Garage Door Maintenance Tips
Your garage door and opener get used almost every day, meaning regular maintenance is important to keep them working properly. This Lowe’s video presents several garage door maintenance tips:
Monthly maintenance checks are a good idea, but reference the owners manual for specifics.
1. Door balance test: Close the door and disconnect the carriage from the chain or belt by pulling the release handle. The door should now lift manually. Open it about halfway. If it stays in place, all is good, and the door is balanced; if it doesn’t stay put, call a service technician. To reengage the carriage, move it back toward the opener,
2. Contact reverse test:
Open the door and place a small 2×4 on the ground at the center of the opening. Close the door. When it contacts the board, the door should reverse. If it doesn’t, the downforce control limit needs to be adjusted; set it by following your opener’s direction.
Those little devices at the bottom of your door are photo eye sensors; they prevent the door from closing if something is in the opening. Make sure they’re aligned, then close the door. Wave something through the beam between them. The door should reverse direction. If not, clean the sensors with a damp cotton swab and try again.
3. Hinge inspection: On the door, inspect all the hinges. Lubricate them and make sure everything is tight, but don’t touch the bolts on the torsion springs. Also, check that the tracks are clean and hardware is also tight.
4. Track cleaning: Tracks can be wiped with carburetor cleaner. Don’t use a lubricant on the track as it could cause the door to slip and become unbalanced.
5. Battery check: Remember to replace the batteries in your remotes too; just check the manual for the right type. Periodically operate the door with the plug out to check the backup battery. If the door doesn’t work, put in a new battery.
6. Light bulb check: Replace the light bulbs in the opener following the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Sometimes garage door openers get a little sag in the chain or belt, but it can be fixed. Open the door until the carriage is about midway. Disengage it and manually close the door. Loosen the nuts on the turnbuckle with wrenches and rotate it counterclockwise until the slack is gone. The chain or belt should be at least a quarter inch from the bottom of the rail on the other side. Tighten the nuts and manually open the door to engage the carriage to the turnbuckle.
Garage door maintenance is generally an easy do-it-yourself project, but keep in mind that torsion springs are under extremely high tension, so replacing or repairing them requires a trained technician. A few regular checks will help keep your garage door and opener in good working order.
