Tell-tale Signs That Your Garage Door Motor Needs Repairs

When you have an automatic garage door, you probably take the garage door motors for granted. Garage door maintenance may be the last thing on your mind.

Garage door openers that have been working well for years often deteriorate slowly, and you might not notice when they begin to falter. However, these warning signs can tell you that your motor is on the fritz and needs attention from experienced technicians.

The Door Shakes When Opening and Closing

If your garage door is shaking, it is probably the result of an alignment issue. A shaky garage door could be due to one or more of the following garage door issues:

• A broken spring
• Bent garage door tracks
• Misaligned rollers or tracks

This shaking may indicate that parts of your setup need to be adjusted, but if this happens frequently then there's likely an issue with your motor.

The Door Opens Much Slower Than Usual

When your garage door opens much more slowly than usual, you should check the chain and trolley. If they are dirty or damaged, you should clean them with a brush and lubricate them with a little oil to get them working as well as new.

If this does not work, you should check the door springs. They can be replaced so that the opening and closing process returns to its normal speed.

You also need to make sure that there is nothing wrong with your motor or sensors. The motor may be malfunctioning if it's making unusual noises when it starts up or stops operating suddenly. It may need to be replaced altogether or just some maintenance work done on it (depending on how old it is).

Look for any loose cables leading into or out of the motor itself. Fixing them will restore normal functionality - provided everything else has been checked first.

The Door is Off its Track

If your garage door is off track and not closing properly, it can be a sign that:

• It was knocked by a car (Check if the tracks have any dents or bends as this can cause problems with your garage door)
• The garage door spring is broken
• The garage door cable snapped

Whatever caused the door to go off its tracks, ignoring the problem could lead to serious injuries.

The Motor is Making Strange Noises

The motor is the heart of your garage door’s operation. If yours is not working properly, then neither will your garage door.

Most squeaks are not dangerous for your door and can simply be fixed by cleaning and lubricating the tracks regularly with WD-40. However, when a garage door makes strange noises, it could be a sign of problems with the motor or other parts.

Should you hear any unusual sounds when you open or close your garage door, it is time to call in a technician – especially if the noisy garage door occurs suddenly or frequently, or if there are other problems with your garage.

If you notice any of these signs, it is important to call the specialists at a garage door repair company. More often than not, the problem will only escalate if left unattended.

At Tri-Lakes Garage Doors, we can diagnose why your garage door is not working properly. Let us identify any issues with your motor and make recommendations on how best to fix them.

What are you waiting for? Get in touch with Tri-Lakes Garage Doors today and ask about our garage door motor replacement services.