices have on your bottom line. But poor setup doesn’t just lead to annoyance – it leads to wasted energy, increased wear and tear, and shortened door lifespan.

Let’s just say you have a freezer door with an activation sensor that doesn’t close the door quickly enough after a forklift enters. Even an extra 2-3 seconds of open time per cycle can lead to significant temperature fluctuations, forcing your cooling system to work harder. Multiply that by dozens – or hundreds – of cycles per day, and the cost adds up fast.

Similarly, in dusty or humid environments, improperly set sensors can mistake moisture or particulates for human movement, leading to unwanted door activity. Not only does this disrupt workflow, but it can also compromise hygiene or security standards in sensitive areas like food production or pharmaceuticals.

 

Why One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work

A major issue we see is customers selecting activations based on familiarity or assumption rather than need.

In many cases, less experienced users – especially those who haven’t worked with rapid doors before – might choose what sounds right without truly understanding how that activation will perform in their environment.

Example: A radar sensor might seem like a smart choice because it sounds high-tech and convenient. But in a narrow aisle or area with one-way traffic, a radar may pick up unintended motion or reflections from nearby machinery, triggering unwanted openings.

The lesson? What works in one site might be completely wrong in another.

 

How to Choose the Right Activation (and Avoid the Headaches)

Here’s the good news: activation issues can almost always be designed out or rectified with the right approach and experience.

When selecting an activation method, consider these key factors:

1. Traffic Type

Is it pedestrian, forklift, or mixed? One-way or two-way?

2. Environment

Are you in chilled space, cleanroom, or dusty warehouse? Consider how the environment might affect sensors.

3. Door Function

Is speed a priority? Or is security more important? Are hygiene standards involved?

4. Energy Efficiency Goals

Do you need a minimise air exchange or maintain specific temperature?

5. Safety Considerations

Ensure the activation does not conflict with safety features like photo eyes or emergency stops.

 

For high-traffic, mixed-use environments, a hybrid activation setup (e.g., radar + floor loop) might be the best solution. In freezers, tight control over open-close timing and directional activations are critical to avoid energy loss.

 

Real-World Scenario: When Activations Go Wrong

Let’s look a common scenario:

A client installs a rapid door between a freezer and a warehouse. They choose a radar activation for ease of use. Over time, they notice that the door is staying open too long, causing temperature spikes and increased frost buildup around the seals. Their energy bills creep up, and the cooling units are under more strain.

What went wrong?

In this case, the radar was detecting motion outside of the intended traffic path – including passing forklifts that weren’t even entering the freezer. On top of that, seasonal changes introduced moisture-laden air that confused the sensor, causing ghost cycling.

The fix? We replaced the radar with a floor loop sensor tuned to only detect forklifts approaching from one direction, added a shortened hold-open time, and re-positioned the photo eyes to reduce false triggers.

The result? The door now opens only when needed, stays open just long enough for safe passage, and energy savings were almost immediately.

 

When in Doubt, Step Back and Reassess

If you’re facing repetitive issues with a rapid door – frequent cycling, delays in closing, or false triggers – it may be time to step back and look at the full picture. Don’t assume the door is at fault. More often, it’s the way the system has been configured to respond that’s causing the trouble.

A quick site audit, sensor recalibration, or upgrade to a smarter activation setup can make all the difference.

 

Get More Life (and Less Frustration) from Your Door

Rapid doors are built for performance – but that performance hinges on one often-overlooked detail: activation.

Choosing the right activation system can boost energy efficiency, enhance safety, and increase overall lifespan of your door. The wrong one? It can cost you – in money, time, and stress.

So if your rapid door keeps opening for no reason, don’t panic. Take a step back, assess your activation setup, and reach out for advice if you need it.

At Ulti Group, we specialise in designing activation systems that match your operation – not just your wish list. Whether you’re installing a new door or fine-tuning an existing one, we’re here to help you get it right the first time.