So you’ve decided to DIY your garage door opener, I applaud you for making the right choice! You are not only saving money on calling someone to set it up or troubleshoot it for you, it also pays to know how your stuff works. DIY can be tedious especially when you’re always busy or don’t have enough time but trust me, doing a little DIY never hurts. Provided you follow the detailed instructions on the manual.
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That should help you simply setup your garage door opener but let’s say something went wrong with your garage door. Don’t be too quick to do a costly service call! You can definitely DIY and get your garage door working again in no time!
Here are some basic repair and troubleshooting guides for you to try before you shell out a lot of money:
1. Check your door first.
- With the door closed, pull the emergency release cord and lift the door. Try to see if it opens and closes smoothly. If it doesn’t, the problem is with your tracks, rollers or springs and not your opener.
2. Always play it safe.
- Always work with the door down. If the problem is a broken door spring and you pull the emergency release cord while the door is in the raised position, the door could come crashing down on you. You need to unplug the opener so that way you won’t lose a finger or get electrocuted when someone tries to use the remote button while you’re working.
3. Problem: The remote works but the wall switch doesn’t
Solution: Replace the wall switch and wires
- If the remote works but the wall switch doesn’t, you may need to replace either the wall switch or the switch wires.to determine whether the switch or the wires are bad, first unscrew the switch from the wall and touch the two wires together. Don’t worry, they’re low voltage and it won’t shock you. If the opener runs, you have a bad switch. If you have an older-model opener, a cheap doorbell button might work. If you have a newer opener that has a light and a locking option on the switch, buy the one designed for your model and a new one should cost you about $15. If the opener doesn’t run when you touch the wires at the opener, use a small wire and jump those same two wires at the opener terminal. If the opener runs, the wire that connects the opener to the switch is bad. Sometimes the staples that hold the wire to the wall pinch the wire, causing a short so make sure to install 18- to 22-gauge wire.
4. Problem: The wall switch works but the remote doesn’t
Solution: Replace batteries or buy a new universal remote or receiver
- If the wall switch works but one of the remotes doesn’t, make sure to check the batteries first. If it still doesn’t work, you may need a new remote. Most home centers carry some models but you can find a wider selection online. If you can’t find the specific model of your remote, you can try a universal remote or you can install a new receiver. A receiver replaces the radio frequency the opener uses with its own. An added bonus of a new receiver is that it will automatically update older openers to the new rolling code technology, which stops the bad guys from stealing your code. Just plug the new receiver into an outlet close to the opener, and run the two wires provided to the same terminals the wall switch is connected to.
5. Problem: The door goes up but it only goes down when you hold down the wall switch
Solution: Align or replace the safety sensor
- If the door goes up but it only goes down only when you hold down the wall switch, make sure to check and see that the safety sensors are in alignment. The small light on each sensor should be lit up when nothing is between them so if no light is showing at all, you may need to replace them. You can save yourself some time by using the existing wires. Also, direct sunlight shining on sensor eyes can make them misbehave.
6. Problem: You have power in your outlet but there’s no sound or no lights when you push the wall switch and remotes
Solution: Replace the circuit board
- If you have power in your outlet but there’s no sound or no lights when you push the wall switch and remotes, you probably have a bad circuit board. Lightning strike is the most common reason why your circuit board is fried. The circuit board consists of the entire plastic housing that holds the light bulb and wire terminals. Replacing a circuit board may sound scary but it’s really quite easy. It will take you about 10 minutes and requires a ¼” nut driver. Just make sure to follow these steps:
- Remove the light cover
- Take out the light bulb
- Disconnect the safety switch and sensor safety wires
- Remove a few screws
- Unplug the board
And you’re done! It’s quick and easy, right? A new circuit board will set you back around $80 so make sure you protect your new circuit board with a surge protector. You can buy a surge protector at any home center for less than $10.
