ARE YOU HAVING GARAGE DOOR OPENER PROBLEMS? HERE’S WHAT TO DO!

There are many reasons you could be encountering trouble with your garage door. Some are basic, and some are complicated. Let’s discuss some possibilities and solutions.

Do It Yourself

Does your garage door open and shut randomly? If your garage door is opening or closing by itself, check the transmitter. It could be stuck under an object that accidentally depressed the control mechanism. For example, the transmitter could be under items that you left inside your car, or somewhere else close by. Also, test the transmitter’s frequency; it’s possible that a neighbor has the exact same frequency as yours.

Is your garage door not closing? Your garage door has a small photo eye on either side. Between the two eyes is an invisible laser beam, which, when it’s broken, stops the door from closing. See if they’re misaligned or grimy.

Does the garage door go down all the way, but then open again? Then it’s probable that the open-and-shut limit settings of your garage door opener are malfunctioning. The settings instruct the garage door opener on how far the garage door should move before it’s completely closed. If it’s set too high, the door will touch the ground before the opener presumes it should, assuming that your door is hitting upon something in its path; then it automatically reverses, to stop from smashing it. Read the operator’s manual on how to reset the open-and-shut limits.

Inspect the power source. Perhaps the simple truth is that the transmitter batteries have to be replaced. Or, take a look at the electrical outlet; maybe it’s faulty.

Does your garage door opener run for a few seconds, but then turn off? If your garage door still won’t move, this can occur if the door is closed, and the garage door motor attempts to lift the door, yet it doesn’t budge. First, look at the springs. If that isn’t the problem, examine the track for any tiny obstacles or grime. If neither of these is the issue, then see if your garage door has a built-in lock that’s engaging by mistake; this commonly happens with older garage doors.

Does your garage door not open using your remote? There are few causes for this, each easily dealt with. 1. You may be too far out of range from the door. 2. You need to replace or charge the batteries. 3. The antenna on the garage door motor is damaged or blocked from the signal. 4. Your remote has to be reprogrammed.

Does the garage door opener run, but the door still isn’t moving? In case of a power outage, your garage door opener comes with a disconnect switch, allowing you to manually open or close your garage door. This switch is usually attached to a knob or rope, which can inadvertently get unhooked. Shut or open the door all the way, and then reattach the hook securely. Now, using the transmitter, try opening or closing the door again, and it ought to work just fine.

Complicated Issues Requiring Expert Attention

If your garage door slams down with a bang, you likely have a broken spring, which should be countering the weight of the garage door. Or, the cables might be broken. Either way, this is serious. Call a garage door repair technician.

Does your garage door close only part way, and then open again? A garage door is designed with a reversing mechanism to stop it from crushing something in its path. The reversing instruction can be triggered by any objects on the ground that are blocking the door’s path, such as a box, toy, bicycle, or trash can. Another possibility is there’s a buildup of debris on the garage door tracks ~ dirt, a small object, or gum ~ which will prevent the rollers from moving. This is a major problem, requiring a professional.

The garage door track could be out of alignment. This is serious. If the metal track of your garage door isn’t aligned, it will not move. See if there are any bends in the rails, or any gaps between the rail and rollers. The significant weight of your garage door will compound these issues over time, so don’t put it off. The door may become dangerous, so contact a professional.

If your garage door just won’t open at all, then a spring, or both springs, are probably broken, needing repair or replacement. If so, you must contact a garage door repair specialist.

NEVER TRY to adjust your garage door, unless you’re an engineer! If you don’t have your garage door serviced correctly, the garage door springs actually can cause serious injury, and even death. The garage door drums, cables, and bottom brackets might also need to be adjusted. You mustn’t take any risks! Avoid danger! If you live anywhere in Goodyear, Arizona, consider contacting a mobile garage door repair specialist on staff at a trustworthy garage door repair company you can count on, such as Goodyear Garage Door Repair.

Take Precautionary Measures

Once per month, investigate your garage door system’s components. Tighten any loose bolts you see. Replace any worn parts. If you ever hear any unusual noises when your garage door closes and opens, please don’t ignore it. Consult a garage door professional.

Annually, before the winter comes, lubricate your garage door hinges, springs, and rollers. Some garage door experts advise that you ought to lubricate as often as every three months. Use a top-name brand, so it won’t dry out. A light coating is all you need. If you don’t lubricate, the springs will eventually rust, and the coils will sooner or later bind up against each other.

Schedule an annual inspection with a reliable local garage door repair service. Wires, cables, pulleys, and springs all need extra attention from a professional.

On the whole, garage door maintenance takes only minimal effort and time. When you keep your garage door in excellent condition, it will definitely last a lot longer and cost you less over the long haul.

Aricle source here: ARE YOU HAVING GARAGE DOOR OPENER PROBLEMS? HERE’S WHAT TO DO!

