“I bought a new garage door opener last month and now it doesn’t work!” If you’re in the process Sheet Metal Door Rust of researching and buying a new door, make sure this headline doesn’t become your story!
Many people don’t realize that a garage door opener is only as good as the system it is lifting. The spring and pulley assembly are built to do the “heavy lifting,” while the opener is only made to move an object that feels like 5-10 lbs. You probably figured out that your garage door weighs much more than 5 lbs. In fact, most single doors weigh 100-150 lbs. and double wide ones can weigh 400 lbs. or more!
So how do you protect your garage door opener from burning out a month or two after installation?
Balance
A properly balanced door is a MUST when you want to protect your opener and make sure you get the full life out of it. When the correct size springs (in good working condition) are placed on a door, it should balance properly. This effectively makes the door feel like 5-10 pounds, allowing the door opener, you, your grandmother, whoever, to open the door easily.
If the opener is lifting a door that feels like 100-150 lbs. due to wear and tear on springs and cables, you’re going to run into potential problems. Gears are going to strip, the motor is going to burn out, and your door eventually wont open. It becomes a big mess, and your brand new door and opener are useless.
Before you install a new garage opener, make sure you figure out why your old one broke. Most often it’s because springs or other hardware are in disrepair and your door is off balance.
Is Your Garage Door Balanced?
Balance is what you strive for when it comes to your garage door. Before a technician installs your garage door opener make sure they do a safety inspection on your door to diagnose any probelms it is or may be having. This should be done before any repairs or installation occurs, otherwise your new opener is going to suffer the same fat as your old one very quickly.
You can also perform a simple test yourself to determine if your garage Fix Garage Door From Slamming door is balance. It does not require any technical training or tools.
First, engage the emergency manual release. This is the red pully dangling from the center of the opener. This will unhook the door from the operator, allowing you to lift the door yourself. Next, manually lift your door halfway. Make sure no children, pets, or objects are nearby. Also be sure to keep your feet safely away from the area where the door closes.
Lastly, certain that the area is secure, lightly let go of the handle. If you feel it immediately begin to start dropping grip the handle to slow its fall. DO NOT Stop the falling door with your foot. If your door is balance, it will stay in position without falling. If it doesn’t and starts to close on it’s own, you have an imbalanced door.
