What May Seem Like a Major Problem May Only Require a Service Call
Recently, we had a customer call wanting a second opinion about a garage door system that wasn’t working properly. One of the owners was complaining because their old, wooden garage door with an equally old motor would not go down unless the wall button was held with constant pressure. Not knowing the cause, she called the store where the unit was purchased and they sent their “authorized independent contractor” to diagnose and fix the problem. Upon arrival, the technician told the owner “Your door and motor are so old they can’t be fixed. You need to buy a new one.” Not knowing any better, she did. Later that day, her husband arrived home and hears the story. Immediately, he called us for a second opinion. We told him that his issue sounded simple and that a routine service call may fix the problem. Hopeful, the owner cancelled the replacement order and our tech went out the next day.
When our tech arrived, he found loose photo eyes (sensors that cause a door to not operate if they sense an obstruction) that might have caused the motor not to function properly. He also noted that the drive chain on the motor is so loose, which could be causing the motor up/down limits to be off. Finally, he noticed missing screws in several hinges that caused the door to wobble as it moved. Each of these issues were quickly and easily addressed and the door soon operated properly for just the cost of a maintenance service call.
Before replacing any door or associated equipment, we recommend a service call to assess the situation. Because, what may seem to you as a problem that only a new door and motor will fix, may simply be a few small things that can easily be fixed by a professional.