Garage Doors Troubleshooting
FAQ about Garage Doors Troubleshooting
| How can I tell if the garage door spring is balanced properly? |
| 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 technicians. To avoid possible severe injuries do not attempt to make an adjustment to the springs yourself without having the proper training and tools. |
| 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, just 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 shut 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, a spring-loaded clip, or even possibly unbolting the arm from the door and opener. If you do have an older door, that ‘s hard to disconnect you may want to replace the opener with a new garage door opener that has a convenient pull red release cord. |
| We heard a loud noise in the garage and had not been able to open the garage door since we heard the sound. What could be wrong? |
| It is very highly likely that you have a broken spring that should be replaced by an experienced and qualified garage technician. If your springs (torsion springs) are on a shaft across the top of the door, you will see an approx 2″ separation in the spring. If your springs (extension springs) stretch along the track on the sides, you will find that they are very obviously in two separate pieces. |
| I have two springs on a shaft across the top of the door, and one of the springs is broken. How do I know if I should change both springs or just the one spring that is broken? |
| We highly recommend that you change both springs at the same time since both springs have been under the same amount of stress each time the door has been opened and closed. Unfortunately, a visual inspection of the Spring can not determine the further life expectancy of the spring. However, in many cases, it will cost less to have both springs changed at the same time than if you only had one spring changed at a time. Place a service order today to have both springs replaced and get your door back in proper working order! |
| My spring broke very close to the end of the spring. Can I just throw away the part that broke off and reuse the rest of the old spring ? |
| The remaining unbroken part of the spring should never be reused. Not only is the old spring fatigued for the full length of the spring and could easily break again at any moment, but changing the length of the spring will also distort the lifting power of the spring and will not balance the weight of the garage door properly. Do not attempt to replace the spring yourself and have it changed by a qualified service technician. |
| While we were closing the overhead garage door, something caused the door to stop halfway, and now the door is hanging crooked in the opening. What is wrong with the door? |
| Most likely one of the garage door cables has come off of the cable drum ( a side that is hanging the lowest) from closing on something. The cables may still be under spring tension and should not be touched properly repaired without the proper knowledge and tools to make the repair. Also, trying to force the garage door closed or open may cause further damage to the garage door tracks and may also cause the door to fall to the floor. In most cases, you are better off to leave the door in whatever position it is in until it can be properly repaired. |
| The two bottom section of our garage door were damaged by a car bumping into the door. Can the two sections be replaced? |
| Yes, the two bottom sections can be replaced as long as the sections are still available (many older garage doors have sections that are no longer made, and it may be tough to find an exact match). However, in many cases, the cost of the two sections and the labor to replace them may be very close to the cost of a brand new replacement garage door that will have all new track, springs, and hardware included along with the door sections. |
| The cable on the garage door appears to be fraying. Should we be very concerned about this problem? |
| Your amount of concern should depend upon how much the cable is frayed, although the problem will only continue to get worse. If the cable is severely frayed to where there are only a few strands left that could break at any moment, the cable should be replaced by a qualified garage door service technician as soon as possible. |
| Popping sound as the door operates. |
| Worn rollers. |
| Scrapping Sounds |
| End bearing plate is tilted. Frayed torsion spring cable. Misaligned reinforcing strut |
| My door squeaks when it opens and closes. |
| Springs, rollers, and hinges can squeak and be noisy. It is caused by normal use and does not necessarily indicate a problem. Use a spray-on lubricant. If the noise persists, call a professional for service. |
