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Smyrna Garage Door Repair in Smyrna, GA: How to Troubleshoot Garage Door Openers
Most homeowners take their garage doors for granted; they expect them to work every day, under any circumstances. Few people know that a garage door is a very complex system made up of dozens of parts, rollers, cables, sensors, transmitters, motors, etc. Any of these parts can break over time, or due to mechanical stress or damage. However, it may not be a simple thing to find out which part of the door is malfunctioning. One needs to have adequate experience working with garage doors to find out which part is at fault quickly. The parts that break most often are the sensors, transmitters, springs and openers. In this post, we will focus on the garage door opener. So, let’s see what the opener is, what it does, and how you can troubleshoot problems with it.
The Role of a Garage Door Opener
The garage door opener is responsible for opening and closing your garage door. In other words, this is the part that gets the job done when you press the button on the remote or the wall button. However, keep in mind that the garage door opener does not do the heavy lifting; this is reserved for the torsion or extension springs. Nevertheless, the opener is under enough stress every time you open and close the garage door. An opener lasts on average between 7 and 10 years of moderate use. However, there are openers that break after just 3 or 4 years. It all depends on how often you use the garage door and on the quality of the parts that make up the opener.
The garage door opener has two other important roles. First, it must reverse the heavy garage door as soon as the photo eye sensors detect that there is an object or person underneath the door, or if the door encounters any kind of resistance along the way down. Second, it must make sure that nobody from the outside can open your garage door, and break into your garage and then your home. The opener should not open the door by mistake and should withstand attempts to force the door to open from the outside. This is why a fully functional garage door opener is a must for every homeowner.
Types of Garage Door Openers
There are three major types of garage door openers: chain drive, belt drive, and screw drive. The chain drive option is relatively noisy while operating, but it is also the least expensive of the three types of openers. They are resilient as well. The belt drive opener uses a rubber belt instead of the chain, so it is quiet then the latter. They are, however, a bit more expensive. The screw drive opener uses a motor that rotates a rod. This opener type is very loud, but it is also very simple to maintain and has a long lifespan. The garage door opener you choose for your door depends on your needs and tastes. Any one of the three options is dependable if it is manufactured by a reliable company. However, no matter how well the opener and its parts are manufactured, this system will eventually develop some problems. It is normal due to wear and tear. However, it may be difficult to figure out what part of the door is having problems. If you discover that the opener has a problem, you may be able to troubleshoot it yourself.
Troubleshooting the Garage Door Opener
In case the garage door opener does not react to the remote control or the wall switch, you can try a few troubleshooting methods. First, make sure that you are in range and then replace the batteries in your remote. Second, make sure the motor unit is not unplugged from the wall socket. Third, check the circuit breaker or the fuse and make sure it is not tripped or burned out.
The remote control does not open or close the door. In this case, you may be too far away from the opener and the signal from the remote may not reach it. Also, try to replace the batteries in the remote. Check the antenna on the motor unit and make sure it is hanging downward and is not disconnected or damaged.
In case your garage door does not close all the way, you may need to readjust the close-limit switch. This switch tells the opener when to stop running and must be properly configured. If the door reverses when it reaches the floor, it may be caused by an improperly configured close-limit switch. Alternatively, you can try to use the adjustment screw on the opener to change the closing force parameter. Test the door each time after you adjust the close-limit adjustment screw.
If the garage door starts to close and then reverses before closing completely, you may have a problem with the photo eye sensors. These sensors project an invisible beam between them; if anything interrupts the beam (such as a person, animal or object), the door immediately reverses to prevent injuries or property damage. All you have to do is to make sure nothing is hanging in front of the sensors and to clean them with a piece of damp cloth.
You Can’t Troubleshoot All Problems
Unfortunately, there will be times when you will not be able to troubleshoot and fix the problem by yourself. The motor may burn out or some of the electronic components may get damaged. These things happen from time to time. If something is wrong with your garage door opener and you don’t know how to fix the problem, all you have to do is call a garage door repair expert from Smyrna Garage Door Repair in Smyrna, GA. An expert has all the experience, knowledge and tools to deal with any kind of garage door opener problem. If the opener is damaged beyond repair – which can happen when you least expect it – a professional can replace the entire opener assembly. The good news is that you get to choose the type of opener you want (chain drive, belt drive or screw drive) in case the tech needs to replace the unit.
Hopefully now you better understand how to troubleshoot issues with garage door openers!
