Your garage door opener is an important component to not only your garage, but also to your home. It helps you easily pull in and out of your garage without having to get out of your car to manually open the door. The opener also helps keep your garage door shut firmly. However, like most machines, your garage door opener requires some maintenance, upkeep, and repairs in order to keep your home secure.
At Precision Garage Door of Delaware, we’re here to give homeowners in Delaware and North Maryland some insight into their garage door opener, how it works, and how to tell it needs some repairs or maintenance.
How Does My Garage Door Opener Work?
The opener to your garage door operates on radio waves. A major component to the opener is the transmitter, which sends a radio signal from your remote or wall-mounted switch to the actual opening device; this signals to open or close your garage door. The actual opener is mounted onto the ceiling attached to the track that your garage door rolls on. The opener is attached to a pulley, which in turn is attached to an arm that’s mated to a strut connected to the top of your garage door. The arm and strut are fastened to the door by a secure bracket.
When the remote or wall switch is pressed, it activates the opener to run the motor in order to move the pulley up or down. Attached to each brake in your garage door is a roller, which allows the garage door to smoothly roll through the track and close completely, or lift up, depending on the original position of your garage door. While the mechanics of a garage door seem relatively simple, sometimes there could be an issue that prevents the opener from working correctly.
Common Garage Door Opener Issues That Require Professional Repairs
There are quite a few issues that can affect the functionality of your garage door opener, so it’s important to recognize what the issue is that’s preventing the opener from working before you attempt to conduct any maintenance or repairs. Here’s some of the most common garage door opener issues:
- Opener Won’t Respond- There could be a few reasons. The opener may require some lubricant to prevent any friction, but the answer could be much simpler as: the remote/transmitter needs new batteries.
- Door Closes and Opens- This is actually a pretty common issue. Most often, it indicates that your garage door photo eye is misaligned and because the beam is broken, the safety-stop activates, thinking something is in the path.
- Door Opens Slightly Before Closing- This issue means that there’s a spring that needs replacing. Most springs are built to last about three years, so if you’ve had them replaced recently, you may just need to replace the broken one.
- Grinding Noises- If your garage door struggles to open or close, and you hear a loud grinding sound coming from the opener, it could mean that there are loose parts and hardware in the opener’s casing.
Contact Your Garage Door Professionals for Maintenance & Repairs
Regular maintenance is important for your garage door opener so it can continue to function at its best, and any issue could be diagnosed and repaired before becoming a major problem. But while you can easily replace your own batteries, some of the other forms of garage door opener maintenance and repairs are best left to the professionals for safety reasons.
When it’s time to schedule maintenance or repairs, you can always contact us at Precision Garage Door of Delaware. We offer a free estimate on installation and repairs, so you can get a full sense of the services that we provide.
At Precision Garage Door of Delaware, we’re proud to help homeowners in Delaware and North Maryland diagnose any issues with their garage door and its components.