Top 3 Most Serious Garage Door Problems
Your garage door does not only exist to give additional beauty to your home. It also functions to protect you and your property from any danger. Yet, in any machine, problems can possibly happen. There are problems that can be fixed easily and won’t cause much harm to you or anyone. Your garage door might last for a long time; however, the parts of your garage door, those that help it to function well and smoothly are susceptible to damage. Let’s take it to a more serious discussion, making you more knowledgeable of which of these problems have to be addressed promptly and carefully.
Malfunctioned Photo Eye Sensors
The garage door photo eye is a very important device of the opener system. It is a safety device that prevents the garage door from landing into something or someone and could cause serious injury or death.
The photo eyes have two devices; each one has their own role. One eye creates a laser beam and the other one receives the light beam. The two devices work together to detect if there is something in the garage doors’ path when closes.
Garage door photo eyes fail to functions at times due to dirt that blocks the light beam, and when the eyes are not aligned perfectly, it leads them to be unmatched on both sides.
Resolve this problem by cleaning the photo eyes lens with a damp cloth and quickly drying them to avoid dirt or other residues to stick on them.
If cleaning the photo eyes did not fix the problem, check the alignment of the two eyes. The two eyes should be facing perfectly in the same direction and at the same angle. If they are not perfectly aligned, adjust the alignment by loosening the nut on the receiving sensor and moving it around until the LED light stays on steadily. When done, tighten the nut and check whether the eyes function properly or not.
Misaligned or Warped Garage Door Tracks
This is another most alarming garage door problem and it has to be addressed promptly.
The metal track your door runs on must be appropriately aligned for your door to move with ease. Misaligned or warped tracks could lead to more serious situations such as difficulty in operating the door, high repair cost and putting you, your family and your property in an unsecured situation.
Garage door tracks become misaligned due to the gradual wear and tear and some acute accidents like when a vehicle or a large item bumped into your garage door. You would know that your garage door has a problem when;
- A visible gap is present between the rollers and rail or bends in the rails themselves.
- A rubbing noise as the garage door reaches a certain point on the tracks is also an indication that tracks need to be realigned.
To realign the track start by loosening the screws that hold the track in place, then use a rubber mallet to place it back to its suitable position. You can use a level measure to check that the alignment if it is perfectly done. Then, re-tighten the screws, making sure that they are secured and won’t create any issues when in use.
If the remedy you have done did not solve the problem, it is highly advised that you seek a professional to handle the situation. They are equipped with appropriate machines and techniques to realign the tracks.
Broken Garage Door Torsion Spring
Your garage door torsion spring is a crucial component to your door’s opening system. This spring allows your door to be lifted easily. Once a torsion spring is broken, the garage door opener might have difficulty lifting the weight of the door or even worse, impossible to be lifted.
Since it is considered as the small part of your garage door, it is most likely taken for granted. However, this small spring does not last forever and requires replacement. If not, you might wake up in the morning, get into your car, open the garage door and…. BOOM, the door won’t open because the spring is broken.
Your garage door spring breaks due to the wear and tear of the garage door cycle, rust that was built up due to chemical stored in the garage and the outside moisture, and poor maintenance system. Don’t wait for the garage door springs to cause inconvenience or danger. Go through some inspection to see whether it is working properly or needs replacement.
- Check if the cables are broken, disconnected or loose.
- Look for a gap of a few inches in the middle of your torsion spring.
- The top of the garage door is warped.
- The garage door moves fast when shutting.
- The garage door moves indirectly and shaky.
Should I replace my garage door spring by myself? This is a common question for those who like the idea of saving money. But, we strongly advise that you seek a professional in repairing your garage door spring. This kind of job is difficult and dangerous. It has a high level of risk and can potentially injure those who are working on it or working with you. Moreover, doing this job requires proper tools and knowledge to make sure that it is properly fixed and to avoid any further harm.
We are here to serve you!
There might be problems that can be fixed on your own, but there are countless reasons why it is best to leave your garage door repair to the professionals. Let Inland Overhead Door professionals handle your problem. We are equipped with proper tools and knowledge to provide you excellent repair services, making sure that our work would guarantee convenience and safety. Contact us today.