It is really nice to be able to pull up in your driveway, push the button to open your automatic garage door, and pull into a nice dry, and safe garage. Today’s automatic garage doors are well built and made to last 20 years or more.
However, since they are mechanical devices, there will be needed repairs from time to time, and a routine maintenance schedule is recommended just to keep an eye on things.
For example, if the door fails to open, you may be having a problem with the hand held controller. Check the batteries and many times it is nothing more than that as far as instituting a quick fix.
Many times there are simple procedures that can point out a problem that might alleviate the necessity of a more expensive repair. For example, with the garage door closed, pull the cord that effects the emergency release and see of the door opens and closes with minimal effort. If it is riding rough, check the bolts that attach the hinges to the door. They may just need tightening, as when they are loose, they can make the door skew on the track as it moves.
Be sure that the door is down when you pull the release, as if the problem is the spring, the door could come loose and crash down on top of you. One thing that the average homeowner should probably not do is repair or replace the spring. That should be left to the experts, as the spring is under high tension. This could cause serious injury or even death, if an amateur were to attempt its repair.
You may find that the wall switch works but the opener in the car does not. Or just the reverse might be true. If the remote works but the switch on the wall does not, the wall switch might be the problem. You can unscrew the switch from the wall and touch the two wires together, if the opener then runs, you have a bad wall switch which you can replace yourself.
If you are replacing either the wall switch or your remote switch, you can find a wide variety of universal parts online, or check with the manufacturer online if there is not a local outlet.
The problem could be the opener itself, the unit at the top of garage where the motor and the circuit board is located. You may want to call a service man for that, or just replace it yourself, as that can run you anywhere from $120 to $250 depending on the model.
If you are not that handy yourself, or just lack the confidence, try finding a YouTube video regarding your model of garage door. That is a great way to learn how to do anything, as there are usually step-by-step examples that you can follow.
Then again, many of the garage door service companies have a plan where you can get a yearly checkup on your garage door, and you can save yourself the aggravation if you wish, plus you might save money on parts.