Is your garage door opener drive chain/belt loose or slacked? One common problem that affects garage door openers is a loose drive chain/belt that knocks against the rail, or the door when in operation causing loud noises. Usually, the chain/belt becomes loose because of standard wear and tear or from the heavy weight of the garage door.
Besides the noise, a loose or slacked opener chain can damage the face of the door from dragging on it while the door is in operation. A slacked drive chain/belt can also cause the operator to lose its open and close limits. If that happens, the door is unsafe and has the potential to cause serious damage to the door.
If you are experiencing these issues it means it is time to maintenance your garage door system or possibly it may even need replacement of the belt or chain. If your garage maintenance date is near, you can request a garage technician to fix it. You can also attempt to fix a loose garage chain by yourself. Garage door technicians at the Overhead Door Company of Portland give a breakdown of how to troubleshoot a loose garage door chain.
How to Troubleshoot a Loose Chain on Your Garage Door
Here’s how to troubleshoot a loose chain on your garage door:
What Is the Opener Drive Chain or Belt?
The majority of garage door openers operate the door with a trolley arm that is driven by either a drive chain or drive belt. The chain drive openers are driven by a sprocket on the operator and the belt drive models are driven by pulleys.
Power Supply Disconnection
Safety is key when troubleshooting your garage door as you do not want any unexpected activations of the door or the risk of electrical shock. Close your garage and disconnect the power supply. Check for the garage door’s manual if you are unsure about power disconnection. Detach the door from the opener via the manual emergency release (usually a red cord).
Power Reconnection and Testing
Power the garage opener and re-engage the garage door chain to see if it’ll droop. The garage door chain regains its tension when the door remains open. You can open and close the garage door to see if you have resolved the issue. If the issue still exists, repeat the process. If that doesn’t work it is likely time to replace the chain or belt.
How to Tighten your Garage Opener Door Chain
If a garage door opener chain or drive belt is loose, it’s because there is a loose nut. Use a stepladder to inspect the trolley assembly. You should look for the loose nut and turn it.
Find the Adjustment Bolt
One side of the trolley typically has a bolt with two nuts, one for adjusting and the other for locking. Where the trolley connects to the garage door rail is often where the right nut is. Tighten the adjustment nut to increase tension in the door chain. Hold the tightened adjustment nut and tighten the locking nut.
If these DIY options do not work, contact a garage door professional for further troubleshooting or potential replacement. Garage belts/chains should be replaced by a professional.
Garage Door Repair Services in Overhead Door Company of Portland
If you are experiencing problems with your garage door chain, you can count on garage technicians at the Overhead Door Company of Portland. The technicians have adequate experience installing, maintaining, servicing, and repairing garage doors. Besides tightening your garage door chain, they will sort out other garage door issues you may have. For more information on garage door maintenance and garage door services, contact them on their website.
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