garage door opener gets stuck in cold weather
Why Doesn’t my Garage Door Open in the Cold? Temperatures drop, but your garage door doesn’t work. Or it’s a cold morning, you’re trying to get to work, but your garage door won’t open. Several problems could be causing your garage door to stick in the cold. Most you can fix yourself, though more significant problems require a repair professional. Start by troubleshooting what the problem is: While your garage door is in the down position, disconnect the opener and try to raise the door manually. Check for spots where it sticks. This may show a grease buildup. Check for broken springs. If your garage door feels heavy to lift manually, you likely have a broken spring. You’ll need a garage door repair professional for this problem. If the door raises and lowers by hand easily, the opener’s force settings may need to be adjusted. Problem #1: Metal contracts Metal contracts in the cold weather, so the springs and other metal pieces can seize up.
If this is the problem, simply apply lubricant. Lubricate the springs, hinges, rollers and other moving parts. We suggest using a silicone-based lubricant. Problem #2: Hardened grease The grease hardens in colder weather. First remove the old grease using a grease solvent. Use a small brush, such a firm bristle toothbrush, to work into cracks. Wipe away solvent, and apply a silicone-based lubricant to the moving parts. Problem #3: Wear or misalignment, warped tracks The rollers can become worn down or misaligned in the tracks. Also, the tracks can become warped due to extreme temperatures or damage. You will need to call a garage door repair professional for either problem. Problem #4: Broken Springs Most garage door systems include a spring system which helps balance the weight of the door. Eventually, these springs will reach their lifecycle and break. This more often then not will occur in the winter months. A repair of this nature should be performed by trained professionals only.
Prevent your garage door from winter issues: Apply a spray solvent to rollers, hinges, roller tracks, hinges, and latches. Lubricate the pulleys or the bearings.If any rollers or hinges seem stuck, soak them in a solvent, using a stiff brush to clean the cracks. Apply a silicone-based lubricant to the springs, screw drive, shuttle, roller bearings and torsion bar bearings. Sign up for a Planned Maintenance Program! Garage Doors, Home Garage Doors, Maintenance, Repairs, Tips & Tricks Overhead Door Company of Washington, DC Serving Washington DC & Suburban Maryland 151 Schooner Lane, Suite 27 Prince Frederick, MD 20678 8641 Virginia Meadows Drive Overhead Door Company of Central Virginia Serving the greater Richmond VA area Overhead Door Company of Harrisburg-York Serving the greater metropolitan Harrisburg PA area Serving the greater Hanover-York PA areaThe cold weather season is the worst time of year for garage door failure.
Boxes, lawn equipment, random items that may have fallen from the back of the car – if it’s in the way, your door will not close.
front door paint colours dulux While you’re checking your sensor’s line of vision for possible obstructions, take a closer look at the sensors themselves. Are the lenses fogged? Sometimes in cold weather, these lenses develop a fine film of condensation that will break the connection between the two sensors, and keep your garage door from closing. Wipe them very gently, with a soft cloth, to avoid upsetting the calibration. Chilly weather, typically below 35 degrees, can cause the oil that lubricates the motor and allows the door to travel smoothly within the track to thicken. At times, you might need to have the “down force” setting adjusted on your motor to have the garage door completely close to the floor. When in doubt, it is always a good idea to place your garage door in manual mode by pulling the red cord and test that the door functions smoothly.
If the door feels heavy to lift, you may be dealing with a broken spring. This repair should only be performed by trained professionals. Before you make any adjustments to your garage door system, you should always consult the owner’s manual. Your system may have particular issues that need special attention. When in doubt, call a specialized garage door repairman to do the job. Garage Doors, Tips & Tricks Sign up or log in to customize your list. Here's how it works: Anybody can ask a question The best answers are voted up and rise to the top My garage door and opener work reasonably well most of the time -- hot weather or cold. Sometimes when it rains, though, the door "catches" a little bit, at about 2 feet from the ground, and it is enough to cause the opener to stop and re-raise the door. If I stand next to the door and pull down while it is closing, it will close successfully. I can't seem to identify the source of the problem, and am asking for any general tips as to what I might look for or try in order to improve the situation.
Most garage door openers have a feature that when they encounter too much resistance, they will reverse. This is to prevent the door from trapping/crushing something that didn't get out of the way (a car, person, or your dog). It sounds like the door isn't jamming completely, but it is just "rough" in one spot of the travel, which kicks the the opener into reverse. Do you have the option of shutting the door manually? In my garage, there is a latch that lets me disconnect the door from the opener, which allows me to slide it up and down by hand. Try opening/shutting the door hand and see if it feels "tight" at the point where the opener would reverse. If you can identify a spot where this happens, you have something off in your door/track. If not, something is wrong with the garage door opener. If it is the opener, some things to look at: Some openers require periodic lubrication of the screw drive mechanism (not the door track). the manual for it and see if there
are any reccomendations for greasingThere may also be crud in it, preventing a smooth travel. The electronics inside the opener that detect a jam may beIf so, good luck One other things to note: Did it suddenly get cold out? Thermal expansion properties of the door and track can trigger problems. My garage door had the same issue sometimes. There are a couple things to look at: 1) Make sure the track is still aligned properly. The brackets that attach the track to the door frame sometimes come loose, and then there is too much friction on the door casters. 2) Check the bracket that attaches the wheels to the garage door. One of the bolts on mine came out and it angled, which made the wheel angle in the door track. I had this exact thing happen, and here is what was wrong: The track for the door, near the floor, was too close to the wall, so that when it closed, the door got jammed between the track and the wall. It only happened one time out of eight or so.
It may have been that something had knocked the track, or something else, but loosening it, and pulling it out a ways fixed the problem. I had a similar problem. A few simple steps seemed to help: Be careful working around the springs. These things can deliver a lot of pain if you make a mistake Go over the door and look for warping, dents, or other damage Tighten the bolts/screws on all the hinges. If you tighten a part that moves, make sure it moves freely Grease the moving parts of the door, the rollers, the track, the hinges. Since you have the ladder out, blow/vacuum any dust and spiders off/out of your opener Change the opener lightbulbs since you have the ladder out already Check the connections from the switches and safety devices Look (but do not touch) the safety devices. If they appear misaligned, read manual and align and calibrate them Read manual for your door/opener. If that has specific directions follow those instead of my generic steps.