Month: May 2023

While garage doors are designed to work reliably for up to 20 years, they sometimes experience operational problems that require repair. These issues can be both inconvenient and dangerous, so it’s important to address them quickly.

Listen for unusual sounds while using your door, such as squeaking, clunking and grinding. These noises can indicate that your garage door needs maintenance or repairs.

Safety Sensors

These little sensors (technically known as photoelectric eyes) are what prevents the door from closing if there’s anything in its path. Federal law requires that every automated Garage Door Service in Dallas TX come equipped with these safety devices.

They’re easy to install, relatively inexpensive, and make your home and family safer. Unfortunately, like any other technology, they can get knocked out of alignment and stop working.

Thankfully, there are some easy things you can do to troubleshoot these problems and get them back up and running!

First, shut off the power to your garage door system. Always be sure to disconnect the power before touching any wires or moving anything near the sensors.

Once the power is shut off, check the LED lights on each sensor. A steady green light means the sensor is switched on, but a flashing red light indicates that it’s not in communication with its counterpart.

Sensors come in pairs, and they are installed on each side of the garage door just above the ground and no higher than 6 inches from the floor to protect pets or children from getting hit by the closing door. The sensors are designed to ‘see’ each other by emitting an invisible infrared beam. If the sensors sense that their ‘line of sight’ is being interrupted by an object such as a car, a child or even a bicycle, they will stop closing and reverse their action.

If the sensors are still not communicating properly, the most common culprit is dirt or dust on the lens of the sensor. The lenses should be kept free from any obstructions, and you can easily clean them by gently brushing them off with a damp cloth. Another common problem is direct sunlight hitting one of the sensors, which can cause them to overheat and malfunction. This can be a problem during certain times of the year, but you can easily fix this by placing a box in front of the sensors. This will shade the sensor, allowing it to function normally. If your sensors are still not functioning after these troubleshooting tips, we strongly recommend that you contact a professional for help.

Broken Springs

Many homeowners are surprised to find that their garage door springs break on a regular basis. These springs are under extreme tension and if they break, the entire system can fall apart quickly. Broken garage door springs should always be repaired by a professional, so you don’t end up with a garage door that is unsafe to use.

The most common reason for a garage door spring to break is simply wear and tear over time. Most garage doors go up and down 6 to 8 times a day, which can put a lot of strain on the springs. This can also shorten the lifespan of the springs, which is why you need to check them regularly for signs of wear.

A simple way to test the function of your garage door springs is to lift the door halfway and let it go down all the way. If the door sags and falls to one side, this is a sign that the springs are wearing out and need to be replaced.

There are two main types of garage door springs: extension and torsion. Both have their own unique issues, but in general the best thing you can do to keep your springs healthy is to spray them down with a lubricant several times a year. This will help to reduce the friction that is generated by the coils moving back and forth with every opening and closing of your garage door.

If you have an extension spring, the most common sign of a broken spring is seeing a gap in the coils or noticing that they have a stretched out appearance. If you have a torsion spring, you’ll know when it breaks because of the loud bang that is heard in your home.

Replacing a garage door spring is dangerous and should always be done by a professional. Attempting to replace your own spring can cause severe injury if you are not careful. It is also a very complicated job, so even if you feel confident that you can replace the springs yourself, it’s probably much safer to call a professional in East Bay, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Marin County to do the work for you.

Broken Cables

The garage door’s cables perform a crucial function every time the door opens or closes. They help to balance and stabilize the heavy door while moving. Each cable is under a lot of stress as it moves over a system of pulleys or winds around a cable drum. Over time, this can cause them to become worn or frayed. If this happens, it may cause the garage door to move unevenly. If you notice your garage door moving crooked or shaky, it’s likely because one of the cables has snapped.

It’s important to recognize signs of broken cables so you can schedule repairs. If your garage door’s sensors detect a broken cable, they will trigger safety features, keeping the doors from moving until you call for repairs. If the broken cable is located near the motor, it will also stop the door from opening or closing.

A broken cable can also cause the remaining one to become under a lot of stress and strain. When it does, it can snap, causing the garage door to crash down to the ground or get stuck halfway open. This can lead to serious injury or even death.

To prevent this from happening, you can install a second cable. You can buy these online or at a home improvement store. It’s best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to attach it correctly. To do this, make sure the new cable is a perfect match for the old one. It should be the same diameter and length. It should also be free of kinks and rust.

Before replacing the broken cable, make sure the door is fully open and secure by either securing it with vice grips or placing a ladder or scaffolding under it. Then, you can safely remove the old cable by removing the pin that holds it to the track. Once the other end is loose, you can unwind it from the drum and unwrap it. Afterwards, you can affix the new cable to the drum following the manufacturer’s instructions and ravel it.

Broken Tracks

Your garage door relies on rollers that navigate along the tracks as the door lifts and lowers. If these rollers begin to snag or fall off of the track, it’s time to call for repair service. This is a dangerous job for anyone to attempt on their own, and should be left to professional technicians who have the right equipment and skills to properly repair your door.

Several things can cause your garage door to become off-track, including collisions with vehicles or heavy objects. The tracks can also become bent or misaligned for various reasons. A trained ProperShop technician can determine if your tracks need to be repaired or replaced, and then help you decide on the best course of action.

A garage door’s track can be damaged from direct impact with vehicles or objects, or it can be caused by friction between the rollers and the tracks. This kind of damage is typically easy to spot, but it may be difficult to diagnose and fix on your own. A trained garage door technician can inspect the track and the other components of your garage door, and can determine whether you need to repair or replace the tracks in order for the garage door to operate properly again.

Sometimes, your garage door will become off-track because the tracks have gotten bent or warped. This can happen due to the use of improper installation techniques, which allows the tracks to bend and warp under the weight of a moving garage door. Over time this can cause the tracks to no longer be parallel to each other, which means that the rollers will have a harder time moving through them and they could even start to come off of the track altogether.

You can recognize that your tracks are bowed or damaged by the fact that you may see a hitch every time you open or close your garage door. This is an indication that the tracks are not aligned correctly and should be fixed immediately before they cause more damage to your door or your belongings inside of it.