GARAGE DOOR WON’T WORK; THINGS TO CHECK BEFORECALLING A PROFESSIONAL
Oh no! The garage door stopped working! It must be time to call a local Smyrna, GA garage door repair shop; right? Well, maybe not. Our Smyrna Garage Door Repair crew offers these helpful tips on what you should do first BEFORE you call a local garage door professional. Read on – you might just save yourself a service call and a little money!
You need your garage door to work right!
There’s no doubt about it. Your garage door is a vital part of your home or commercial building. It guards one of the largest rooms at your location. We use our garages for storage, car parking and access to our homes. A poorly or non-working garage door leaves your home vulnerable to uninvited intruders, vagrants, squatters, potential burglars or home invaders. It also allows your neighbors or anyone else driving down your street to potentially see what is inside your garage space or that part of your building is in disrepair.
Imagine putting in a hard day at work. You’ve dealt with cranky customers, oppressive bosses, and traffic headaches all day. Now, you just want to come home and relax for a bit so that you can recharge. One problem; your garage door is not working right. While your first inclination might be to call a local Smyrna, GA garage door professional, give these quick tips a try and see if these help.
Safety sensors
These are also known as photo electric safety eyes and they play a vital role in your garage door’s performance. If your safety sensors are not aligned properly your garage door remote won’t work and neither will your outside keypad control. These sensors are designed with your safety in mind. That’s why they won’t allow your garage door to operate if the beam does not connect. Let’s say you attempt to close your garage door but your toddler or puppy runs underneath it at the last moment. The last thing you want is for your several hundred pound garage door to hit anyone or anything underneath. Thanks to your safety sensors, it won’t. When the beam is interrupted, the door reverses course and goes back up.
If however, the beams are not aligned, this has the same effect. You can push the remote button all you like and to your sensors, it is the same as having the beam interrupted, but on a continued basis. What can you do about it? Your sensors are easily aligned by moving them in their brackets gently so that the beam connects from one sensor to the other. While you are at it, check for spider webs, yard leaves and other debris that may have blown in that can block your sensor lenses. Keep bicycles, trash cans, garden tools and other items away from your sensors. These can lean against them or fall on them and cause them to become misaligned. While you are inspecting your safety sensors, also look out for cut, frayed or chewed wires that will certainly interfere with your garage door’s performance.
Remote battery
Batteries lose their charge with time and use. This is true for the battery in your remote, too. We recommend testing your battery to see if it is still good. Do you have a battery tester at home? If so, use it to see the condition of your remote battery. If not, simply take your battery to any local Smyrna, GA retail store that sells them and they should test it for you at no charge. Some of the national chains that do this complimentary testing include Best Buy, Target, Sears, Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Lowes. Also, your battery may be good but the terminal that holds it in place may be loose. Be sure to check to see if it still holds. These are easy to adjust by simply squeezing them together.
Manual lock
Sometimes garage door failure can be traced back to one simple thing; the manual lock. These locks are easy to purchase and to apply. They are also easy to forget so if you or someone in your household attaches one to the inside track of your garage door, remember to remove it when not needed or at least tell the other family members or roommates about it. Plenty of opener motors have become burned out as well as garage door damage by trying to open a manually locked garage door.
Path blockage
Did your garage door start to go down and then suddenly go back up? Did you try to close your door again and this action was repeated? You might be left wondering just how you are going to retire for the night or leave for work in the morning if your garage door won’t close. This problem is related to and very similar to the above paragraph about the safety sensors. In this case, the beam is not misaligned, there is simply something blocking its path. At first glance it may not seem that way. It could be something as small as a child’s toy or other small object. As long as the beam is interrupted, your garage door will not close and will start to go back up. Always be sure to keep the area around your safety sensors free of debris, tools, boxes or any other item that can block the path of your photo electric safety eye beam.
When to call in the troops!
Any and all of the above tips can save you both time and money. It only takes a moment to run through any or all of them. Why not save yourself some money and fix your own garage door problem? Now, if none of the above tips help, then by all means, call in a Smyrna, GA garage door repair pro. Even if you do, you’ll be able to tell your repair technicians what the problem is NOT. How do you know? Well, because your read our post and checked for yourself!
Smyrna Garage Door Repair: Common Garage Door Issues in Cold Weather
Weather conditions can have an impact your garage door’s performance. This is less than ideal in the coldest seasons, when homeowners want to be able to keep everything closed-up to warm up the house. Unfortunately, garage door issues are very common during cold weather – but preparing for these will enable you to quickly resolve your troubles. Read through our list of commonly-found glitches to ensure your garage door is well-maintained as the temperature drops.
