How to Maintain an Electric Garage Door

Garage door openers are a wonderful thing. They keep you and your family from getting out into the elements and provide you with a safe environment to get out of your automobile. They as with everything else need maintenance and care. Checking them out two or three times a year will help keep them in perfect working order.

1. Pull the safety switch on your garage doors motor to disengage the door. You do this by pulling it straight down.


2. Pull the door up and down a couple of times. It should stop wherever you stop pulling with the tension of the springs. Is it operating smoothly?


3. Notice to see as you move it if there are any loose or misaligned tracks. You will be tightening them all up but it is good to know if any are especially worse than others.


4. Take a couple of shop towels and clean out the tracks really well. If you are ambitious hose them out with the hose and nozzle. If you notice any grime or grease remove it now.


5. Look over and clean with the rag all roller-wheel bearings, hinges, axels and pines. While doing this lubricate them with three-in-one oil.


6. Lubricate any moving parts with the oil as well.


7. Spray the springs with WD-40 and you should do this at least once annually. It will help keep them in good condition.


8. If your door has a close limit adjuster test it now. Put the safety switch back into position and place a 2X4 under the door in the middle. If the door does not reverse when it comes down on the 2X4 is should be adjusted until it does.


9. Replace the battery in your opener.


10. Test both your in house switch and your mobile switches in your autos.


11. Check the weather stripping on the bottom of the door. If it needs replacing do so.