Last February our 5 year old garage door opener began stopped about 3/4 of the way up. It only did it in the coldest weather. I fussed with the tracks, assuming it was somehow binding, but really didn't make any progress. Basically I just left it and hoped somehow it would be better this winter.
No such luck, in fact it is even worse. When the temperature reachs about
35, the door acts up.Frankly, I am not even sure what to look for. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
There are force adjustment screws on the unit. But first try disconecting the door to be sure it travels up and down freely , the springs may be out of adjustment giving it to much downforce, it should be equal and easy to move in both directions. Oil everything even motor bearings if they are not sealed. Or your unit may be worn out.
Did you lube all the hinges and wheel bearings? Don't lube the tracks themselves. Friction is needed to turn the wheels.
I'd bet on the springs being a little stretched. Like a previous poster suggested, disconnect the link between the opener and the door and see how the door moves "by hand".
The springs should just about "balance" the door when it's half way up, and if you notice any cocking or binding with the door disconnected from the opener you can probably figure out what's causing it and correct it.
If all seems well with the door and springs, start looking for an "up force" adjustment on the opener power head.
HTH,
Jeff
Art you say " dont lube tracks " but wheels turn, friction does it. Lubeing decreases wear and noise. If you look at tracks there is apx
1/4" gap, I say Lube it all, but his problem is probably the door springs or opener, or a combination. My door is 60Yrs ? old lubed and sliding fine
CAN'T be the springs.................logic says the springs would coil up tighter as they cool down, as with anything that gets colder, they contract............................Rule out the springs and look at the opener adjustments..............Brand and model might help find instructions on adjustment online somewhere.
Lubrication , if it is not helping, is probably not gonna help to keep adding the lube either. The last paragraph above mkes the most sense. Look for adjustments.
Good luck
Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply
MUADIB®
Logic maybe, but not physics. Temperature should make almost no difference to them.
find the damn "up force " screw and look at the arrow, it will tell u which way to turn to increase the force. by doing that you allow the unit to lift more before cutting off.
Sounds like your door is binding. If you were having problems with your springs your opener wouldn't wait until 3/4 of it's travel to quit, and definitely not because the temperature has dropped.. Are your track and rollers packed with grease? If it is, the grease is probably congealing in the cold and causing the binding. Clean up the mess and don't use heavy grease in your tracks or rollers, a little motor oil will do fine or a light white lithium based grease.
Rich
I have a problem that is similar to this with my door. The oils and greases are getting old and as they get older they harden. For me, I can just give the tracks a quick swirt of a thin oil (sometimes I use WD40 to get it going smoothly again) and they are fine for a while after that. Then clean and use fresh lubricant on the tracks and the slider.
Wayne
Physics is where the logic comes from.............
Logic and physics will prove this, not just my opinion.
I understand your input, but the point was not that springs will tighten with cooler temps, but that the springs are not the issue. ..............They make very little difference.
"Coefficient of expansion" is the term to apply here, but is of relatively little importance in this matter, but does apply.
Therefore I still contend that the springs are not the problem. If they were the problem it would NOT happen as the weather cools, but when the weather warms up.
I suspect the weather has some bearing on something inside the opener head, and that is where the adjustment will likely need to be applied.
( If someone finds something I have said to be wrong, please feel free to email me also, I will offer a retraction if necessary )
I must add, after some thought............
It is possible that the structure could be, in some way changing due to temps also. In cool weather, the earth may be shifting the opening a bit, or something of this nature. This once again has nothing to do with the springs, but is another possibilty. I am sure there may be more.
once again, good luck to the original poster.
Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply
MUADIB®
Ok, here we go. If you have a screw drive opener, particuarly liftmaster (closer tolerances) but could be any other brand, spray the screw with WD-40 to clean out the old rail grease, and replace the original lubricant with replacement "rail grease" or a synthetic bearing grease. After time the screw drive gets bound up by the old coagulated grease, and the operator thinks that the door is binding when it is the operator itself.
Lubricate the hinges, rollers, springs, and everything else that moves with a LIGHT lubricant. (I've been using motorcycle Chain Lube lately, although it's thicker than I like, it doesn't seem to evaporate as quickly as other lubricants) Some of your problems could be that the moving parts of the door are causing too much friction upon themselves, and making the operator trip into a defensive action.
The last problem on this list is a weight problem. This time of year is usually wet and nasty. An old wood door can soak up a lot of mosture in these conditions, causing the springs to be out of balance. I suggest, as well as a poster above, that you disconnect the opener to see if the door works well manually. If it can't be raised with a moderate amount of force, I suggest getting someone out to adjust the tension on the springs. You can do this following truetex's outline, but I kind of frown against it. He's done a great job, but it is still chancing your fingers if you screw it up. I'd prefer that you could still flip-off any doorman that cuts you off in traffic, even if it's me. good luck, Joe
replying to toller, bernie wrote: my door goes up the same amount each time ,about a foot. checked spring ok, checked wheels for binding and cleaned track of built up grease, still no go.looked at chain track, stopped at same place each time, grease on top was like rubber, cleaned off chain track .now works like it should.hope this helps
bernie posted for all of us...
He I think Toller got eaten by gerbils 10 years ago. They are hungry and looking for you...
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.