How to Maintain Your Garage Door Opener Set Up

A garage door’s main (and often sole) function is to give immediate and ‘on-demand’ access to its owners. A garage door is a rugged piece of equipment that has been built and then installed to stand up to constant use over an extended period of time (We are talking years and years!). However, like all things that are used frequently, they do require periodical maintenance and a simple, yet thorough service care plan. 

One of the main recipients of these service plans is the opening system that all garages rely upon, whether it is manual or automatic. This article has been written to help you not only troubleshoot minor problems that can arise with your garage door opening system but also highlight basic care and maintenance issues that you can easily do yourself, which could save you some money down the line. Are you ready? Great, let’s dive right in with our first quick tip...

Do Your Limit Screws Need Adjusting?

Have you checked your Limit screws recently? Limit screws that aren’t working properly can affect how your garage door opens. If your door isn't opening fully this is one of the first things you should check out. Simply unplug the opening mechanism box and locate the up-limit adjustment screw on the power unit (usually labeled). Adjust slightly by turning the screw clockwise. Plug the opener back in and then run the system through an open and close cycle. If the door still isn’t fully opening simply go back and adjust a little more. 

Check For Sagging Chains

Checking the tension of your garage chain is pretty straight forward and can be done visually. If your chain is sagging more than ½ inch below the rail then it could bang against the rail and cause problems by straining the drive sprocket. To fix any sag, just get yourself a pair of wrenches and locate the chain nuts (These are found on the turnbuckle). Check your manufacturer's manual first, but generally speaking, you will want to tighten the chain until it rests ¼ to ½ inch above the rail base.  

Safety Door Reverse Sensor Checks

We have mentioned garage door sensor checks in blogs before. They are the simplest of checks and can really shed light on many easy to fix problems. For those just learning; the reverse sensors are the two devices that emit tiny light beams near the bottom of your garage door. If something breaks or blocks that beam of light between them while the door is closing they will automatically change direction and open the door - All in the name of safety.  

It is extremely common for these sensors to become misaligned. You should make a habit of checking frequently and should you find them out of alignment adjust accordingly. 

Clean and Lubricate The Drive Chain

This one is simple too. Firstly, you should always check how your garage door chain looks and is running (remember the sagging chain problem we just covered?). Look out for any rust or dust/debris that seems to be collecting in certain parts of the chain. Also, be aware of how the chain behaves when opening and closing the door. Is it running smoothly? Jarring? Jolting? 

Regular cleaning and lubricating of the chain should solve any issue you may encounter, and most importantly usually stop anything from becoming more than a minor, easily fixable issue. We recommend at least once or twice a year that you clean the chain with a light penetrating oil as this will help get rid of the dirt, grit, and debris that could begin building up over time. This oil also keeps the chain well lubricated and running smoothly in tandem with the other parts of your garage door opening system.

A Professional Garage Service Can Help

While all the above tips are pretty easy to do yourself, they do require a little time and concentration to get right. Maybe you don’t want to spend that time on your garage door or you want to have complete peace of mind that everything is being serviced 100% correctly. 

This is when you should give us a call at Pena. We offer professionally trained and friendly technicians who will arrive punctually at a time agreed upon with you. They can thoroughly service your garage door and opening system noting all adjustments and issues, no matter how small. You will never have to worry about maintaining your garage door again. 

Give our friendly team a call on 1-800-960-7362 today and get your garage opening system in tip-top shape once again.