Optimizing Your Garage Door Opener's Performance

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Virtually all residential garage doors are automated. Modern openers are made to be reliable and durable. They become ever more advanced as well. This, however, does not mean that they do not require care on the part of the owner. With a few basic measures, you can have an excellently operating electric operator at all times.

Great Results with Little Effort

The travel limits of the garage door opener require adjustment when the device is first installed. They should be reset if the weight of the door increases or decreases. This can happen with the addition and removal of insulating panels. Similarly, if the door starts hitting the floor or hanging slightly above it, the limits should be changed. If this does not help, torsion spring has to be balanced.

All components of the opener system require cleaning. The motor unit and the safety sensors should be cleaned with dry or slightly damp cloth. Use a bit of alcohol to remove dirt and marks from all remote controls currently in use. You can use mild solvent to remove sticky dirty from the rail and from the metal drive which it houses no matter whether it is a chain or screw.

After cleaning, you need to lubricate the drive. It is best to use lubricant which is especially designed for chain and screw drive garage door openers. Apply it evenly along the length of the moving component. Let the operator run one or two cycles to ensure that the lubricant is properly spread. With cleaning and lubrication done twice a year, you will enjoy the quietest and smoothest possible performance from your opener.

As part of the maintenance work, you should also inspect the opener system for physical damage. Check the garage door rail and drive for scratches, bending, component misalignment and other types of damage. The sensors must not have any deep scratches or cracks. They should face each other precisely. All cables must be in good condition. Watch out for fraying, bending and minor cuts.

If you notice any problems, you should opt for timely repair. This is important since a minor issue can cause greater trouble over time if it is not dealt with. While newer openers have automatic shut-off function which is triggered when a component fails, many older ones do not.