A garage door serves a lot of purposes as the biggest door of a house.
It provides the house protection from natural elements, security from intruders, and curb appeal as the main focus of the home’s front entrance.
Because this large door is utilized for many essential aspects of the house, it is crucial to be strict regarding its maintenance to be in top condition all the time.
When unmaintained, various issues within the garage door system usually arise that would cause its faulty operation.
Below are the garage door parts that commonly have problems that need to be addressed as soon as noticed:
The Garage Door Sensors
The sensors typically serve as safety mechanisms to prevent deadly accidents from happening involving the overhead garage door.
The two photo-eye sensors, placed on either side of the garage doorway approximately six inches above the ground, send a continuous infrared signal to each other so that when any object or person disrupts the signal, the motion of the door is immediately stopped.
This feature helps prevent any object, children, or pets from being crushed by the heavy closing garage door.
auto-reverse
The other safety mechanism is the auto-reverse, which uses the opener’s motor current as the sensor.
The auto-reverse is activated when the door in motion meets resistance against its path, the current in the motor increases, triggering the door’s reversal.
When there are problems with the sensors, the garage door usually refuses to open or refuses to stop moving, leading to dangerous situations with any careless family members.
If there are any suspected problems with the sensors, call for professional help immediately to avoid unnecessary accidents.
Note that do-it-yourself fixes for this issue could pose more risks than the cost of hiring a technician.
The Garage Door Springs and Cables
The springs and cables are the backbones of overhead garage door operations.
The typical garage door can weigh at least 60 kilograms to over 180 kilograms, which is too heavy for manual lifting.
Springs and cables help lift the large door’s weight so that the opener can function with no issues.
There are two types of springs: the torsion springs placed on top of the door and the extension springs on top of the two upper tracks.
Springs are wound very tightly so that it is under immense tension, and this tension is used to counteract gravity, thus making the door easier to lift.
cables function as a safety mechanism
On the other hand, cables function as a safety mechanism that catches the door if a spring breaks and is unable to keep lifting the door.
When there are issues with the springs and cables, the door is usually heavier when lifted manually, slower when opening, faster when closing, or uneven, where one side is higher than the other.
During such cases, the springs are already on the verge of breaking and require immediate replacements to prevent accidents.
Doing a DIY fix on the springs is very dangerous as the high-tension springs can break violently and hit unsuspecting bystanders, resulting in death as the worst-case scenario.
For safe opener repairs and replacements, contact an expert technician as soon as possible.
The Garage Door Tracks and Rollers
Tracks are metal brackets inside the garage where the rollers attached to the garage door travel on.
When the door is opening and closing, the tracks and rollers guide the door’s position so that it is not lifted awkwardly and does not hit the ceiling.
Problems with the tracks and rollers are usually due to lack of cleaning and inadequate lubrication, where dried grease mixed with dust form lumps on the path.
Other problems also include dents and bumps on the metal tracks.
When these issues are present, the garage door’s opening and closing are usually shaky and unstable.
This instability could be dangerous in the long run as the excessive shaking could speed up the unwinding of the many bolts and screws in the system.
Tracks and rollers can be maintained by using a dry toothbrush to clean off any grime and applying proper lubrication.
However, other issues, like significant dents and broken rollers, should be handled with professional advice.
Contact Us Now For Your Garage Door Opener Repair
For any issues regarding overhead garage doors, contact a trustworthy garage door opener repair company now.
Garage Door Pros is available for garage door repair services to homeowners in Edmonton.
Homeowners can trust their garage door adjustments, repairs, and replacements to the company’s expert technicians who are trained to fix issues safely and professionally.
