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FAQ
Need more information about something? We have the answers for you! Below, we have compiled some frequently asked questions. Don’t see your question here? Feel free to call at 717-690-1338 or email us, and we will answer!
General Questions
We are located in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania. We ship nationwide, excluding Hawaii and Alaska.
Yes, we are an Amish company. We do not use technology, so all communication will be through a handwritten faxed email or through a phone call.
We ship products the next day, and you should receive your product within 3-5 days. If you are located on the West Coast, it will take a few days longer.
You should receive a tracking number via the email you used to order. Make sure to check your spam folder. If you do not receive an email, please call us at 717-690-1338.
Yes, our business name used to be Pet Auto Doors. We are now proudly Smart Chicken Door! Because of our recent name change, you may see a different name on your chicken door opener.
FAQs about The New Auto Pet Door
When you see the Timer Run Mode or Manual Run Mode Light Flashing, it means the door is attempting to close. The door will try 3 times to shut and if it is not successful, the door will remain open. If this continues and nothing is obstructing the door from closing, you may need to adjust the Trip Current Settings.
Hold the MODE button in for 8 seconds – The Manual Run and Close Time Set indicator lights should appear lit up after the 8 seconds.
You should see a 3 digit number on the screen (Trip Current), this can be changed up or down by using the open/close buttons. This setting can be changed in increments of 10’s.
Typically this number should be between 400 and 600, we usually have it Factory set at 500. It can go up to 1500+ however it should not need to be programmed that high.
The lower the setting number, the more sensitive
** (meaning, it should detect an object/bird in the door before touching the obstruction and retract).
And, the higher the setting number, the less sensitive the door will be
**(meaning it will continue lowering even if an object/bird is in the door and may even touch or put pressure on the obstruction before retracting)
To exit the Trip Current, hold the MODE button for 8 seconds.
It is recommended that the settings be tested by either manually closing the door or setting the timer to run open/close a few minutes apart to be sure the selected trip current is at the right sensitivity for you.
FAQs about The Old Auto Pet Door
UTC is the abbreviation for the Universal Time Clock. It is the time standard commonly used across the world and across internet networks.
The local minute hand will be identical to the UTC minute hand if the local time is correct. The Local hour hand will be offset from UTC hours based on longitude, latitude, and whether Daylight Savings Time is implemented in the local area.
Auto Door will track Sunrise and Sunset based on Universal Clock Time, so resetting the clock is unnecessary. However, if you view the Auto Door screen, the clock time could be off by 1-hour.
Although you have the opportunity to reenter UTC time when you adjust Auto Door’s clock settings, it is unnecessary. After setting up UTC time when you first install Auto Door, there is no need to reset UTC time unless the location of the device is moved to a different time zone.
You will not lose your settings, they are saved in computer memory.
When facing the unit, lightly pull the upper left corner of the control box to open the hinged case.
Open the control box door; you will see a battery holder (for 4 batteries) on the inside of the case.
If you have another power source, your batteries will act as a backup power should you have a power outage.
It is not advisable to use Lithium Batteries. If using the Solar Kit, regular batteries may be used as backup power.
Yes, depending on the temperature. The gears, oil, and PCB board components are theoretically operational down to -60 F. When the temperatures reach zero, the Auto Door drive unit will start up more slowly than usual and the display will not be as bright or responsive as it is in warmer temperatures.
- Press and hold both the Up and Down arrows until you see FACTORY RESET on the screen.
- Press MENU
- Press SET
- Press “Menu” again
- You should now see Setup Required and can reprogram the unit. (See Setup Instructions)
Instructions on setting up your unit:
You will need to set up your clock:
Press RUN/ESC
Press MENU for Main Menu
Device Setup – Press Menu
Clock Setup – Press Menu
Enter Date and Time, using the SET button to advance to next character and to save settings
You will need to setup door calibration:
Under Main Menu:
Device Setup – Press Menu
OPEN Calibration – Press Menu, follow instructions on the screen
CLOSE Calibration – Press Menu, follow instructions on the screen
VERIFY Calibration – Press Menu, the door will OPEN/CLOSE on its own, let it go through this process.
Timer Mode Instructions
Main Menu
Timer Mode – Press Menu
Enter your preferred open and close times using the set button to advance to the next character and to save your settings
Once you have set times, advance to Timer Mode Active/Inactive – the cursor will blink on the A or I depending on what is showing. Use the arrows to change to ACTIVE and press SET.
Sun Mode Instructions
You will need to visit both websites listed for the correct information needed to be used for your specific area.
Latitude and Longitude
https://www.latlong.net
UTC Time Offset (Will be for your time zone)
https://www.timetemperature.com/tzus/gmt_united_states.shtml
Main Menu
Device Setup – Press Menu
UTC Setup – Press Menu
You will enter the UTC time and press SET to save
Press RUN/ESC
This will bring you back to Device Setup
Using Arrow Key, scroll down until you see Set Coordinates, press Menu
You will enter your coordinates from the website you visited here, make sure the +/- are in the correct places or your open/close times will be backward.
Press SET to save
Hit RUN/ESC to get back to Main Menu, scroll to SUN MODE, and press Menu
You can put in offsets here if you choose, if you do not want to just hit the Set Button to advance through until the cursor is blinking on the “I” in Inactive. Using the arrow button, press to change this to ACTIVE and hit SET to save.
To add an offset:
Press RUN/ESC until you see petautodoors.com
Press Menu – MAIN Menu
Scroll to Sun Mode – press Menu
You will be in the Sun Mode Setup
You can add your offsets here.
Be sure to press SET to SAVE your settings before escaping out.
**You can only have one feature active at a time, so you will either set it up as timer mode or sun mode.**