A garage door is used a few times each day but most people don’t think about how it works until something goes wrong. By understanding how the way garage doors it work, you can address small issues ad fix them by yourself or if facing bigger problems you’ll be able to explain the situation to a professional. Garage doors are made of many different parts from steel, aluminum, fiberglass and other materials, they move along a track with silicon wheels and the entire system is attached to the ceiling. Most modern garage doors are operated by an automatic opener but they can also work manually. Knowing the parts involved and how they work can help you keep everything working propely and spot problems before the door break down.
● Openers
Garage door openers are important for the door smooth operation, they come in different types like chain drive, belt drive, screw drive and wall-mount. Garage door openers come with safety measures that stop the door from closing if something is blocking their way. These safety sensors use a laser beam that is aliened from both bottom sides of the door and if the beam break the door immediately stops and goes straight up. Garage door openers also have a quick release cable that disconnect the opener manually door operation.
● Springs
Garage door springs play an role in the operation of the door. Garage doors can be very heavy and one of the functions of the springs is to handle the heavy weight, balance the door and allow the door to open and close. These springs are stretched to their limit every time you use the door and on average they lasts about 10,000 cycles. Most people use their garage door at least twice a day which means the spring would last around 10-14 years, but poor alignment, and temperature changes can cause springs to break earlier than expected.
There are 2 types of spring systems:
Extension Spring System
This system uses springs on each side of the door and when the door opens the springs stretch in order lift the door. When the door closes the springs pull it back down. This system is very common for lightweight single garage door.
Torsion Spring System
These springs are installed above the door opening and wind up when you close the door, the spring sort energy and when the door opens they unwind and release the energy in order to lift the door. This system is stronger and ideal for heavy duty doors.
How Does it work?
When you press the wall switch button or your garage door remote it sends a signal to the garage door opener that pulls a chain or a belt that is connected to the door. The springs help with the weight of the door, balance it and making it easier to open and close.
