Routine Maintenance Keeps Your Garage Door and Opener Working

Remember the old commercial about changing oil in your car regularly? They ended with "Pay me now or pay me later". Much the same can be said for your garage door system. Monthly garage door opener maintenance keeps your unit working smoothly and efficiently for years. Follow these maintenance steps for many years of trouble free operation.

Garage Door Maintenance
-Your opener won't work well unless the door is properly adjusted and maintained.
-Start with a visual inspection of all brackets, hinges, fasteners, springs and door tracks.
-If rollers are worn, they should be replaced.
-Bent brackets should be straightened or replaced.
-Make sure all bolts and screws are properly tightened.
- Oil hinges and rollers, but not the tracks. Do not oil plastic rollers. Oil on the tracks will cause dirt accumulation. Use a silicone spray oil.
- If tracks have a buildup of dirt or oil/grease, clean with disc brake cleaner.

To check spring adjustment, make sure the door is fully closed, then pull the release cord or chain to release door from opener.

If the garage door opener is released with the door open, there is the danger that the door will fall. Doors are heavy and a falling door can cause serious injury and damage.

With the operator disconnected, open door halfway. When released, the door should not move more than an inch or two. If it does, springs require adjustment or replacement.

If springs need adjustment, follow manufacturers instructions precisely. Torsion springs are mounted above the door and are very dangerous. Torsion springs should only be adjusted by a professional.

Extension springs should only be adjusted when the door is fully opened to release tension on the springs. Also keep in mind that the bottom spring brackets are under extreme tension when the door is closed, so don't attempt to tighten, or especially loosen these brackets, with the door less than fully open.

If springs need replaced, replace both. Replacing only one spring will cause an improperly operating door. The door should open and close easily and smoothly.

Garage Door Opener Maintenance
- Inspect mounting brackets, cables, fasteners, etc.
- Replace bent or broken parts
- Tighten loose bolts or screws
- Lubricate chain or screw drive
- Perform safety reversing test

• Lay a 2X4 on the floor under the door -Operate door opener - door should reverse when it comes in contact with the obstruction (the 2X4)If it does not reverse, have your door opener adjusted.If you try this yourself, follow manufacturers directions precisely.

Improperly adjusted doors can be very dangerous to small children and pets
If your garage door opener is equipped with a photoelectric beam, placing an obstruction between the sensors should prevent the door closing -Clean the lenses.

Making regular maintenance a habit will give you many years of trouble free operation.

For additional information visit Precision Door.

5 Things Every Home Owner Should Know About Repairing Garage Doors

The most common garage door repair is the Garage door springs. They are designed to do virtually all of the work necessary to lift your garage door. Garage door springs, cables, brackets, and other hardware attached to the springs, are under very high tension and, if not handled properly, can cause serious injury.

1. When dealing with garage door springs, you should take into account what type of door you have (sectional, tracked one-piece), and what type of springs you have. Garage Door Springs are available in two main types: extension and torsion.

2. Garage door springs come in different lengths to accommodate various standard size doors, from single garage doors to double doors. Garage door springs are sized or adjusted at time of initial installation to balance the weight of the garage door. It is important when handling springs to prevent any nicks or scrapes to the wire.

3. Spring pairs should be replaced together, since the mate is likely to fail soon after the first, and any possible savings in parts isn’t worth the extra effort to repeat the work later. You must release the tension on the garage door springs before attempting adjustment or replacement.

4. Correct spring size is determined by factors such as the weight and height of the door. For example, garage door springs are designed to accommodate the original intended weight of the door. If additional weight is added to the door sections after the original door installation, the door could become unbalanced such that operation is not smooth, possibly even resulting in damaged or broken springs.

5. Also, the function of any opener on the door could be adversely affected such that a motor could become overworked or cease functioning. The safety of a garage door is directly attributed to the design of these components working together without any other added material. For example, adding weight, including hanging large objects, to any part of the door or track can obstruct the pathway of the door and can cause the horizontal track to twist, buckle or deform. This has the potential to allow the door to fall out of the horizontal track.

Because doors are large, heavy moving objects that can weigh anywhere from 90 pounds to over 500 pounds, a door falling out of its tracks is dangerous to persons, and hazardous to property, under the door or in the area. Always consult with experienced repair services like Precision Door Service.

The Three Garage Door components most likely to fail

There are many moving parts in your garage door system and all are susceptible to wear and ultimate failure. However, three of these components are the most common to experience a problem.
1. Rollers
2. Springs
3. Bearings

Rollers are one of the most frequently failing components on garage doors, Most manufacturers are using bearing-less rollers which have a plastic or nylon tire on a steel shaft. These will generally show significant wear within 18 months of normal use.
Rollers with bearings are typically better; Ask about the cycle and weight ratings on the rollers your technician recommends.

Springs are the second most frequently failing component and also the most expensive. Many manufacturers and service companies use springs manufactured from a lower grade of wire. Most of these are rolled cold which increases metal fatigue potential. Additionally, with few exceptions the wire is not coated and will therefore be susceptible to rust which also increases metal fatigue. On this type of spring expect replacement in 3-5 years. However, there are commercial grade springs available. These are typically coated to resist rust and have much higher cycle ratings, meaning a much longer lifecycle. Ask your garage door service company about the cycle ratings on all springs. Additionally, many entry level door systems are manufactured using a single spring. A good two car door (greater than 10 ft wide) should have two springs. Use of a single spring will have a significantly shorter life. Ask what the expected cycle rating is on springs for the door you are interested in.

