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Today, more and more people are installing garage doors for security, privacy, and convenience. Some even maximize their garage doors to enhance curb appeal and increase home property value.
Furthermore, garage doors can also offer insulation. Insulated garage doors help reduce electric bills if you use the appropriate R-value.
Since a garage door can provide great benefits, you need to give your garage door the best care. One way to show you are is understanding some common garage door issues.
Your garage door opens and closes at least twice a day – one cycle when you leave and another one when you return. With frequent use, you can expect it to experience wear and tear. Some garage door issues are less obvious than others, such as when the garage door isn’t opening properly. So to help you, listed below are some of the garage door problems that you might encounter and how to spot them. This article was written by the professionals at Olympus Garage Door Repair, which is a garage door repair service in Carol Stream, IL.
Broken Garage Door Spring
Probably, one of the first garage door issues you will encounter is a broken garage door spring. A standard garage door spring – may it be a torsion spring or a pair of extension springs – only lasts for about 10,000 cycles. Meanwhile, high-quality springs can last for approximately 30,000 cycles.
A garage door spring experiences great tension since it stretches or contracts to help lift or lower the garage door. Thus, you can expect that it will break at some point.
To detect a broken garage door spring, you can take note of the following:
- The garage door cables are hanging down.
- The garage door moves unevenly.
- There is a loud bang sound after the garage door closes.
- The garage door slightly opens and shuts afterward.
- The garage door refuses to open.
If you have a broken garage door spring, a garage door spring repair is not the solution. Instead, call a garage door technician for a spring replacement.
Loose Cables
A garage door system has two types of garage door cables – lifting cables and emergency cables.
The lifting cables aid the springs, motor, drives, and rollers in lifting and lowering the garage door. Meanwhile, the emergency cable can disengage the automatic opener from the garage door so that you can carry the garage door manually.
Sometimes, the garage door cables can become loose due to a broken garage door spring or off-the-track garage door. It is best to ask for a garage door cable repair to prevent damage to the other garage door parts.
Unresponsive Garage Door Sensors
The garage door sensors are a safety mechanism that triggers the auto-reverse mechanism of the garage door. They prevent the garage door from closing if there is an obstruction under the garage door.
Some states require garage door sensors to protect your children and properties. But sometimes, they refuse to work due to the following reasons:
- Unaligned sensors
- Dirt build-up on sensors’ lens
- No power on sensors
- Wire damage
Before calling a garage door repair service, check first the power and alignment of the sensors.
Then, clean the dirt on the lens whenever necessary.
For wire damage on sensors, only a garage door technician can solve wiring issues, so ask for a garage door repair service.
Opener Remote Not Working
If you have an automatic garage door opener, one can expect that you also have its opener remote device. Instead of a wall-mounted keypad, garage door owners opt for a handheld transmitter. In that way, they don’t have to get out of the car to open or close the garage door.
But if your garage door opener remote is not working, it can be due to the following reasons:
- Dead batteries
- Unplugged garage door opener
- Activated lock switch
- Damaged photo-eye sensor of the opener
- Tripped circuit breaker
Before calling a garage door repair service, try changing the batteries first, or make sure to plug in the garage door opener. Also, turn off the lock switch.
For a damaged photo-eye sensor or tripped circuit breaker, it is time to call a garage door repair near you.
Conclusion
Over time, garage doors experience the effect of wear and tear. But some garage door issues are not always visible. Thus, it is vital to know some garage door problems and how to detect them.
If you encounter one of the garage door issues mentioned above, it may be best to ask for a garage door repair. That way, you can guarantee that your garage door receives the best treatment to maintain its condition and appeal.