7. Problem: Everything else works fine except the lights
Solution: Replace the light socket
- If the bulbs are fine but they don’t light up, you probably have a bad light socket. To replace the socket, you need to remove the circuit board but you already know now, right? Just use the same steps that I just showed you (above). Once the circuit board is removed, take out the old socket by depressing the clip that holds it in place. Remove the two wire connections and install the new socket. New sockets cost less than $15. Just be sure to use a bulb of the correct wattage or your socket will fry and it can be a fire hazard. If your light cover has turned yellow from heat, you’re probably using a bulb that has a higher wattage.
8. Problem: The trolley carriage moves but the door doesn’t open
Solution: Replace the trolley carriage
- No, not the trolley at the supermarket. If your trolley carriage moves but the door doesn’t open, the culprit is probably a broken trolley carriage. By the way, before you pull out the old one, make sure to clamp down the chain to the rail. This will help maintain the location of the chain on the sprocket and speed up reassembly. Once the chain is secure, separate it from both sides of the trolley. Disconnect the rail from the header bracket and move the rail off to one side. Slide off the old trolley, and slide on the new one. Reattach the chain and adjust the chain tension. Depending on the model of your trolley, a replacement one will probably cost you around $25 to $40.
9. Problem: The opener makes a grinding noise but the door doesn’t move
Solution: Replace the main gear drive
Yes, your main gear drive is toast! The main gear drive is the most common component to fail on most openers.There are several components that need to be removed before getting at the gear. Here’s how:
- Remove the chain
- Use a ¼” drive socket, extension and ratchet to remove the helical gear assembly retaining screws
- Remove the helical gear from the shaft
- Remove the retaining collar and thrust washers on the end of the motor shaft
Once all of these are removed, you can get your main gear out. It sounds complicated but it’s really not. Once you get the gear out, you can remove it from the shaft with a punch or you can buy a kit that comes with a new shaft. Just make sure to lube everything up when you’re done. The gear alone should cost you less than $20 but a complete kit that comes with a shaft will cost you around or closer to $40.
10. Lube the rail
- No matter what type of garage door opener you have, you should always lube the rail where it comes in contact with the trolley carriage. Use a lubricant that doesn’t attract dirt. Silicone spray is a good choice. If you own a screw-drive opener, you need to grease several spots along the rail gear at least once or twice a year. In much more colder climates, use lithium grease. It won’t harden when the temperature drops. Many home centers carry or sell specifically formulated products for all types of openers.
11. Check the chain tension
This is very important! Over tightening the chain will put excess wear and tear on the shaft and gears andtoo little tension could cause the chain to skip off the sprocket and fall down on your car. To prevent accidents, most chain drive openers suggest you tighten the chain so that there’s about ¼” to ½” of slack from the rail to the chain or better yet, just to be sure, double check your manual.
12. Adjust the travel of the door
There are two knobs on the opener that control how far the door travels up and down. Your door should press snugly against the garage floor so the weather stripping seals the gap. If the door travels too far down, it will cause the rail to bow upward and this also causes excess wear and tear on the shaft and gears.Your door should travel up far enough so that the bottom of the door is just about the same height as the doorjamb. There is a door stop that prevents the carriage trolley from crashing into the opener and make sure the trolley stops before hitting this bolt.
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It wasn’t that bad, right? So before you reach out to that costly service call, do a little DIY first and follow the instructions and manuals so you will get it right the first time.
Top Book Authors Q & A: How Important Is to Have a Good Garage Door Security in Your Home this Year 2017? (random order)
Question: How Important Is to Have a Good Garage Door Security in Your Home this Year 2017?
Answer: I think it’s an essential part of home security. We have a numeric code that allows entry/exit into ours, and we change it often. We always make sure the door is not compromised anywhere so no one is allowed entry except with our remote controls or the digit code (which only is given out to immediate family). It’s definitely a worthwhile investment to ensure a safe home for the new year.
Question: How Important Is to Have a Good Garage Door Security in Your Home this Year 2017?
