Garage door openers are designed to last for at least a decade, providing you with ease of access and a sense of security for your garage. Despite their long anticipated lifespan, it's important to understand that your garage door opener is a complex structure that functions under heavy loads and demanding conditions. As a result, you'll have some wear and tear and malfunctions. Here are two of the most common issues you may see with your garage door opener and tips to deal with them.
Stuck or Disengaged Trolley System
The garage door opener relies on a chain or belt design driven by a motor. The chain is typically attached to a trolley that applies pressure to the opener, moving the door. The trolley usually has a red security rope attached that hangs down into your garage. This rope will disengage the trolley system.
Installed as a security feature, it's there to allow you to manually open or close the door in case of a malfunction. If your opener hums for a few minutes, but doesn't move the door, there's a chance that the trolley may be disengaged. Open the door manually so that it is raised all the way. Then, pull the security rope. This will re-engage the trolley on the garage door.
If this does not resolve the problem, the trolley may be stuck. If this is the case, you'll want to talk with a garage door repair technician about how to fix it.
Incorrect Travel Limit Settings
When you push the button to engage the garage door opener, the system needs a way to know when to stop running. The travel limit setting will tell the garage door when to stop. If the garage door won't open or close completely, it's likely that you need to adjust the travel limit setting.
You'll need a ladder to do this. If the door opens partially and stops, you'll want to turn the "UP" adjustment screw on the side of the opener. Start with small adjustments, such as a quarter-turn. Once you adjust it, activate the door and test it. Work in this manner, repeating the adjustments until you get the door to open the way you want it.
Do the same for the "DOWN" adjustment if the door isn't closing all the way. The goal is to be able to hit the button and have the door go from fully closed to completely raised and back again.
Your automatic garage door should be responsive and smooth. With the tips presented here, you can address two of the most common causes of trouble.
If there's something more going on, or you can't resolve the problem on your own, reach out to a garage door technician for support. See this site for a company that can help with garage door repair.