Here is a handy breakdown of some of the problems that Smyrna Garage Door Repair in Smyrna, GA, along with other garage door repair professionals, constantly need to attend to in the coldest months.
1) Creaky or noisy doors
This is probably one of the most common complaints garage door technicians receive during the winter season. As the door is opened or closed, it may become noisier than you are used to – grumbling, complaining, creaking and screeching. While noisy doors can be a sign of damage, in the winter months that’s usually just a sign that it needs a bit more lubrication. You will need to buy some lube and apply it to the necessary parts, including the joints and hinges. If that doesn’t work, then something is amiss: and that will be when you may need to call a garage door repair technician to inspect things further.
2) Problems opening and/or closing the door
Whether that means your door is not opening completely or not closing all the way, the cold weather can cause a few issues that may make it more difficult for your door to operate smoothly. Once again, it could be as simple as oiling up the right parts – but opening and closing issues could actually mean your door has become misaligned. Check if the door is out of balance, and see if the issue can be amended by tapping each side of the door back into position. Be careful, though: if your door is too far out of track, fixing it will be very dangerous. If in doubt, get in touch with an expert.
3) Weather Stripping Failure
If you live somewhere that experiences heavy snow, you will likely encounter this problem. When water freezes near a closed garage door, the weather stripping may get stuck to the ground. In this scenario, the weather stripping will likely tear off as soon as the door is raised – leaving your home with poor insulation and a hefty energy bill. The best way to prevent this? Check that the area in front of your garage door is clear of puddles and snow. Simple as that!
4) Excess grease building up on tracks and rollers
Now, this is something that can easily occur at any given time of the year. In the winter months, though, it can lead to some of the problems we’ve already covered (misaligned rollers being a key example). Actually, finding the right balance between lubrication levels along the tracks and rollers is a bit of a trial and error, but is an important part of your garage door maintenance. Oil up your tracks if needed, but try not to overdo it – apply it in small amounts to reach the right consistency.
5) Breakage because of contracting metal
A very common issue in the colder months. The drop in temperature will cause the door’s metal components, including the springs and screws, to shrink and contract. You can’t prevent this from happening, but you can prevent it from causing any kind of breakage or damage by ensuring all metal parts are well-lubricated. Just remember to keep the oil away from the tracks to avoid the issue we mentioned in the previous point.
And if you do end up with a broken spring – do not try to fix things yourself! Torsion springs especially are quite dangerous to work with without adequate training. Stay on the safe side and call a repairs professional right away.
6) Thickened or hardened grease on your door
The majority of lubricating greases are created to operate under extremely hot temperatures – it’s actually the reason why they work so well with motor engines. Unfortunately, that means the grease doesn’t perform as well when exposed to cold weather conditions. As the temperatures drop, it’s very likely that your garage door’s grease will thicken up and harden. To prevent this from causing any hassles, keep a close eye on your door’s hinges and tracks and make sure to remove any build-up along the way. Old, hardened grease can be removed from your garage door using an applicable solvent. Once you’ve cleaned up the build-up, replace it with a silicone-based oil – this will last you through the winter months much better than your standard oils.
Throughout this list we have identified certain times when you may need to call on a repairs professional. If you need to find one in your area, make sure to ask people you trust for recommendations and keep 2-3 business names handy. Call these and inquire about their services, including minimum callout charges and product warranties. Never hire a company that has no verifiable address, and don’t pay full price upfront for any repairs job (partial deposits are legitimate, though). If you have time to do a bit of background checking on your selected business, that’s even better – otherwise, just stick to word-of-mouth recommendations.
Those of you who live in Smyrna, Georgia, are more than welcome to contact us if you experience any of the cold weather issues we mentioned in this post. Smyrna Garage Door Repair is a locally owned and operated business, with all the certifications, training and tools needed to conduct safe and reliable repairs. Call us to consult with our experts, and we will provide you with a full price quote for any requests you may have for our team. In emergencies, our phone lines are operating 24/7.
Whether you live in Smyrna, GA, or elsewhere, we hope that this blog post has clarified some of the issues you may experience with your garage door during the winter months. Remember to stay on top of maintenance to ensure that everything keeps running smoothly all year round.
