5 Warning Signs You Need to Replace Your Garage Door Opener
The garage door opener is responsible for opening and closing the garage door. When you come home from work, the opener saves you from the trouble of having to get out of the car to enter the garage. But like all machines, a time comes when the garage door opener malfunctions and needs replacing. Discover five telltale signs you should replace your garage door opener.
1. You Hear Loud, Odd Noises
Your garage door opener may make some noise as it moves. That’s normal. But when you hear loud creaking, screeching, or squealing noises, the opener could be worn out. In most cases, the noises appear when the chain drivers are loose or aging.
Also, garage door openers naturally get noisier as the years pass. You’ll often notice that your opener is louder while at the same time not working efficiently. If that’s the case, your opener is past its prime, so install another one.
2. You See the Garage Door Close Then Suddenly Reverse
When your garage door closes halfway or all the way down and then suddenly reverses direction, you might have cause for alarm. Sometimes, this happens when the safety photo eyes on both sides of the garage door are broken or blocked. You can fix the problem by realigning or repairing the safety eyes.
More often, the reversing occurs when the electronics within the opener are faulty. If that’s the case, replacing the opener may be easier and more effective than trying to fix the problem.
3. You Notice Opening Difficulties
A garage door typically weighs a lot. When the garage door opener is defective, it may not be able to lift the garage door properly.
A door that has opening difficulties might:
- Get stuck up, in between, or down
- Move very slowly
- Lift the door unevenly
- Unreliably function (You have to press the remote multiple times before the door opens)
- Not open at all
Call a garage door technician to inspect your garage door if you have seen any of these signs. In many cases, you’ll need to replace the garage door opener.
4. You Notice Visible Vibrations During Operation
This is a sign you’ll see by watching your garage door opener. If you see the opener vibrating in its place, you may have worn-out armatures or bent shafts. A vibrating garage door opener is dangerous. If ignored, the opener may detach from the ceiling attachment and drop on your vehicle’s roof, or worse, one of your loved ones. Hence, have a professional check and replace the garage door as soon as you notice the vibrations.
5. You Have an Outdated Model
If your garage door opener is over a decade old, you may want to get an upgrade. Older models are often slow, not energy efficient, and can be inconvenient during repairs since some of their parts are out of the market.
Modern garage door openers have impressive features that make your garage more safe and convenient. For example, most of them come with door sensors to detect when an object is in the door’s path. This means the door can’t come down suddenly and hurt you, your children, or your pets.
Other recent add-ons include WiFi capabilities and the ability to operate your garage door using your smartphone. Generally, the more technologically customized your opener is, the harder criminals might find it to mimic its frequently and gain entry.
You need a garage door opener that works without a hitch. If you see these or any other strange signs, reach out to our experienced garage door technicians at Beacon Garage Doors to inspect, repair, or replace your garage door opener.