Bearings are the third most frequent component to fail. A door should have three sets situated in the middle and both ends of the door. Many doors come with only two bearing sets and one plastic bushing.

Being aware of the garage door components most likely to fail will enable you to make a more informed decision when buying, maintaining or repairing your door system.

Remember to ask – The result is a longer lasting and smoother operating door.
Precision Garage Door Service is proud to serve you in Washington, Idaho, Utah, Arizona & New Mexico

Let’s Imagine Something New…The First Solar Panel Garage Door?

The new plug-in Hybrids (PHEV) will revolutionize the way we think about fuel efficiency. Chevy has one called the Volt and Toyota has a new version of the Prius. Currently, neither one is available for purchase to the masses, but they are coming and sooner than we may think.

These vehicles will charge overnight and then run off the electric battery until the power is depleted, at which point, it switches to the standard Hybrid method of fuel consumption.
CalCars.org and OEMtek agree that the initial charge should last between 50 to 70 miles. That means if you drive less than 25 miles to work each day you could conceivably get there and back each day without using a drop of gasoline. Now, that’s what I call reducing dependency on foreign oil. But can we do even better? Let's try something completely new.

Rather than run up your electricity bill to save oil... what about a way that is totally clean and will produce sufficient energy to fully power the car’s battery at $0 cost… What about a solar panel garage door.

Solar panels are able to produce about 1 kWh of total energy for every square meter of surface area. A standard double-wide garage door measuring 16′x 7′ provides about 10.4 square meters of surface space. That should produce the amount of energy needed. Solar panels have advanced to the point where they can be anywhere. There are marine solar panels, solar roofing and curved solar panels. So, why not on the garage door?

Think about it… the technology exists right now – right now. That we could drive back and forth to work every day and never use a drop of gas (as long as it’s less than 25 or 30 miles from home).

Let me know if you've done this or are thinking about it!!

How Long Will Your New Garage Doors Last?

Before installing a new garage door it is worth stopping to consider likely maintenance issues and at what point repairs might become necessary.

There is more to caring for doors than just looking after the surface finish – in particular the opening mechanism will need to be maintained in good working order.
It’s easy to overlook the fact that the door panel itself, because it is the largest and most obvious part, is just one of many parts. Garage door opening mechanisms hold quite a few parts (springs, rollers, etc.) that need to all function smoothly together - otherwise the door will cease to open and close correctly.

When it comes down to it, a garage door system is only as strong as its’ weakest part and even if a small, apparently trivial, component breaks then the functioning of the whole door can be at stake. So how long then is it reasonable to expect your own garage door parts to last?

The longevity of garage door parts is rated in “cycles” where a cycle is a single opening and closing action. The number of cycles that might occur each day will clearly vary since some folk seldom use their garage door while others might use extensively, especially if it serves as an alternative main entrance.

A reasonable approximate average is 3 cycles per day which equates to about 1,100 cycles each year. Cheaper garage door components are typically rated to last 5,000 cycles which provides you an average limit of five years before repairs will be required.

Thus you can very easily figure out the length of time, depending on your own particular usage patterns, before you might need to start hunting for a reputable garage door repair company.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. By simply insisting on having only parts tested for a higher number of cycles you should expect that your new garage door will operate flawlessly for literally a lifetime. Precision Garage Door uses only commercial grade

parts

with high cycle ratings.
Find out more here.

A homeowner’s guide to the garage door and how it works

Garage Door Operation 101:

One of the most overlooked “appliances” in your home is the garage door. You press a button. It goes up. It goes down. Simple, right?

Not really. Like every other mechanical device you own – your cars, your kitchen and laundry appliances and your heating and cooling systems – your garage door and its operating system needs to be properly adjusted and regularly maintained in order to function correctly. Schedule your annual system check with your Precision Door Service Professional

You can perform some simple safety and maintenance tasks yourself. Other tasks – such as spring repair/replacement, track and roller repair/replacement and door installation – are jobs best left to trained service professionals.

Just as it is common practice to have your home’s heating and cooling systems checked annually, it’s also a good idea to have your door checked annually by a qualified service technician to ensure that it continues to work properly and effectively.

Never take a garage door system for granted; always use extreme caution when working on it or near it. Make sure that children understand that the garage door and the garage door opener are not toys. Never let children play with the door or its operating system. For more safety information, check out the Garage Door Safety section here.

How to Tell if your Garage Door Spring is Balanced

A properly balanced garage door spring insures a smooth operating door system and reduces stress (wear and tear)on the system.

Here's how to test your door:
Open the door halfway by hand (release operator first) and let go of the door. The door should pretty much stay in the same position, although some slight drifting may occur. If the door wants to drop or if it opens on its own the garage door springs should be adjusted by trained and experienced garage door service technicians. To avoid possible severe injuries do not attempt to adjust the springs yourself – Contact a professional to schedule an appointment.

How to Operate your Garage Door by Hand

Once question we hear often is: "How do I release the door from the operator so that I can open the garage door by hand?"

With the garage door fully closed, locate and pull the red release cord down toward the floor. Always take special caution whenever you release the garage door opener if the door is not in the fully closed position, since the door may want to slam closed when released.

If at all possible do not release the garage door when open, except for emergency or security purposes and close the door with caution. Some older openers may not have a red release cord and may need to be released by pulling down a handle or a spring loaded clip. If you do have an older door that is difficult to disconnect you may want to replace the opener with a new garage door opener that has an easy pull red release cord.