Common Garage Door Closure
A door closer helps to latch a door in a controlled manner, keeping it from slamming and making a lot of noise or loud sound. This is what happens when a door is closing. The equipment used for door closers have been around for years. In fact, some of these same parts are still being sold and installed in newer doors today, such as, hinges, weights and springs. A door closer can come in various applications, sizes, shapes and configurations. They can be installed inside the header above the door, mounted underneath the floor under the door or surface mounted on the face of the door. Each way has its own benefits and disadvantages. Consulting with a reputable and reliable garage door service, such as, Smyrna Garage Door Repair will enable you to find out more about the advantage and disadvantages. Note that many architects install concealed door closers for aesthetic purposes.
Types of Door Closures
There are at least three common problems that cause door closure issues, stack pressure, regulations and temporary door distortion. Stack pressure is the movement of air contained inside a hermetically sealed property. The pressure develops inside the building when the air moves through the HVAC ducts and intakes. The pressure can be experienced when someone is attempting to open an exterior door. This is because of the stack pressure that the door will not close. If the buildings HVAC system is not on, this problem will not exist.
Since every area has different regulations, ordinances and codes, they may experience different types of problems with door closures. Trying to find a resolution that will be cost effective can be challenging. To avoid the costly expense of a power door operator manufacturers have designed unique door closers. One of the uniquely designed closures is a cam closure. The action of a cam closer is felt when the door is closing shut. In most regular surface mount door closers, the greatest amount of force is generally felt at the opening of the door. With the cam door closer, the user if given more power, which enables the door to latch and close the door more efficiently.
The temporary door distortion happens to a hollow exterior door that is typically located on the side of buildings where the sun hits it. When the sun hits the building it heats up the door. This means that the door can become distorted or warped out of shape. This will create a problem with the door closing normally.
What’s Most Important
When considering the right type of door closer, you should know that the closer itself isn’t the most important part. Your closer will not work properly if the hinges or the door are not correctly lubricated. If everything is lubricated and tight, it will certainly make it possible for the door closer to close smoothly and latch correctly.
Types of Closers
The most common closers are surface-mounted closers, concealed closers and floor closures. Surface-Mounted closerscome with adjustable size surface-mounted door closers with spring force that can be adjusted to various sizes. This eliminates the need to have different sized closers. The adjustable closers are different depending on the manufacturer. A surface-mounted door closer can be installed on either side of the door opening on a swing door or out swing door.
Surface-Mounted Closer Installation:
- Parallel Arm Mounting
The closer is placed on the face of the door and the shoe is mounted into the jamb. This places the arm parallel to the door opening. This is how a surface-mounted closer is installed on a swing door. There is less damage that occurs with it being installed parallel to the door face than if it were perpendicular to the arm.
- Top Jamb Mounting
The closer is mounted onto the jam and the shoe is mounted on the door face. This places the arm in a perpendicular position toward the opening. This process is applied to swing doors with closer on the inside of the door.
- Regular Arm Mounting
This is when the closer is located on the face of the door and the shoe is mounted onto the jamb. In this case, the opening of the door is perpendicular to the arm. Again this application applied to swing doors with interior closer.
- Track Arm Mounting
In this process the closer is mounted on the face of your door and the track arm is placed onto the jamb. This can be performed on both swing doors and out swing doors with the closer mounted on the interior side of the door.
Concealed Closers
This type of closer has various benefits to a surface-mounted closer since it functions as part of the attached swinging mechanisms, which are on the top or bottom of the door. The door has a point of rotation that will safely and effectively, carry the weight of the doors header or pivot it. With a surface-mounted door closer it requires an added component that controls the way the door opens and closes. In this case, the door hinges carry the weight. The concealed door closer needs more energy to operate than the surface-mounted door.
Floor Closers
Floor closers can accommodate doors that weigh more than 1000 pounds. On the other hand a shallow body closer can only accommodate a maximum of 250 pounds. On the heavier doors, intermediate load bearing pivots are applied. Lighter doors have non load-bearing intermediate pivots.
Why You Care
Most people don’t care about the door closers that are installed. If you are having a building built for your business, you might want to know what some of the various components of your buildings doors might consist of. In any case, while you may not fully be aware off what these various factors are and how they affect your doors, it is a good idea to know a little something about them simply for the purpose of making a well-informed decision. Your local garage door service can assist you in further understanding the types of closers used and why.
How to find a good garage door service
Garage doors are like any other working appliance; they break down now and then. It’s not just old ones either; new garage doors can experience problems, too. When this happens it’s best to know what to do to make things right again. You always have the option of do-it-yourself repair, but for those that want the job done by professionals (highly recommended) finding the right garage door service can be a real godsend.
