Today, most garage doors are automatic. You will hardly find a neighbor with a manually operated garage door. That belongs to history. And it makes sense. Who wants to strain their backs when the overhead garage door can go up with the click of a button? And this brings us closer to our main point here. The main component of electric garage doors is the opener.
Without the opener, the garage door will simply not be automatic. How does this explain the need to maintain the garage door often? Well, that’s what we are here to talk about and although the necessity of regular electric garage door maintenance is explained in different ways, the main concern is safety.
Garage door maintenance is a must anyway
A typical garage door maintenance service includes several steps. From inspecting the parts to lubricating, testing the garage door balance, and tightening hardware to making all sorts of adjustments. The idea is one: to fix parts so that they will function well. And when parts are lubed and fastened well, they don’t vibrate. And so, the noises are reduced and the parts don’t wear prematurely by rubbing one against the other. The parts which are worn are noticed to be replaced, the tracks are cleaned from debris so that the garage door rollers won’t be stopped, and the overhead door is balanced in order to move safely and close/open all the way. These are all preventive steps. There are garage door repairs done before the problems start giving you headaches.
By maintaining the electric garage door & focusing on the opener, you’ll be safe
Now, the need for maintenance on a regular basis increased with the introduction of the electric garage door. Not that it wasn’t necessary before. Just consider how heavy a garage door is to understand what will happen if it falls. This is actually one of the reasons why garage door opener manufacturers make continuous efforts to improve their products. It was one of the prime reasons why the UL 325 standards became a rule. Today the openers integrate many security and safety features, some of which are optional. But having a prime and secondary safety feature is a must.
Electric garage door openers incorporate a reverse system and photo eyes. The point is to have the overhead door reversed when you stand under it. The point is to have the door stop and go back up should your cat passes under it when it’s closing down. And so the point of garage door opener maintenance is to check these safety systems to be sure they work fine and won’t let an accident happen should the door abruptly descends.
How to check the main garage door opener safety features?
In order to test the photo eyes, you need to activate the overhead garage
door to come down and when it’s mid-way down to pass your leg between the two beams. If all is well, the door must reverse.
To test the reversing mechanism, you need to place a brick or board on the floor and let once more the door to come down. If all is well, the garage door will reverse its direction and go up again the moment it comes in contact with the object.
Why should you maintain electric garage door regularly?
There is no doubt that garage door safety is the prime reason for maintenance but not the only one. Don’t forget that the reverse system runs the show here. If there is a problem with it, the overhead door won’t be able to close down. That’s a security concern. If the motor is damaged or even one of its wires is worn, the door won’t open. And although you can go back to the old tricks and open it manually, why should you? Isn’t it better to enjoy the convenience along with the safety? These are the reasons why maintaining the electric garage door is a must.
