When the garage door is working properly, you will be happy. However, there are many cases and conditions that might interfere the smooth flow of the garage door. It might not close properly or even cannot be lifted properly. Before you call for a repairman, try to locate the problems by yourself and fix them if you can. Do you accept the challenge?
Read also: REASONS WHY GARAGE DOOR REMOTE NOT WORKING
1. Clean the Track
A well-installed garage door equipment makes you happy and often forget to do the minimum maintenance. Considering that the garage might be opened and closed several times a day, then how thick the dusts that stick on the track and trail? Moreover, the hinges and rollers might need some lubricant as well. When you notice the early sign of garage door, check the cleanliness first.
First, you need to clean the track. The best tool to clean a rack covered in dust is a wet towel. Make sure to give a good squeeze before you wipe the track. Make sure to go through every corner and surfaces. Rinse the towel with water and repeat the process until the track is shining clean. For the track, try to sweep the dusts or micro pebbles stuck on it.
If the track is still dirty, then you need to use commercial cleaner. It will help to remove the hard grease and other debris left. After you have clean track, use lubricants on its surface and also on the hinges.
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2. Drill the Screw
Another reason for the trouble on garage door is the screw. Remember when the equipment is assembled? There are plenty of screw drilled into the walls. The screws secure the equipment to the proper place. Check them first and see whether some of them are loose. There should be no gap between the wall, the brackets and the screws.
Do the checking on each bracket, starting from the track installment in the garage. Look if any of the screw that holds the track is loose. When you see one, tighten it immediately. It is recommended not to use hands. Take proper equipment with you so the job could be done perfectly. For some cracks where the damage is serious, try to insert a scrap wood to hold the screw better.
Then, take a look on the garage door. On the sides, there are some plates attached to the wall. It should be in a good shape. See if you need to replace any hinges or drill new holes for the lock.
3. Check the Door Level
When is the last time you check the level of your garage door? Do not wait until the tilted door becomes so obvious that anyone could see it. A door with good balance should be opening and closing with minimum amount of force from the motor. Slightly tilted door would provide extra weigh to the motor while pulling up and pushing down. As the result, the motor will be broken quickly.
The first place to check the door level is the track. Since door is attached to the track, it will fit into the tilted setting. If you install horizontal track, it should be bending towards the back side of the garage. Those who own roll up door should have straight vertical line.
To check the levelness of the track, you will need a helping tool. It is not enough to measure it by looking at the line only. Bare eyes cannot accurately point which part that should be raised or lowered down.
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4. Melt the Ice
Even though most problems with garage door are related to the installed parts, weather could bring a problem as well. You might have experienced it during the coldest day in winter. There is ice stuck in the small gap under the door. The moment you press the control key, you know that the ice’s grip is too strong. Forcing the motor to crack the ice won’t bring a good result.
The old trick still works on this case: warm up the ice until you could move the door. The tools to melt the ice are hair dryer and heat gun. Use one of them only. Turn on the tool and put it in front of the frozen parts. Wait until the ice melts, dripping to the floor. Tidy up the tool and put it back in its place. Don’t forget to wipe the water to prevent another frosting.
If the electric socket is too far from the garage door, use de-icing products instead. Make sure to put these products nearby so you could grab it immediately. Running out of de-icing item? Grab the shovel and carefully prick the ice between the floor and track.
5. Replace the Power Cable
You just walk around the garage door installation. There is nothing wrong with the hinge, screws and the level. However, the door won’t budge. In this case, you should focus on the power cable. As long as you plug the cable, the system must be working. Otherwise, some parts of it might have burnt out. It often happens when the motor is working too hard or because of the old age.
It is easy to spot a broken power cable. The other electric tools and any lights in the installation won’t be blinking at all. This is the clear sign that you need a new set of power cable. This is not something that you could fix manually. Call the nearby serviceman to help you with the installation.
6. Adjust the Limit Switch
The garage door is working, but it cannot reach the bottom part. Thus, the door is slightly opened. This is another problem to solve. Usually, the garage door system comes with close-limit switch; the safe distance that will allow the people to escape. The setting could be altered, so you need to check this setting.
If there is nothing wrong with the setting, then there might be some obstruction in the track. Automatic system could detect it and command the door to stop closing or opening. If these are not the problem, then the hinges in the motor might need some lubricant.
