July 22, 2016

Regular Maintenance Keeps Your Garage Door Entrance Safe

Safety of your garage door

Any time you use your door opener remote, you expect that the garage door will open without a hitch. If your kids use the exterior keypad to get in when coming home from school, you likely don’t expect them to run into any trouble either.

But what happens when the garage door, which is one of the largest moving parts in most homes, just doesn’t work?

What if your door is stuck in a position that leaves your home open when you aren’t home? By taking a few minutes twice a year to assure yourself that your garage door is in great shape, you can eliminate any worry you have that your home will ever be unsafe.

Here are the four step we advise for a twice-yearly garage door opener maintenance procedure:

Give Everything a Once-Over

  • Start by standing in your garage to visually inspect all the parts of your garage door opener and system. Are the horizontal tracks parallel and not tilted toward each other? This is the only proper format. Are the bolts that hold the horizontal tracks to the metal supports loose or improperly installed? Those should be tightened, or replaced if necessary.
  • Next, visually inspect the door itself, and all the hardware. The screws that hold the hinges in place should be securely attached. The rollers should be in good shape, and should roll in the tracks instead of sliding.

Pay Attention to the Spring System

  • In order to check the spring system, you first have to deactivate the door opener. Pull the red emergency release cord, which should be located near the rear. That act will disconnect the garage door from the door opener.
  • Next, using the handle installed on the bottom or second section of the door, lift the door. Be sure to bend your knees if the handle is located on the bottom section.
  • Did you know a well-balanced door weighs as much as 10 pounds? How much it weighs when balance correctly is called its “dead weight”. The spring system serves as a counterweight to the door, which is what allows you to easily open the door with just one hand.
  • If it seems far too heavy to lift, or much more than 10 pounds, it is most likely because your spring system isn’t installed correctly.
  • Don’t forget that your door opener just replaces human strength. You should know that some openers (e.g. ¾ HP) are calibrated to lift a weight up to 250 pounds. However, they can also push down that same weight, so don’t try to correct this problem yourself. Call us immediately to perform a professional repair on the spring system if you suspect a problem.

Test the Safety Systems

  • The third step in your twice-yearly maintenance routine is to check the safety systems. Reconnect the door with its opener. Be sure that it clicks into place correctly.
  • Open the door with the remote.
  • All garage doors made after 1986 are equipped with two safety systems: one is mechanical and the other is photoelectric. (If it was manufactured before this time, you have only the mechanical system.)
  • To test the mechanical system :
    • place a piece of wood or other solid object on the threshold of the door, in the path of the door;
    • close the door using the remote;
    • when the door hits the object, it should reverse direction;
    • if it doesn’t, the button that controls the descent of the door must be adjusted. This button has an arrow pointing down on it, and is located on the housing of the motor.
  • To test the photoelectric system:
    • locate the two small units placed on each side of the door opening, about 4 to 5 inches from the ground;
    • standing near your garage door, close the door using the remote;
    • while the door is lowering, pass one of your feet in front of one of the two units (be sure to move your foot out of the way immediately);
    • your door should stop immediately, and then begin reversing direction;
    • be aware that if the units are misaligned, or have faulty wiring, this reversal mechanism can completely block the operation of your door.

Lubricate All Parts

The final step to your twice-yearly maintenance routine is to lubricate the moving parts of your garage door. If you have a chain drive door opener, use a petroleum‑based oil on the chain. Be sure you wipe off any excess oil, and then apply white grease or oil on the motor’s gear and sprocket assembly. Follow the same procedure on the other sprocket located at the other end of the trolley.

If you have a belt drive opener (a system that uses a rubber belt reinforced with metal), you don’t need to lubricate the belt. Instead, these parts are well lubricated by the technician that installs the system, and should be ready for use for many years with this one lubrication.

A Word About Safety

There are a few basic safety rules that can keep your garage door in good shape:

  • The only time children should use your remote control is while you or another adult are supervising.
  • Children should also be supervised when using the control panel located near the access door to the house.
  • No person should ever use this control panel (or button) to close the door, then attempt to exit the garage before the door closes. Most accidents with garage doors occur when someone attempts something like this.
  • Be sure that children know not to be near the garage door when it is moving.
  • Finally, stress to your children how important it is to not reveal the 4-digit access code for opening and closing the door to their friends.

We also invite you to watch this video explaining the basic garage door opener safety rules to respect. Also, visit the garage door industry web site: www.garagedoorcare.com.

If you don’t have the time or knowledge to perform this regular maintenance, we can help you out! For all your garage door needs, you can click here to get a free quote, or click here to start by building your perfect garage door! You can also call us at 508-962-9090.

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