How To Maintain Your Garage Door Opener for Longevity

If you live in Anaheim, CA, or the surrounding areas and have a garage, keeping your garage door, opener, and other components well-maintained is important. Many homeowners overlook garage door opener maintenance. The experienced team at Mesa Garage Doors specializes in new garage door installations, garage door opener repairs, and much more. We have helpful information regarding the importance of garage door opener maintenance, common issues, how to fix them, and more.

Why Garage Door Opener Maintenance Is Important

Garage door opener maintenance is important for many reasons, including safety and prolonging your garage door opener’s service life.

• Safety: If your garage door opener’s sensor or auto-reverse mechanism stops working, it can pose a serious safety risk.

• Saves money: Regular maintenance like routine checks and lubricating moving parts makes it easier to find minor issues early, helping you prevent paying for more costly repairs later.

• Longer lifespan: Proper maintenance and frequent inspections help to extend the lifespan of your garage door opener.

• Better performance: Garage door opener maintenance helps keep the door opening and closing smoothly while minimizing wear and tear on major components.

How Often Should You Service a Garage Door Opener?

The average lifespan of a garage door opener is approximately 10 to 15 years. We recommend receiving annual service for your garage door and door opener to verify that everything works as it should. A professional garage door/door opener maintenance service includes a thorough inspection, cleaning, lubrication of important components, testing, and balancing of your garage door.

Step-by-Step Guide To Maintaining Your Garage Door Opener

Follow these steps to learn how to maintain a garage door opener yourself:

• Step one: Inspect your garage door opener to look for any loose parts and tighten them up if you can.

• Step two: Lubricate chains, rollers, hinges, and other moving parts using the appropriate lubricant type listed in your owner’s manual.

• Step three: Check the balance by disconnecting or deactivating the opener and lifting it, looking for loose tension springs that may need adjustment.

• Step four: Inspect the garage door opener’s safety sensors to confirm that they’re free of obstructions and properly aligned.

• Step five: Regularly change the batteries in your garage door opener remote controls to keep them fresh and ensure they work properly.

• Step six: Contact Mesa Garage Doors for a professional inspection and tune-up if you still need assistance or if it’s time for your annual maintenance.

Common Garage Door Opener Issues and How To Fix Them

Here are some garage door opener troubleshooting tips, including some common issues you may face and how to fix them:

Remote Control Isn’t Working

If the remote control isn’t sending a signal to the garage door opener, check the batteries and replace them with fresh ones. If that still doesn’t work, confirm that no other devices are blocking the signal. Next, verify that the receiving antenna is not damaged and is in good condition.

Door Won’t Open or Close

If nothing is obstructing your garage door, and the safety sensors are clean and properly aligned, yet it still won’t open or close, check for broken springs. Ensure the manual override isn’t engaged, and make sure the opener is plugged in and powered on. Inspect the drive gear and replace it if it’s worn out.

Garage Door is Uneven

If your garage door jerks or moves unevenly when you open or close it, replace worn-out or damaged rollers and hinges. Lubricate moving parts using a special garage door-specific lubricant. Confirm that the tracks are straight and properly aligned if it’s still moving off-kilter.

Best Practices for Keeping Your Garage Door Opener in Top Shape

Follow these best practices for garage door opener care to keep it in top shape.

• Perform regular inspections in between your regularly scheduled annual maintenance calls.
• Lubricate moving parts often and replace remote control batteries every few months or as needed.
• Keep large objects out of the way of the garage door opener sensor.
• Tighten loose hardware, including bolts, screws, and hinges.
• Keep your garage door, rollers, garage door opener, and all visible components clean and debris-free.
• Learn how to recognize the signs of a serious problem, such as broken or stretched hinges, an uneven door, or loud noises whenever the garage door is in operation.
• If your garage door opener doesn’t work correctly, contact the professionals at Mesa Garage Doors for assistance.

When To Call a Professional for Garage Door Opener Maintenance

While there are some garage door opener maintenance tasks you can do yourself, others require the help of an experienced professional. Here’s when you should call our team to help with garage door maintenance or repairs:

• Door opener won’t work: If you’ve changed the remote batteries, removed obstructions, and checked the sensors, but your garage door opener still won’t work, contact a professional.

• The door opens and shuts by itself: A garage door that opens and closes on its own may have a serious issue with the safety sensors or the control system, both of which a garage door professional should assess.

• Loud noises: Sudden loud grinding, screeching, or clunking noises coming from your garage door are all signs that it needs attention from an experienced garage door repair company.

• Garage door is stuck: If your garage door simply won’t close or open, or if it’s moving strangely, it may be due to a problem with the springs, which a pro should always handle.

• Vibrations: A garage door that visibly vibrates when opened or closed is likely due to a damaged component that requires repair or replacement from a professional.

• The garage door opener is old: If your garage door opener is near the end of its 10 to 15-year lifespan, it may be a good time to contact Mesa Garage Doors for a replacement.

Contact Mesa Garage Doors Today

Routine maintenance is the best way to extend the lifespan of your garage door opener. If you need help addressing garage door opener issues at your Anaheim, CA, area home, Mesa Garage Doors is available to help. Contact us today for more information or to schedule a garage door opener maintenance service!