Your garage door opener is a convenience you likely don’t have to think about much. But eventually, garage door openers do wear out. Most garage door openers last anywhere from five years to 15 years, and this number can change depending on several factors. If everyone’s experience is different, how do you know when your garage door opener is going bad? Look out for the following six signs your garage door opener is failing.
1. You’re Hearing Loud Noises
Some garage door openers, like chain-drive openers, are loud. Belt-drive openers are a bit quieter. Regardless of which type of opener you have, you may have started noticing new or louder noises. This is a sign your opener is struggling to open and close your garage door. Its mechanisms may have weakened over time, making it strain to perform the task it once carried out with ease. If this is the case, it might be time for a new garage door opener.
Modern openers are much quieter than older models. Companies build them to be quiet to reduce disturbances in the home. If you have a new opener that has started making loud noises, you may have an issue unrelated to time. Either way, loud noises are a sign that it’s time to call a professional for an inspection.
2. The Garage Door Opens or Closes Then Reverses
If your garage door starts moving in the opposite direction you want it to, your photo sensors could be the cause. You can find these sensors a few inches above the ground on either side of the garage door. These sensors detect movement below the garage door, which triggers a reversal to protect whatever is beneath it. If your garage door starts to close and then reverses, call a professional to check your photo sensors.
Your garage door could also be reversing direction from faulty limit settings. The limit settings tell your opener when to expect the floor to appear. If the settings are too high, the opener may feel the pressure of the floor before it expects it. The opener will mistake the floor for an obstacle and use the automatic reversal feature to “protect” it. See if a professional can fix the limit settings. You may need a new garage door opener since limit settings can drift in older openers.
3. Your Garage Door Opens Slower Than Expected
Are you using the same garage door opener that came with your house when you bought it over a decade ago? You’ve likely used your opener thousands of times since then. Now, you may be noticing your garage door is not opening like it once did. You may sit in your car, tapping your fingers as you wait for the door to finish opening after a long day of work. If any of this sounds like your experience, you should likely get a new garage door opener.
Several problems can contribute to the slow movement of your garage door. If you have an old garage door opener, there is a high chance the opener is to blame. You may discover that a new opener will open and close your garage door faster — and more silently — than you ever remember it moving. Ask for a professional’s opinion to see if your garage door opener is to blame for sluggish moving speeds.
4. The Opener Vibrates When Opening or Closing
Your opener works hard when opening and closing your garage door several times per day. If you look up at it when it’s doing its work, you may notice some slight wiggling. This is normal, but you should monitor this movement. Over time, your garage door opener could start vibrating more, and this can be a serious issue.
Vibrations can cause hardware like nuts, bolts and screws to loosen. The more your garage door opener vibrates, the more the opener can separate from the hardware that holds it in place. It can even fall from the ceiling onto your car or a person if it gets loose enough. If your opener is vibrating, it might be reaching the end of its life span. You should get a new one before it fails or falls.
5. The Garage Door Won’t Open
If your remote and wall-mounted button are not opening your garage door, it may be time for a new garage door opener. Lightning strikes can fry the opener’s circuitry, leaving it useless. The opener could also be straining during opening and closing, which can cause it to overheat. You may have to wait 10 minutes to 15 minutes for it to cool down so you can use it again.
These issues are a hassle, especially if you run on a tight schedule. No one wants to wait for their garage door opener to cool off before the next use. Call a professional to install a new garage door opener so you can get back to using your garage door whenever you want.
6. You’re Using Old Technology
Old garage doors use outdated technology. Many features included in modern garage door openers are reasons to upgrade your garage door opener. Some new technology you could be missing out on includes the following:
- Rolling codes: These change your opener’s remote code every time you use it. That way, criminals cannot fish for your opener code using technology.
- Battery backup: With a battery backup, the power going out is no longer an inconvenience when you need to use your garage door.
- Outdoor keypad: Enjoy increased convenience with an outdoor keypad to open your modern garage door.
- Safety features: Doors constructed before 1993 lack essential safety features like photo sensors and auto-reverse functions.
- Smart technology: Smart garage door openers raise the standard for what functions you can expect from a garage door opener. One example includes opening your garage door from anywhere with your smartphone and an internet connection.
Get a New Garage Door Opener From Marvin’s Garage Doors
Marvin’s Garage Doors is your destination for a brand new garage door opener. We carry a variety of reliable garage door openers that can enhance your daily convenience. Since 1970, we’ve been providing quality service and garage door products to northwestern Carolina. We’ve seen how garage door openers have changed over the years, and we can tell when we need to replace or repair one.
We’re here to solve your garage door opener problems, 24 hours a day. Contact us online for more information about how we can serve you today.