Timing
You’ve heard the term “timing is everything?” It holds true with garage door repair. If you are like most, you use your garage door frequently. It is actually the largest door to one of the largest rooms in your home or building. Coming and going through our garage doors has become a way of life; we do it so often we hardly give it a second thought…until something goes wrong and repair, maintenance or new installation is needed!
Many things can affect your garage door appearance and performance including wear, maintenance, weather and usage. Here in Smyrna, GA we have cold winters and very humid summers so it’s best to accommodate for those factors. If you live elsewhere you might be dealing with dry summer heat or wet, rainy seasons that can also affect your garage door.
Smyrna Garage Door Repair recommends that you find a garage door service company EARLY and most likely before you actually need one. We love our conveniences and luxuries and a well working, good looking garage door is one of them. Should yours need service, it’s always smart to have a professional service that you trust and can rely on ready to step in and render assistance.
What to look for
As you can imagine, not all garage door services are the same. It helps to know what to look for in one that you would like to work with in the future (or now!). But, where do you start looking? Every decent sized town has a number of services to choose from and that holds true for Smyrna, GA and the whole Atlanta metro area, as well.
Ask around
People LOVE to give advice so now may be a good time to ask for it. Inquire with your co-workers, circle of friends, family members or customers if you are a business owner. Get people’s opinions both bad and good about garage door services they’ve used in the recent past. You’d be surprised what you can learn from doing this. Drop a few names here and there; businesses love to hear that their service was recommended by a customer and you might just get your referring friend and discount on their next service job!
Check the BBB
The Better Business Bureau is NOT a government agency or regulatory body. They have no enforcement authority but they do have good thing going for them; people love to complain to them when something goes wrong. Give the Atlanta, GA BBB a call or go online and do a search on their site. Smyrna area businesses are included in this office. If you are reading this and live elsewhere, do the same for your area. Note that the business does not have to be a member to be reputable so don’t worry about that but look instead for unresolved complaints from customers. Also, a few resolved ones is nothing to worry about as most local businesses get them from time to time. It’s the ones that were left UN resolved that should raise a red flag.
Expect quality
Don’t view your garage door service company as mere handymen or as a “Mr. fix-all” neighbor who tinkers in his garage all day. Expect more and you will get more. Selecting a good garage door service company should be treated the same as choosing any other home improvement contractor. They should answer the phone professionally. They should be licensed, bonded and insured. Do they offer free estimates and price quotes? Here’s a big one; do they offer round the clock emergency service in case that you need it? Ask for references and see how they react to that. Did they willingly and cheerfully give them to you or did they hesitate to answer?
Don’t be fooled by ads!
Are you impressed with ads, at times? If you see a huge yellow page ad or a website with lots of flashing lights and big banners does that wow you? Well, don’t be too impressed! Big flashy ads or gaudy websites really just mean that the company spent more to advertise – it’s not an indication of quality or trustworthiness at all.
Ask questions
Never be afraid to ask questions and don’t assume anything! You can ask potential garage door service companies about service fees, warranty coverage, names of references, product or service guarantees, advertised specials, licensing, labor charges, weekend availability, current specials, insurance coverage, emergency fees and anything else that might come to mind.
Add to smart phones
Have you chosen a garage door service company to work with yet? Maybe you’ve narrowed the list down to two or three. Be sure to add one or two of them to your smart phone address book for easy access when you DO wind up needing them. Having fast access to pre-qualified garage door service can be a real godsend when one of your springs snaps, or your garage door opener stops working.
If you need service now
Do you need garage door service at the present? Make sure you get two or three estimates from different companies and don’t forget to ask about warranties for any products or hardware they may be using. While you are at it; be sure to inquire about total charges and not just service fees. Are there product fees, travel charges, or extra labor costs involved? Each company or shop varies so be sure to ask.
Be sure not to authorize a repair or other service work before the technician explains the exact problem and the cost of the solution.
Most of these tips are just common sense; follow them and you’ll get the most out of your Smyrna, GA garage door repair and service work!
How to Fix a Noisy Garage Door
Does your garage door clank and make noise every time you open or close it? Here’s how to find and fix common garage door problems.
Are you at your wit’s end with your noisy garage door? Does your noisy garage door wake your family members up when you come and go? Is it so loud your neighbors have mentioned of it?
Luckily, many noisy garage doors can be silenced in just a few easy steps!
Read more: How to Fix a Noisy Garage Door
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Smyrna Garage Door Repair 