Any device with moving parts will eventually run into some trouble, and your garage door parts are no exception. Hopefully, you’ve kept up with maintaining your garage door and the opener. However, you’ll want to get to know the essential components of your garage door and how things might go a little awry when something breaks, bends, or splits.
Before Things Go Wrong
While your garage door functions properly, go to your garage and take a look at each of the following components and observe them in action. Then, when something starts malfunctioning, you’ll know whether to call a garage door repair company like Nation Overhead Door or just replace the batteries in your door remote.
Common Problems of Garage Doors
Your garage door has several major moving parts, and you’ll want to familiarize yourself with these parts when performing your initial troubleshooting.
Worn out springs: You know the sound of a squeaky garage door that sounds like it’s about to come off its hinges every time it opens? That could be a sign that your garage door springs are worn out. Don’t try to replace the springs on your own. That’s a job for a professional.
Frayed cables: The metal cables that attach the springs to the base of the door are essential for proper operation of the garage door. Don’t wait until these cables break.
Worn out cables need immediate garage door service.
Loose brackets: The brackets that hold the cables have to work hard when your garage door opens and closes. If they’re loose, you’ll need a professional’s help to tighten these garage door parts.
If your garage door isn’t functioning properly and it doesn’t look like the springs, cables, or brackets are broken, you might have a problem with the garage door opener. While it might be tempting to simply replace this device, you might save some money with garage door opener repair.
Before you resign yourself to part replacement, check the circuit breaker to the garage. A power surge may have tripped the breaker causing a loss of power to the motor unit.
Reducing the Likelihood of Malfunction
You take a look at your roof each year to make sure there aren’t any holes, and you drain your water heater once a year to keep it running smoothly. You should make the same yearly appointment for your garage door.
Some simple actions you can take to keep your door working smoothly include:
- Lubricate the rollers, hinges, and moving parts
- Replace the batteries in the remote
- Check the garage’s weather-stripping when the door is closed
While you may eventually need full garage door replacement or replacement of the opener, a little yearly TLC is a worthwhile investment of time.
Tip: If your remote isn’t functioning, you might be too far away, or you might need new batteries.
Safety Comes First
Important: Never try to troubleshoot your overhead door repair by poking around in the machinery while the door is active. Always observe the door from a safe distance while operating it to see whether a worn cable is frayed or a loose bracket needs some attention.