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Most homeowners take their garage doors for granted; they expect them to work every day, under any circumstances. Few people know that a garage door is a very complex system made up of dozens of parts, rollers, cables, sensors, transmitters, motors, etc. Any of these parts can break over time, or due to mechanical stress or damage. However, it may not be a simple thing to find out which part of the door is malfunctioning. One needs to have adequate experience working with garage doors to find out which part is at fault quickly. The parts that break most often are the sensors, transmitters, springs and openers. In this post, we will focus on the garage door opener. So, let’s see what the opener is, what it does, and how you can troubleshoot problems with it.
The garage door opener is responsible for opening and closing your garage door. In other words, this is the part that gets the job done when you press the button on the remote or the wall button. However, keep in mind that the garage door opener does not do the heavy lifting; this is reserved for the torsion or extension springs. Nevertheless, the opener is under enough stress every time you open and close the garage door. An opener lasts on average between 7 and 10 years of moderate use. However, there are openers that break after just 3 or 4 years. It all depends on how often you use the garage door and on the quality of the parts that make up the opener.
The garage door opener has two other important roles. First, it must reverse the heavy garage door as soon as the photo eye sensors detect that there is an object or person underneath the door, or if the door encounters any kind of resistance along the way down. Second, it must make sure that nobody from the outside can open your garage door, and break into your garage and then your home. The opener should not open the door by mistake and should withstand attempts to force the door to open from the outside. This is why a fully functional garage door opener is a must for every homeowner.
There are three major types of garage door openers: chain drive, belt drive, and screw drive. The chain drive option is relatively noisy while operating, but it is also the least expensive of the three types of openers. They are resilient as well. The belt drive opener uses a rubber belt instead of the chain, so it is quiet then the latter. They are, however, a bit more expensive. The screw drive opener uses a motor that rotates a rod. This opener type is very loud, but it is also very simple to maintain and has a long lifespan. The garage door opener you choose for your door depends on your needs and tastes. Any one of the three options is dependable if it is manufactured by a reliable company. However, no matter how well the opener and its parts are manufactured, this system will eventually develop some problems. It is normal due to wear and tear. However, it may be difficult to figure out what part of the door is having problems. If you discover that the opener has a problem, you may be able to troubleshoot it yourself.
In case the garage door opener does not react to the remote control or the wall switch, you can try a few troubleshooting methods. First, make sure that you are in range and then replace the batteries in your remote. Second, make sure the motor unit is not unplugged from the wall socket. Third, check the circuit breaker or the fuse and make sure it is not tripped or burned out.
The remote control does not open or close the door. In this case, you may be too far away from the opener and the signal from the remote may not reach it. Also, try to replace the batteries in the remote. Check the antenna on the motor unit and make sure it is hanging downward and is not disconnected or damaged.
In case your garage door does not close all the way, you may need to readjust the close-limit switch. This switch tells the opener when to stop running and must be properly configured. If the door reverses when it reaches the floor, it may be caused by an improperly configured close-limit switch. Alternatively, you can try to use the adjustment screw on the opener to change the closing force parameter. Test the door each time after you adjust the close-limit adjustment screw.
If the garage door starts to close and then reverses before closing completely, you may have a problem with the photo eye sensors. These sensors project an invisible beam between them; if anything interrupts the beam (such as a person, animal or object), the door immediately reverses to prevent injuries or property damage. All you have to do is to make sure nothing is hanging in front of the sensors and to clean them with a piece of damp cloth.
Unfortunately, there will be times when you will not be able to troubleshoot and fix the problem by yourself. The motor may burn out or some of the electronic components may get damaged. These things happen from time to time. If something is wrong with your garage door opener and you don’t know how to fix the problem, all you have to do is call a garage door repair expert from Smyrna Garage Door Repair in Smyrna, GA. An expert has all the experience, knowledge and tools to deal with any kind of garage door opener problem. If the opener is damaged beyond repair – which can happen when you least expect it – a professional can replace the entire opener assembly. The good news is that you get to choose the type of opener you want (chain drive, belt drive or screw drive) in case the tech needs to replace the unit.
Hopefully now you better understand how to troubleshoot issues with garage door openers!
