CALL GARAGE DOORS PLUS FOR HELP WITH YOUR GARAGE DOOR SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE FROM OUR EXPERIENCED CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS.
Like many household appliances, you garage door should be checked for proper operations and provide maintenance as needed. The following steps should be performed monthly in the order below:
Visual Inspections
Visual Inspections of your garage door/doors should be done weekly. While standing inside your garage with the door shut: check for signs of damage such as wear on your cables, pulleys, rollers, springs, even the hardware, such as hinges. If you notice any cable wear or fraying or if the mounting hardware seems loose, you could have a serious issue. Give Garage Doors Plus a call for a trained service technician to inspect it for you.
Balance Test
Most garage doors have an automatic opening system also known an operator. Before doing the monthly balance test you will want to close the door and disconnect the operator. Once you’ve disconnected the operator, lift the door. The door should lift smoothly and should remain open. If the door is out of balance, it will be difficult to open and will not stay open in which you should have it serviced by a certified technician.
Reversing Mechanism Test
(Only if your door is equipped with an automatic opener system).
While your garage door is fully open, take a piece of wood (example: 2×4) and place it on the floor in the center of the opening where the door would touch the floor. Press the garage door opener’s transmitter or the wall button to close the door. Once the door touches the piece of wood, the door should automatically go back up. If it doesn’t automatically reverse, you should have the door serviced by a trained technician.
Note: By Federal Law- All garage door operators manufactured after January 1, 1993, are required to be equipped with a reversing mechanism and a photo eye or edge sensor as added safety measures to prevent entrapment and injuries. If you have an older system and don’t have these features, replacement of your automatic operator is recommended.
Testing the Photo Eyes
(Only if your door is equipped with an automatic opener system).
While your garage door is fully open press your garage door opener’s transmitter or wall button to close the door. Take a broomstick or yardstick and wave it in front of one of the door’s photo eyes so it “breaks the beam.” The door should reverse. If the door does not reopen, remove the object from the path of the closing door. Let the door close. With the door closed, clean the photo eyes with a soft, dry cloth. If the photo eyes appear to be out of alignment, gently adjust them by hand. Open the door and repeat the photo eye test for any changes. If the door does not reverse and reopen, you should have the door service by a trained technician.
Force Setting Test
(Only if your door is equipped with an automatic opener system).
While your garage door is fully open, press your garage door opener’s transmitter or wall button to close the door. While the door is closing, hold the bottom of the door up with your outstretched and stiff hands. If the door doesn’t reverse easily and continue to close, immediately pull your hands away. The door’s closing force is excessive and you should have your door serviced by a trained technician.
You can also do semi-annual lubrication on your hinges, rollers and tracks to help keep your door operating properly.