Answer: Storage is at a premium at my house. Instead of paying extra money for a storage unit, we use our garage as the family storage facility. My SUV sits out in the open, but our paper products, Christmas decorations, small appliances, bikes, sporting equipment, lawn and office supplies–just to name a few–are safe because we have a quality garage door keeping our possessions secure and money in my pocket.
Question: How Important Is to Have a Good Garage Door Security in Your Home this Year 2017?
Answer: It’s really important to have a good garage door security in your home in 2017. Consider the dangers that lurk just outside your home, deer, mountain lions, raccoons, and misguided pizza delivery men. You can take a chance like picking keno numbers in Las Vegas, or you can be secure knowing your holiday bundt cake and rare baseball card collection are safe. Be vigilant, be proactive and invest in a garage door security system. Protect those forgotten items in your garage that you haven’t used in three years.
Question: How Important Is to Have a Good Garage Door Security in Your Home this Year 2017?
Answer: The garage is one of the biggest home security vulnerable areas. Everything from cars and tools which appeal to a burglar is stored in the garage. Once a thief makes it into your garage, they get easier access to the rest of your home and the rest of valuables in 2017. Install security system and motion detectors and lighting. Secure doors and windows. Don’t leave keys to your home in the car. Most importantly, don’t announce to the world on Social media that you are on holiday and don’t share holiday pictures until you get back.
Question: How Important Is to Have a Good Garage Door Security in Your Home this Year 2017?
Answer: Welcome to 2017. Today you can dim your lights with a voice command. You can unlock your front door with your phone. “Not me,” you say. “I haven’t hooked any of those gadgets up to my house!” Good point. You can’t hack a good old deadbolt with computer. But what about your garage door? While doing research for a techno-thriller I learned an interesting fact about garage doors. A few years back there was some cross-over between the frequencies used by a group of military aircraft practicing electronic countermeasure missions and a major garage door opener brand. As a result, garage doors near the base were going up and down at random as the aircraft flew over. Good times. The question I’m trying to ask, here, is how secure is your garage door opener? Can any kid with the right frequency hopper get it to swing up? Once the door is up, what kind of barriers stand between an intruder and the rest of your home? These things are definitely food for thought. Especially now, in the digital age.
Question: How Important Is to Have a Good Garage Door Security in Your Home this Year 2017?
Answer: An electric garage door was a gift our sons bought us over twenty years ago, which has given us that many years of uninterrupted peace of mind and convenience. We never worry about forgetting a key and being left out in the cold because the keypad affixed to the outside frame of our garage door is readily accessible. Our children and grandkids know the combination, a convenience for all of us for quick, keyless entry. And on those cold, blustery days, how we love to be able to use the remote to drive into the garage while staying toasty warm inside our car.
Question: How Important Is to Have a Good Garage Door Security in Your Home this Year 2017?
Answer: On the whole, we are a caring people. We care for our families, our possessions, our position in the workplace. On the whole, we protect the things we care about. We wear sun glasses and sunscreen, we take vitamins and try to eat right. We follow maintenance plans for our cars and appliances, and upgrade our phones, tablets and computers systematically. We lock our doors to insure privacy and protection. So, let me ask you this. After a full day of finely tuned keeping and caring of all that is important to us, would you go to bed and leave the garage open all night? A solid functioning garage door system just seems like icing on the cake.
Question: How Important Is to Have a Good Garage Door Security in Your Home this Year 2017?
Answer: I do have a garage door with a functioning opener, and it’s important that the door stays closed to keep out mice and thieves, and that it doesn’t fall down, which can be dangerous.
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Good reads:
- DIY: How to Open Your Garage Door When the Power Goes Out [Infograhpic]
- The One Man Show Newbie Complete Guide on How to Personally Troubleshoot Your Problematic Garage Door Opener
- A Complete Guide about Garage Door Remotes – Everything That You Should Know
The post From Garage Door Opener Set Up to Basic Repair and Troubleshooting Guide [Infographic] Plus Security Tips From Top Book Authors appeared first on A Click Away Remotes.
source http://blog.aclickawayremotes.com/garage-door-opener-troubleshooting-repair-setup
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