You should Inspect Your Garage Door Opener Regularly
Have you ever inspected your garage door opener? The answer is probably not. Yet this is one mechanical device in your home that can cause serious injury if not operatiing properly. The article that follows furnishes some practical tips on how you can easily perform such an inspection and assure yourself that your garage door opener is operating properly and safely.
Have You Inspected Your Garage Door And Opener Lately – If Not, You Should!
The size of a garage door, its regular use, and the fact that it is often opened and closes with an electrical remote, are all very good reasons why both the door and the electrical opener should be tested on a regular basis. There is a real risk of severe injury from a malfunctioning garage door or opener causing the door to close too quickly.
Inspecting both your garage door and opener on a monthly basis will kept them in top working condition. Your garage door opener should be equipped with a reversal feature. If it’s not; replace it; any garage door opener made after 1992 is required to have one.
Testing Your Garage Door Opener
Perform a monthly test on the garage door opener by first determining if your garage door is accurately balanced. You’ll do this by disengaging the garage door from the remote opener and attempting to raise it manually. If the garage door will not open easily and remain open at a height between three and four feet, it needs to be adjusted by a professional.
If you garage door passes the balance test, re-engage the electric opener and open the door completely. Place a two-by-four, about an inch and a half thick, flat on the garage floor at the door’s center. Operate the electrical opener and see if the door reverses when it hits the two-by-four. If it doesn’t, call a professional to see if it can be repaired or needs to be replaced.
Inspecting Your Garage Door
If you garage door opener checks out, go ahead and inspect the garage door itself. Your garage door springs are under extremely high tension, so they should be situated where they cannot harm anyone’s fingers or hands.
Usually the door springs are found close to the garage ceiling and should be equipped with central cables so that if they snap, they will be less apt to injure any bystanders. If you notice that your garage door springs do not have retaining cables, have some installed.
Even the brackets located at the garage door’s bottom and the doors lift cable to which they are attached are attached to the springs via the door’s lift cable are under high tension. The brackets should not have their screws loosened or even adjusted. Check the springs, brackets, and pulleys for wear and if they need replacing, again leave it to the professionals.
Finally, make sure the garage door is lubricated with heavy grease and that the roller shafts are not bent so that the rollers operate smoothly.
You can also find more info on Garage Soltions and Garage Organizer. Garageplanshelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Garage solution.
Tags: automatic garage door, garage, garage door, garage door openerRelated posts
May 28 2008 06:56 am | Garage Door Openers