Troubleshooting a Broken Garage Door Opener This Winter

When it’s cold outside, the frigid temperatures can wreak havoc on some of your outdoor mechanisms. Machinery and gadgets that normally work just fine suddenly stop working for no apparent reason. As a garage door company in Forest Lake, we are often called on in the winter to fix broken garage door openers. So here are a few ways you can troubleshoot the problem and try to fix it on your own before calling us. And if these do not work, do not hesitate to call us for help!

Our first suggestion is the most obvious, but it’s also often overlooked: check the batteries in your garage door opener to make sure they are still working. Old batteries can weaken the garage door opener signal.

If the batteries are fresh and that’s not the problem, you should then take a few minutes to disconnect your garage door opener. Make sure your garage door is down and disconnect the opener. Then try to manually open the door. Take note of any spots where the door might be sticking on its way up. If it’s sticking anywhere, that could be a sign of grease build-up. Cleaning this can be a simple process, but if you are unsure, call a trusted garage door company like us.

If there were no spots where the door got stuck, reconnect the opener. Take a closer look at the garage door springs. If you notice that one is broken, you should call our garage door company as soon as possible. This is not a do-it-yourself fix. Broken garage door springs are a safety hazard, so call us as soon as possible when you notice they are a problem.

You should also inspect the entire garage door and all of its parts. So take a look at the tracks and make sure there are no obstructions. Look at all of the rollers, hinges and other moving parts too. They should all be moving freely. If not, call our garage door company and set up an appointment as soon as possible.

Do you need more information on our garage door company serving Forest Lake and the surrounding areas? Call Premium Garage Door Service at 651-344-0489 or Request Service.

Types of Garage Door Openers

There are several different types of garage door openers on the market these days, and they all have their functions and benefits. As a garage door company serving Hugo and the surrounding areas, we are often asked about the different kinds of openers and which ones are the best. Here are a few tidbits about openers and how to choose the best one for your garage.

                       

Belt-drive

The belt-drive garage door opener system is very popular and is increasing in popularity. This is mostly because it is so quiet and smooth when it operates. If you are worried about the noise of a garage door opening and closing, this is the opener for you. It works on garage doors of all shapes and sizes, even heavy ones. While these are the more expensive ones on the market today, it’s worth it for how quietly this one works!

Screw-drive

This type of garage door opener uses a lifting mechanism that moves along a threaded steel rod. While the rods are very powerful, do not worry! These garage door openers do not require a lot of maintenance or repair work because they have the fewest moving parts, plus they are very easy to install.

Chain-drive

This type of garage door opener uses a metal chain to lift and lower the garage door. They are the most common type of opener and if you have a garage door company install an opener for you, this is what they might be most likely to recommend for you.

If you are worried about the safety of garage door openers, let our garage door company reassure you with a few facts. Since 1993, the law has required that all garage door openers have a safety mechanism that stops and reverses a closing garage door if it senses an object moving underneath of it.

Are you interested in learning more about our garage door company serving Hugo and the surrounding areas? Call Premium Garage Door Service at 651-344-0489 or Request Service.