Garage Door Out Of Balance

An unbalanced door can pose safety issues and tax a garage door opener.

Garage door out of balance.

If your garage door looks uneven while it s opening or closing and appears slanted there s a good chance that it s out of balance. When a garage door is off balance it means the springs either don t have enough tension to counterbalance the door s weight or they are exerting too much pressure. Use the handle to close the door all the way if it doesn t have an opener. This is a very visual representation of the internal struggle happening inside your garage door s system.

Press the button on the garage door opener to close the door if it has an opener. Open the door manually to determine where the balance problem is. If that point is more than four feet or less than three feet above the ground you will need to balance the door. Close the garage door all the way.

If it s way off balance it could actually fall of the tracks and injure someone. A garage door that s out of alignment can be very dangerous. Most commonly doors fall down because they ve lost tension on their springs so that s what we ll discuss. The door may get jammed and there could be an emergency situation where you need to get your car out.

Periodic maintenance of your garage door includes balancing to ensure the door opens and closes with maximum efficiency. Spring size for garage doors is determined by first determining what the total weight of the door with all hardware. The procedure is the same for over balanced garage doors just make sure to move the spring in the opposite direction. Properly balancing a garage door first requires the use of the proper size spring or springs.

Adjusting an extension spring door. You need to start with the door in the down position so you can lift it up to various heights and check the balance. Move the garage door up and down until you find a place where the door stays suspended when you let go. More than a little movement means your door is out of balance.

A door that won t close and lock leaves you vulnerable to burglars too. Locate the area of the motor and disconnect the power cord to prevent any unwanted electrical shocks or surges then pull the emergency release lever which should release the door from the track that allows it to open and close automatically. The garage door still uses rollers and tracks to hold the door in place during opening and closing.