What Is Hold-Open Time, and Why It Matters
Every automatic door operator has a setting that controls how long the door stays open once a sensor triggers it. That window has to be long enough for a person to walk through comfortably, but not so long that the door sits open while nobody is using it. It sounds like a minor dial on a control box, but it's actually one of the more important safety and comfort settings on the whole system, and it's not something to guess at.
Too Short: A Safety Problem Waiting to Happen
If the hold-open time is set too tight, the door can start closing before a slower-moving visitor has fully cleared the opening. Think about who actually walks through your entrance every day:
- Customers using a walker, cane, or wheelchair
- Parents pushing a stroller or juggling kids and bags
- Elderly visitors who move at a different pace
- Employees carrying carts, trays, or deliveries
In a healthcare facility, senior living community, or any retail space with regular foot traffic, a door that closes too soon isn't just an inconvenience. It's a real risk of contact with a moving door. This is exactly the kind of setting that needs to match how your building is actually used, not a generic factory default.
Too Long: Comfort, Energy, and Security Costs
On the other end, a hold-open time that's set too long means the door lingers open far past the time anyone needs it. In an Arkansas summer, that's conditioned air pouring out and heat and humidity pouring in every time someone walks by. In winter, it's the same problem in reverse. Facility managers in Little Rock, Conway, and across central Arkansas already know how fast those energy costs add up when a door isn't closing when it should.
An automatic door that hangs open too long can also become a security and pest-control issue, especially for restaurants, retail stores, and healthcare facilities that need to keep their entrances controlled. If staff have started propping doors open manually or complaining about drafts near the entrance, the hold-open timing is one of the first things worth having checked.
Why This Setting Belongs to a Certified AAADM Technician
Hold-open time isn't adjusted with a screwdriver and a guess. It works together with the door's opening speed, closing speed, and sensor coverage, and changing one without accounting for the others can throw the whole system out of balance. An AAADM-certified technician uses the right testing equipment to set hold-open time to match your specific door, your traffic patterns, and the manufacturer's limits for that operator, then confirms the sensors and closing force are still working correctly together.
This is why we don't recommend DIY adjustments on any automatic door operator, sensor, or timing setting. These are safety-critical adjustments, and getting them right means testing the whole system, not just tweaking a number.
Signs Your Hold-Open Time Needs Attention
- Visitors or staff have had a close call with the door closing too soon
- The door seems to stay open noticeably longer than it used to
- Staff are propping the door open by hand during busy hours
- You've noticed a jump in heating or cooling costs near the entrance
- The door was recently serviced or replaced and hasn't been tested since
Serving Facilities Across Central Arkansas
CSC Automatic Doors has been part of the Commercial Service Company family since 1976, serving businesses throughout Conway, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Benton, Bryant, Maumelle, Jacksonville, Searcy, Russellville, Cabot, Sherwood, and Hot Springs. Whether you manage a retail storefront, a clinic, a hotel lobby, or an office building, getting the hold-open timing right protects your visitors and your utility bill at the same time.
If your automatic door's timing feels off, don't wait for a near-miss or another high energy bill to do something about it. Call CSC Automatic Doors at 501-548-2374 and have an AAADM-certified technician test and adjust your door's hold-open time correctly.
Frequently asked questions
What's a normal hold-open time for a commercial automatic door?
It depends on the door's width, the traffic it sees, and who's using it. A busy healthcare entrance and a low-traffic office door won't be set the same way, which is why a technician tests your specific setup rather than applying one standard number.
Can hold-open time just be adjusted from the control box ourselves?
We don't recommend it. Hold-open time works together with opening speed, closing speed, and sensor coverage, so changing it without testing the full system can create a safety issue instead of fixing one. It should go through a certified AAADM technician.
Could our door's hold-open time have changed on its own over time?
Yes. Sensor drift, operator wear, or a previous adjustment can shift timing gradually without anyone noticing until it becomes obvious, like a near-miss or a door that seems to linger open. Periodic testing catches this before it becomes a problem.