Common Garage Door Repairs
A broken automatic opener is often caused by a lack of proper maintenance, although electrical issues may also factor into the problem. Typical reasons for repair include the following:
Mechanical Problems
- The drive system of the opener can loosen due to overexertion or routine wear and tear. Without sufficient tension in the drive system, the entire mechanism ceases to function.
- An often overlooked culprit is lack of lubrication. Garage door openers, especially those with chain and jackscrew drive systems, must be greased regularly or else they can stop working.
- Sockets and gears are among the parts of a garage door opener that wear out over time.
- Safety sensors sometimes get misaligned. Positioned on the floor next to each track, the sensors send an infrared beam across the width of the door. If this beam is interrupted during use, the door will reverse direction as it closes. If the sensors are misaligned, the door may “think” there’s something under it and refuse to close.
- If the garage door was installed improperly or the opener has been overworked (due to an insufficient horsepower-to-door weight ratio), it’s often necessary for the automatic opener to be repaired or reinstalled.
- Circuit boards, limit switches, and other internal motor parts may become damaged and require attention. Often, however, these units should be replaced instead of repaired; the repairs themselves may cost more than a brand new unit.
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Electrical Problems
Another culprit of automatic garage door failure is electrical problems. One of the most common electrical issues is low voltage, which results in insufficient power. Problems with the interior hardwired “open” buttons or remote buttons often occur as well. If the hardwired button on your garage door works but the remotes do not, the batteries might need to be replaced, or there could be an issue with the antenna or receiver. While battery replacement can be performed by even the most hapless do-it-yourselfer, a repairman, or in some cases an electrician, is usually needed to diagnose antenna and receiver problems.
Garage Door Opener Repair Costs
- Automatic opener technicians typically charge $50 to $75 per hour, and you can expect them to charge you a minimum of one hour for any house call. Still, most problems can be diagnosed and repaired within the first 60 minutes. Make sure to get a diagnosis up front in order to weigh the cost of repair versus the cost of purchasing a new unit.
- Expect to pay $75 to $90 per hour for an electrician’s services. Unless a complete rewiring of the whole system is needed, an hour is about all it should take to resolve a standard electrical issue.