It’s so easy to take garage door openers for granted. When you need to leave or enter your garage, you just push the button on your door opener remote. If your kids need to get in when they come home from school, they can just use the exterior keypad. Basically, if you have a good garage door opener, you never have to use the front door of your house.
Because our garage door openers are so convenient, though, it’s easy to forget that your garage door is probably the single largest moving part on your whole house, and it can create a significant safety hazard. Fortunately, with some periodic maintenance, it can be perfectly safe for years to come.
For a safe and reliable garage door opener, simply follow these four easy steps twice a year (once in the spring and once in the fall).
Step 1: Do a Visual Inspection of the Door
- Start by standing all the way at the back of your garage and look at the horizontal tracks. Are they parallel to each other and the ground? There should be no loose bolts, and they shouldn’t tilt toward each other.
- Walk toward the door and take a look at the hinges. They should be screwed in tightly, and the rollers shouldn’t be showing too many signs of wear. They should roll easily on the tracks without sliding.
Step 2: Disconnect the garage door opener
- After your visual inspection, pull down on the emergency release cord to disconnect the garage door opener.
- Raise the door manually by the lift handle using only one hand. The handle should be either at the second section of the door or at the bottom of the door. If it’s at the bottom, bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not with your back.
- The door should be easy to lift with one hand. If the springs are doing their job and everything is in good working order, the door’s deadweight (how it feels when you lift it) should be about 8‑10 pounds (3.5‑4.5 kilograms).
- If it feels heavy, you most likely have a problem in your spring system, and your springs may need to be replaced.
- Keep in mind that many ¾ HP garage door openers have the capability of lifting 250 pounds (110 kilograms), and that they can also push that same weight down. This could cause a safety hazard if something goes wrong with your opener.
- If you have a problem with the calibration or installation of your garage door opener, don’t try to fix it yourself. Stop using it immediately and call us to take care of it for you.
Step 3: Perform a reversal test
- Reconnect your garage door opener to the door. Make sure that it is positively engaged with the door before you move on.
- Use your remote control to open the door.
- If your garage door was manufactured after 1986, it will have two reversal mechanisms to ensure your safety – a mechanical reversal system and a photoelectric reversal system. If your opener was manufactured before this date, it will only have a mechanical system. You’ll want to test all of the available reversal systems on your door opener.
- A quick test for the mechanical system:
- Place a piece of wood (something like a 2×4) on the threshold of the door so that it’s in the way of the door closing.
- Close the door using the remote.
- The door should stop and reverse when it hits the wood.
- If it doesn’t, the opener will need to be calibrated. You can find the button for this on the opener’s motor. It should be easy to find, as it will have a downward‑pointing arrow on it.
- A quick test for the photoelectric system:
- Look at the base of your garage door’s opening. About four to five inches (10 to 15 centimeters) above the floor on each side, you should see a photoelectric unit.
- Stand near the door and press the remote to close it.
- As the door starts to close, pass a foot in front of one of the photoelectric units. This should interrupt the invisible light beam between them.
- The door should come to a stop for a split second, and then it should reverse open again.
- Note that a misaligned photoelectric unit can result in a malfunctioning door opener. If your door opener isn’t working, inspect these units for proper alignment and/or cut wires.
Step 4: Lubrication
- Lubricating a chain‑driven door opener:
- Apply a thin layer of petroleum‑based oil to the chain.
- Use a clean rag to wipe away any excess lubricant.
- Apply a small amount of white grease or oil to the gear and sprocket assembly on the motor.
- Go to the other end of the trolley and do the same for the sprocket there.
- No need to lubricate a belt‑driven garage door opener (with a metal‑reinforced rubber belt):
- Don’t put any lubricant on the belt.
- When they installed your garage door opener, your technician applied enough grease to the belt for it to run properly for years to come.
Important safety warning: Don’t let kids play with garage door openers!
- Do not let your kids use your garage door opener’s remote without adult supervision.
- The same rule should apply to the control panel installed next to the access door for your house. When you have this control panel installed, it should be at least five feet (1.5 meters) from the floor.
- Never try to “beat” the garage door by running to get out of or into the garage after hitting the remote to close the door. The majority of accidents and injuries involving garage door openers happen when people try to do this.
- Make sure your kids know to stay away from the door when it’s opening or shutting.
- Be sure your kids know that they should never, ever give out the four‑digit access code to open the door to their friends or to anyone else.
Keep in mind – it’s always better to be safe than sorry! To learn more about garage door opener safety rules and how to stay out of harm’s way around your garage door, watch this video. And for even more helpful information, visit www.garagedoorcare.com, a great garage door industry site.
Whether you need a new garage door, opener, components, or maintenance, we’re here for you. Click here to get your free quote, or click here to start designing your perfect garage door! Or you can call us today at 519-829-3777.
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