Maintenance Tips

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Testing and Maintaining the Garage Door Opener

There are routine safety and maintenance steps that you should follow once a month. Review your owner’s manual for the door opener. If you do not have an owner’s manual, look for the opener model number on the back of the power unit and request a manual from the manufacturer.

Routine Maintenance Can Prevent Tragedies
Take a few minutes to inspect and test your complete garage door system. Make monthly inspection and testing a part of your regular routine. Safety is everyone’s business. Make garage door and garage door opener safety automatic in your home.

 Monthly Maintenance Checklist

Garage Door Opener

• Reversal Test
• Force Setting Test
• Additional Safety Devices

Garage Door

• Visual Inspection- Springs, Rollers, Pulleys, Cables and Track
• Lubrication
• Door Balance

Reversal Test
Make sure your opener has a reversing feature. If a reversing feature is not present, it should be replaced. Garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993 are required by federal law to have advanced safety features which comply with the latest U.L. 325 standards. Test the reversing feature every month.

• First, test the balance of the door (see bottom of page). If the door is properly balanced, then proceed.
• With the door fully open, place a 1½” thick piece of wood (a 2”x4” laid flat) on the floor in the center of the door.
• Push the transmitter or wall button to close the door. The door must reverse when it strikes the wood. (Note that the bottom part of “one piece doors” must be rigid so that the door will not close without reversing.)
• If the door does not reverse, have it repaired or replaced. Have a qualified individual adjust, repair or replace the opener or door.
  

Visual Inspection
Look at the garage door springs, cables, brackets, and other door hardware for signs of wear. If you suspect problems, have a qualified person make repairs.

Warning – Springs are under high tension. Only qualified persons should adjust them
Garage door springs, cables, brackets, and other hardware attached to the springs, are under very high tension and, if handled improperly, can cause serious injury. Only a qualified professional or a mechanically experienced person carefully following the manufacturer’s instructions should adjust them. A professional should only adjust the torsion springs above the door. Do not attempt to repair or adjust the torsion springs yourself.

Never remove, adjust or loosen the screw on the bottom brackets of the door. These brackets are connected to the spring by the lift cable and are under extreme tension.  

Lubrication
Regularly lubricate the moving parts of the door. However, do not lubricate plastic parts such as plastic rollers and plastic idler bearings. Use silicon or Teflon spray on door rollers and hinges. Use white grease (Low temperature grease) on the opener rail. It is not necessary to lubricate chains (on openers) or door springs, unless they are making noise.

Door Balance
Periodically test the balance of your door.

• Start with the door closed.
• If you have a garage door opener, use the release mechanism so you can operate the door by hand when doing this test.
• You should be able to lift the door smoothly and with little resistance. It should stay open around three or four feet above the floor. If it does not, it is out of adjustment. Have it adjusted by a qualified service person.

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