Do you take your garage door for granted? If your appliance has worked without a hitch for the entirety of your relationship, perhaps you might assume it always will. But taking your appliance for granted is a mistake. You should learn more about your garage door and how it operates to ensure that you can look out for warning signs that your appliance is failing. Your garage door has an intricate opening system behind it that helps it function properly. This opening system is made up of multiple moving parts, each of which plays a crucial part in helping your appliance raise and lower. Let’s learn about five different garage door parts.
1. Springs
Garage doors can weigh up to six hundred pounds. That is no small number! All of that weight has to be balanced evenly. Your garage door springs do just that. They use either torque or tension to provide counterpressure against the weight of your appliance. This ensures that your door can move up and down smoothly and at a safe pace.
There are two types of garage door springs. Torsion garage door springs are the more high-quality of the two; they use linear force or torque to operate. They uncoil or recoil depending on whether you are opening or closing your garage door. These springs are durable and long-lasting.
Then there are extension springs. Extension springs stretch rather than uncoil. They use tension to help balance the weight of the garage door rather than torque. Because these springs are more dangerous when they snap, most garage door professionals prefer to use torsion springs instead. If you decide that extension springs are right for you, just make sure that you do not DIY maintenance, repairs, or replacement. An extension spring can cause serious injuries and property damage when it snaps, and you do not want to be in its way.
2. Cables
Cables also help in balancing the weight of your garage door. They work in tandem with the springs; when your garage door opens and closes, your cables help transfer the energy of the springs to the door, allowing it to operate smoothly. Without cables, your springs wouldn’t be able to work correctly. Thus, they are an essential part of your opening system.
3. Tracks
Your garage door needs to travel along a specific trajectory when it moves up and down. It couldn’t do that without the help of garage door tracks. You can think of garage door tracks as two metal roads that allow your appliance to reach destinations safely.
4. Rollers
How could your door roll up and down without the help of something to move it along the tracks? That is where the rollers come in. Your garage door rollers are small wheels that help your appliance get to where it needs to be. They usually are made of either nylon or steel.
5. Opener Motor
We saved one of the most important components for last. Without your opener motor, your garage door would not be able to communicate with the signal from your remote or clicker. The remote or clicker sends instructions to the motor, and the motor uses electrical signals to tell the garage door to move. Your automatic garage door could not function conveniently without an opener motor.
Why Is It Important to Know About Garage Door Parts?
Now you are equipped with important knowledge. You can identify five important garage door parts and what they do. But why is that knowledge important? One of the reasons it is most important to know about each individual part of your garage door is to ensure you know how to keep them in good working order. If you aren’t aware what parts exist in your opening system, you won’t pay them any mind. And when something starts to go wrong, you will be unaware.
Now that you know about parts of your opening system, you can learn to identify problems. Take time to check each of the five components we mentioned every few months. If you notice that you have a snapped spring, a fraying cable, a vibrating opener, cracked rollers, or loose tracks, you can then call a professional to have the problem fixed right away.
We Work With All Garage Door Parts!
Sometimes, things go wrong with your garage door opening system. This is normal. Throughout the lifespan of your appliance, you will likely have to get repairs and replacements at least a few times. Our team is here to help when you are in need. Contact us today to learn more about our high-quality services!
