Broken Garage Door
Automatic garage doors are a luxury when they’re working, and a burden when they’re not. For commercial facilities that rely on shipping doors to receive or send out supply orders, it could lead to serious, potentially costly setbacks. There are many reasons that a garage door stops working. Sometimes it is as simple as a dead battery, but other times it can be a broken torsion or extension spring that are dangerous to replace and require professional garage door repair. In residential areas a broken garage door can be a major issue as well, especially when going to and from work. Trying to leave for work in the morning but the garage won’t open can create a lot of problems. If a garage door isn’t working check for some of these common issues.
Manual Garage Locks Are Engaged
It seems obvious, but if an automatic garage door gets stuck in the closed position, it could mean that the manual lock button was pushed. The first indication of an unintentionally locked garage door is if the motor runs when the opener is activated but the door itself doesn’t move. Manual locks are a safety feature located on the inside of the door. If the garage door remote opener is lost or the battery died in any of the electronic mechanisms, the manual door lock works as a backup. If the manual locks aren’t the issue but the door won’t open. Disengage the emergency cord on the garage door. This will disconnect the door from the electric opener and allow it to be opened manually. This will help out in a tight pinch until the technicians can arrive.
Garage Limits Incorrectly Set
When automatic garage doors are first installed, their open and close limits are set. This tells the door to stop closing when it reaches the ground and to stop opening at the fully open position. If the limits aren’t set correctly, the door might close and open right back up or vice versa. A garage door technician knows how to reset the limits so the garage door completes its closing cycle at the exact moment it hits the ground.
Garage Transmitter Issues
Transmitters allow the garage door to be opened and closed from a certain distance. If you are too far away from the sensor, the signal from the remote will not reach it. If within reasonable range and the remote still isn’t working, it could be that something is blocking the antennae inside the garage. Check for excess clutter around the sensor and clear it away if there is. If nothing is blocking the antenna, it could mean that it has been damaged. At this point a garage door technician should be called. Issues with the sensors, electronic openers, or the springs should all be handled by a professional who has the training and the equipment to perform the repair correctly.
Misaligned Door Tracks
The tracks that run along the ceiling of a garage are what the rollers use when guiding the garage door up and down. If these tracks get misaligned, develop dents or accumulate a lot of debris it can start to negatively effect the way the garage door operates. Generally issues with the tracks start out as irritating squeaking or grinding. But if this issue is left unchecked for too long it can cause substantial damage to the garage door system. Adjusting the tracks is fairly simple and could just be the result of a loose screw. But without training it could take a lot of guesswork to find out where the source of the problem is.
Broken Springs
If all systems are otherwise working, yet the door still won’t open, there’s a good chance one of the torsion or extension springs are broken. It’s especially important to call in a professional to handle broken garage door springs. These heavy-duty mechanisms carry so much tension, that when they break, they can cause serious injury.
Garage Door Maintenance
Garage door systems involve a lot of different parts and can be pretty complicated without training and experience. That is why for the most part if some part of a garage system breaks it is best to call a technician instead of attempting repairs alone. But there are some things that can be done to prevent certain issues from arising.
Garage door maintenance should be part of every home owners annual checklist. As the biggest door in a home it should be one of the more import aspects to maintain. Most work that is required for upkeep on a garage is fairly simple and doesn’t take long. But this little amount of effort pays off when the garage system lasts longer and doesn’t break, resulting in repairs.
Lubricate Door Parts
A garage is an entire system of a lot of moving parts, the majority of these parts being metal. And metal is susceptible to rest, which means proper and regular lubrication will not only help keep these parts running smoothly but it will also help prevent rust from forming which can weaken the metal.
Clear The Door Tracks
As mentioned before the tracks that the door moves up and down on are important for smooth function. Keeping these tracks clear of debris will help prevent any damage or build up. Simply use a ladder and wipe out anything that has accumulated in the tracks.
Check Garage Safety Features
After a certain year garages were required to have specific safety features installed in them. Testing these features annually can help prevent not only damage to the garage but also prevent any serious injuries that might occur due to faulty safety features. There are two major features that are customary on most garages. The auto-reverse feature prevents the garage door from closing on anything if there is resistance. To test this feature place something that won’t get damaged on the ground and close the garage door. One the door touches this object it should immediately move back to the open position.
The other safety feature is on most garages today is the photo eyes. These are two small sensors installed on either side of the garage that send a signal to each other and when the garage is being close if something interrupts this signal the garage should reverse to the open position. To test this feature close the garage and wave something in front of the sensor. If the garage fails at any of these safety tests, call a garage door technician ASAP.
Professional Repairmen
If any of these issues arise call All About Doors for quick and comprehensive garage repairs. Portland residents rely on us when something goes wrong. With over 36 years of experience our team of technicians are experienced and prepared to handle any installation or repair that is thrown our way. Give us a call today and we’ll get your garage working again!