Your garage door gets a lot of work. The continual opening and closing year in and year out places a high demand on the door’s components. Over time, these parts will gradually wear and require replacement. In the meantime, there are some simple preventive maintenance ideas you can use to minimize the need for garage door opener repair.
Garage door openers are built to function reliably for many years of repair-free service, though there are times when garage door opener repair is necessary. The usual cause is some mechanical problem with the garage door. To avoid the problems that sometimes cause garage doors to malfunction, follow these 4 steps:
Adjust the Garage Door Limits
In some cases, what appears to be a repair issue can be easily remedied with a simple DIY adjustment. For example, your garage door opener was designed to operate on a variety of garage doors. Due to the variations indoor heights, each door opener has adjustable open and close limits for fine-tuning the travel of your garage door.
When your garage door opener is out of adjustment, the door may close all the way, then re-open. This is because the close limit is too long, meaning the door attempts to “close” beyond the actual closed position. The garage door opener interprets the floor as an obstruction and tells the door to open as a safety measure.
Adjust the limits on your opener for the proper length of travel when opening or closing, and you will prevent needless garage door opener repair.
Check Your Garage Door Balance
Your garage door is equipped with a series of pulleys and springs that support the weight of the door and allow it to open and close smoothly. These important mechanical components also make the manual operation of the door possible.
You should be able to lift your garage door manually when the garage door release latch is disengaged. If you release the latch to manually operate your garage door, and the door is difficult to lift, this means your support hardware is not functioning properly. The torsion spring above the door (or extension springs on either side for some models) may need to be replaced.
Lube Away Needless Garage Door Opener Repair Calls
A garage door that is properly aligned and maintained reduces your garage door opener’s workload. When the mechanical parts of the door begin to stick or seize up, it creates added stress on your garage door opener to open and close the door.
Check pulleys and door rollers and make sure they are rotating freely. Dirt and other contaminants can limit their movement, making it more difficult for your garage door opener to move the door open or closed.
Signs of rust or dirt buildup in the pulleys and rollers of your garage door are a warning sign to act before expensive garage door opener repair is needed. It’s time to take the next step.
Schedule Periodic Maintenance
Contact your Garage Door Doctor in Houston to get a thorough inspection of your garage door and garage door opener. A professional and affordable evaluation scheduled periodically will prevent costly garage door opener repairs down the road.
