How old is the garage door on your home? Does your garage get very cold during the winter and very warm during the summer? If your garage door is quite old, it likely does not have the same insulating factors that are included in the manufacturing of the garage doors manufactured today. So, how do you know if your garage door needs to be replaced? Does the hardware need to be replaced if you replace the garage door? Go to my blog to find out all about the features included in the design of today's garage doors. Hopefully, you will find everything you need to determine if your garage door is in need of replacement.
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Garage doors operate thanks to a system of springs, pulleys, and cables that are carefully balanced. The system is what allows the door to be easily closed or opened with a little bit of manual force or an electric motor. In order to prevent an injury from occurring while using a garage door, there are 3 safety mechanisms in place. You should check on them to ensure that they are in proper working order.
Spring Safety Cables
Your garage door's springs require tension to operate. That is because they counterbalance your garage door's weight, allowing you to lift the door even though it is very heavy. If a spring breaks without any safety mechanism in place, it can potentially fly through the air and cause a serious injury. The safety cables will help contain the springs if they become disconnected or break. Checking the safety cables is easy to do on your own.
Find the springs running parallel to your garage's ceiling, and look for a steel cable that is running through them. One end of the cable should be connected to a metal bracket that is attached to the ceiling, with the other end of the cable connected to a metal bracket on your garage door. These brackets should not be twisted or bent. Cables that are connected via an S-hook should not have any signs of straightening out.
Motion Sensor
A garage door will stop closing and immediately reverse if anything crosses the path of the motion sensor. It helps prevent the garage door from accidentally closing on your car, or even children that are in the path of the door. You can also check this safety mechanism on your own.
Locate the infrared sensors near the lower part of the vertical track. Close your garage door and roll a small object, like a ball, across the sensor's path. You should see the door stop immediately and go in reverse.
Pressure Sensor
The pressure sensor works in a similar way to the motion sensor. If any object stops the door from closing because of pressure applied to the door, it will cause the door to stop and immediately reverse. This includes objects in door's path, as well as jams in the track.
You can check the pressure sensor by putting an item in the path of the door that doesn't block its infrared beam, like a chair. A working pressure sensor will cause the door to go into reverse when it comes in contact with the chair.
If you notice that any one of these safety mechanisms are not working correctly, you could need a replacement part. Contact a local garage door repair technician and have them replace the garage door part for you. Click here for more information about the parts you might need.
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