DIY: Troubleshooting a Garage Door Opener

If your garage door opener has stopped working, you may be worried about costly repairs or replacements. However, before you call a professional, there are a few things you can check on your own that could be causing all of the problems.

Start by checking the batteries in your garage door opener. Although this is a basic place to start, be thorough. Don't just check to make sure that the batteries are still working: also check and make sure they are properly installed and hitting the terminals of the garage door opener.

Look for obstruction or dirt on the rollers of the garage door. To fix, remove any obstructions, then clean the rollers and the track carefully to ensure that the garage door can move freely. A degreaser should be used to clean each roller.

If after cleaning the garage door opener roller does not move freely, replace the roller. Replacement rollers for your garage door opener should be inexpensive and easy to find: follow the manufacturer's directions for replacement. Once any broken rollers are replaced, oil all of the rollers with a penetrating mechanical oil. Plan on oiling your garage door opener's rollers twice a year to ensure that no further problems will occur.

When replacing any garage door rollers, you may have noticed that some areas of the track have been bent out of place. Most bends should be able to be fixed with a few hits of a hammer to realign the roller properly. You should also look for loose screws around the garage door tracks and tighten them accordingly.

Now check the garage door lock bar. It it is not in the proper location, the door could shut incorrectly. Use a flathead screwdriver in the adjustment slots on the sides of the garage door opener to make any changes. Open and shut the garage door until you are sure that the door lock bar is correctly set.Finally, check the springs in the garage door opener. If they are damaged or broken, they most be replaced. Write down the manufacturer and model number of your garage door opener and order the necessary spring or springs. Extension springs come in pairs are are on either side of the garage door, while a torsion spring is used at the front of the garage door. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for replacement.