| GARAGE DOOR ISSUES IN COLD WEATHER
Cold weather brings its misfortunes with it. This can be higher heating bills, snow to shovel, car batteries dying and dark, weary days. Another aspect of colder weather is garage door problems. Sometimes, they just don't work as they should, or at all! . You are dressed to kill and are looking forward to the food and the company. You get in the car and push the remote and…nothing! Your garage door doesn't open so you get out and try the wall switch; still nothing. Not only are you annoyed, but now your car is seemingly trapped in your own garage!
Battery check
Probably the first thing you should do is to check your remote's battery. Everyone knows that a drained battery will not work, but what many don't know is that sometimes, a cold one won't either. Try taking it inside and warming it in your hands before putting it back inside your remote. Don't microwave it or put it in the oven! It doesn't need to be cooked; just to not be cold! If your remote still doesn't work, try replacing the battery with a new one. If you have a battery tester at home, you can always check on its condition and if not, you can take it to any local retail, convenience or home improvement store that offers free battery testing. It's always smart to keep a spare battery at home for times just like this.
Cold safety sensors
If it's cold outside, it's cold in your garage (unless it's heated!). This means that your photoelectric safety eyes are also cold and a drop in temperature can cause the metal casings of the sensors to contract or expand. This extra movement can throw off the beam so that it is no longer aligned. Check to see if your bean is transmitting and if it is aimed correctly at the receiver. While you are doing this, check for spider web build up on your lenses and be sure to clean them with a soft, dry cloth if they have leaves, dead bugs, dirt or twigs covering them. Also look out for frayed wires, and unconnected cords that could also interfere with performance. We always recommend that your stored garage items are not too close to your sensors. Sharp objects like shovels, pitch forks, garden shears and other garden tools can cut wires or fall onto your sensors, moving them out of alignment. Don't be afraid to adjust your sensor brackets in order to align the sensor beam. This safety feature is a good thing to have on all garage doors as it keeps your heavy door from hitting your car trunk, hood or top if it gets in the way. It also prevents your garage door from hitting people, pets and anything else under it when closing. Manufacturers have made it easy to manually move your sensors so that the beam can be aligned and fully operational after adjustment.
Keep you tracks clean and debris free
Your garage door has tracks that it moves within. That's what your rollers are for; they allow up and down movement within your tracks. If these tracks are clean and free of grime or debris, the rollers move along just fine. If they are dirty or clogged with oil, grease and dirt, the rollers can become stuck. Cold weather comes into play here when it acts as a hardening agent; much like cold butter is hard to spread. Make a periodic inspection of your garage door tracks and if you notice build-up inside of them, clean it out with a toothbrush so that roller movement is easy and allowed once again.
Old springs don't take the cold very well
Old garage door springs are like older people; they don't take to the cold too well! One cold snap won't ruin your torsion or extension springs but if they are already old or worn, it can lead to deterioration to the point where they give out. If one spring has snapped, it will give your garage door a tilted look. This is true even if it is raised or lowered. A damaged spring may not be so noticeable but the effects are still the same; poor or no garage door activity.
You can test your garage door springs by releasing the emergency cord and trying to manually open your garage door. Pull on the cord - it's the one with the red knob that hangs down near your opener light. This will release your garage door from the automatic garage door opener system. Now try and raise your garage door by lifting it manually. Notice how it goes up. Is it fairly easy to lift? Or, do you have to really struggle to get it to move? Is the ascent choppy or staggered? Does it almost glide easily upward? Difficulty in raising your garage door is a strong indicator that your springs are damaged or completely shot. Please don't attempt spring repair, service or new installation on your own! Spring service is tricky and should be done by experienced garage service providers. The average life cycle of well-installed garage door springs is around 10 to 20 thousand cycles so get the work done right and enjoy years of reliable performance in hot or cold weather!