Goodyear Garage Door Repair: Tips to Extend the Life of your Garage Door

Your garage door’s life expectancy will depend on a variety of different factors. Some of these include the materials the door is made out of, the type of climatic conditions it is exposed to, and how often you open and close it. In saying that, you can usually expect a well-maintained garage door to last about 30 years. This doesn’t necessarily include the life span of certain components – an opener can last up to 10 years, and torsion springs tend to handle around 7,500 cycles.

The best way to extend the life of your garage door, and ensure that it performs to the best of its ability, is to keep up with your annual maintenance checks. It is recommended that you take the time to inspect everything at least once a year, or preferably every 3-6 months.

If you aren’t confident about your DIY abilities, you can always request a garage door professional to perform an inspection for you. Qualified technicians can help you adjust your door’s limit settings, test your reversing systems, tighten bolts and brackets, replace worn out and damaged components, and lubricate your opener bearings.

By the way: we don’t recommend you try to fix any broken springs, roller cables, or out of track doors yourself. These are very dangerous to handle – a mistake could easily lead the door to collapse, causing expensive property damage or even personal injury.

Before calling out a technician, here are some quick-fire checks you can do in your own time:

• Visually inspecting your garage door’s components

This is very easy to do as it only requires your eyes and ears. First, look around your closed door for any signs of damaged components – including the springs, cables, and rollers. Next, open your door and listen out for any suspicious noises. A squeak is merely a sign that one of your components needs a bit of oiling, but any gnashing or rusty sounds are a sign that something is amiss.

• Cleaning and inspecting the photo eye sensors

The photo eye sensors are two rounded glass mechanisms placed on either side of the door. These are meant to trigger your door’s reversing functions when there is something along the door’s path. Check if there is any dirt of debris around this area, and clean it using a streak-free cleaner and some warm water. Be careful not to scratch the glass as you do this. Also ensure the eyes are level – you can do this by measuring them from the ground to check if both sides are lining up accordingly. If you have a spirit level, you should be able to realign these yourself if required.

• Testing the door’s reversing mechanisms

Not just the photo eye sensors, but also the manual reversing system. All doors built from 1993 onwards will have both of these installed – they are legally required to do so. If your door was installed prior to this, we strongly recommend that you discuss some options with your local garage door professional as both systems play important roles in your door’s safety and protection. To test the manual system, turn off your sensors, place a piece of wood or a brick along the door’s path, and try to close the door – it should reverse back up as soon as it touches the object in its way. Your photo eye sensors should trigger the door to reverse as soon as you brush your arm or leg along the door’s path as it is closing. Contact a repairs technician if one or neither of these are activating as expected.

• Checking if the door is balanced or out of track

Like we said, there will be visual signs and noise indicators that a door is out of balance. But another way to check this for yourself is to disable your automatic opener and lift it up manually. No need to open it up completely – going about halfway should suffice. If you struggle to open it manually or the door doesn’t stay in position, you are dealing with an out of track door. You should check the door closes too – if you need to force it down or it is sliding downwards in full force, you’ll need to get an expert to rebalance your door for you.

• Oiling your door’s hinges, tracks and rollers

Remember: when it comes to extending the life of a garage door, a little bit of grooming can go a long way. Whether that means patching up paint chips, addressing any issues with rust or water damage or ensuring your components are clean and lubricated. For the tracks and wheels, the first thing to do is to clean out any debris and dust that has accumulated along the way. Just use a broom and brush to do this – water and other chemicals might damage this part of your door. Then you can go on to lubricating your hinges, rollers, and track. A light coating of silicon lubricant, which you can buy from a garage door specialist in your area, is all that’s needed here. If you’ve never done this before, and you don’t feel confident about tackling this task, a technician will gladly do it for you.

For full peace of mind, always call a professional garage door repair technician as soon as you notice a problem. Never had to do this before? Then the final section of this blog post is for you.

Hiring the right repairs professional for the job:

The best way to ensure you are hiring a reputable professional is to get a couple of recommendations from family, friends and neighbors and follow-up with your own inquiries. Look at how long each recommended business has been around, how well their operations are going, whether there are negative reviews for them online or if any complaints have been filed against them at your local Better Business Bureau. Always call your chosen technicians, and ask about minimum callout charges, product warranties and a full breakdown of costs for specific services. Never pay full price upfront, do not hire a business that has no verifiable address, and try to be present on the day that your hired professional is conducting repairs.

Those of you from Goodyear, Arizona are more than welcome to get in touch with us to discuss your maintenance issues. Goodyear Garage Door Repair is more than happy to clarify any questions you may have, and we can always make a free consultation with you about your specific requirements.

Aricle source here: Goodyear Garage Door Repair: Tips to Extend the Life of your Garage Door