There is more than a little folklore surrounding the automatic door system, not unlike the kind of stories you might hear in a small town. Some people claim they can sense your intentions or that they are as much a drain on the electric bill as they are a nuisance when they break down. Ignore those myths and examine the technology for what it is go here, however, and you will find little to back them up. Let's examine some of the most common claims.
Take the notion that an automatic unit will inflate the power tab in a way a manual door would not. This assumption seems reasonable: a motor running all day must be costly. In reality, the motor runs only briefly to see the opening and closing cycle through. When you factor in the heating or cooling lost because an employee has left a conventional door propped open, automatic doors often become the more energy-efficient option.
“They Break All the Time”
This is a common complaint. While there is a grain of truth to it, even if it is overstated. Under the hood of an automatic door there is a motor, control boards, sensors; with that many components there is a greater likelihood of something going wrong. However, a properly maintained system is highly reliable. In most cases failures result from inadequate maintenance rather than poor design. It's like blaming a car for a flat tire when routine maintenance has been ignored.
A Matter of Time
Arguments exist on both sides. For a single visitor, saving a couple of seconds is insignificant. But in a hospital or retail environment where thousands come and go in a day, the numbers are quite different. Customers carrying items or healthcare workers moving equipment benefit from hands-free access. It is about taking the friction out of the day to day operations of the place.
No Guarantees
It would be an error to think “automatic” means foolproof. Debris and the elements take their toll, as time does. Leave a door to its own devices and after a year or so you will see idiosyncrasies develop in what was once a flawless installation. Like any mechanical system, automatic doors require routine maintenance to stay reliable. Ignoring maintenance can allow small issues to become costly repairs.