The Annual Tune-Up
A garage door is the largest moving object in the house and it gets less maintenance than the lawnmower.
Short answer
Lubrication, hardware tightening, roller and hinge inspection, cable and spring inspection, balance test, track alignment, opener force and travel limits, and both safety reverse tests. An hour, once a year, in the fall — and it prevents most of what otherwise becomes a January call-out.
What is covered
Lubrication of the rollers, hinges, springs, bearings and the opener rail, with a product made for the purpose.
Tightening every hinge, bracket and track fastener, which loosen with a year of vibration.
Roller inspection for flat spots, wear and seized bearings, and replacement where needed.
Cable inspection, particularly at the bottom bracket where fraying starts.
Spring inspection, and the balance test with the opener disconnected.
And the opener: force settings, travel limits, the chain or belt tension, and both safety reverse tests.
The balance test
Pull the release cord with the door down, lift the door by hand to waist height, and let go. A balanced door stays there. If it drops, the springs are losing tension; if it rises, they are over-tensioned. That one test tells you more about the condition of the door than anything else, and it takes thirty seconds.
The two safety tests
The photo-eye test: with the door closing, break the beam with an object. The door should reverse immediately.
The contact reverse test: lay a flat piece of timber on the floor in the opening and close the door onto it. The door should reverse on contact.
Both should be tested, because they are two separate protections and either can fail.
If either does not work, the door should not be used until it is corrected, particularly in a household with children.
Neither test takes more than a minute.
And both are worth doing a couple of times a year rather than once, which is the manufacturer recommendation and is reasonable.
Why fall is the right time
The force settings that work in September are frequently not enough in January, so adjusting them before the cold prevents the reversing complaint.
Lubrication before the cold means everything runs rather than sticking.
The bottom seal can be replaced before it is needed for drifting snow.
The sensor alignment gets checked before frost heave and snow shovels move it.
Springs near the end of their life are identified before a cold snap finds them, which is when they actually break.
And the service is easier to book in October than in the first cold week of the year, when everybody needs somebody.
Common questions
How often should a garage door be serviced?
Annually, in the fall before the cold.
What is the balance test?
Disconnect the opener, lift the door to waist height and release it. A balanced door stays there.
Which safety tests should be done?
The photo-eye reverse and the contact reverse. Both, a couple of times a year.