Do you know what happens when the power suddenly goes out? If your garage door is equipped with a garage door opener and remote control, you’ll know exactly what happens. The power goes out, the automatic safety sensors go offline, and your garage door automatically closes. It’s a great way to protect your car from thieves, right? Unfortunately, this also means that your garage door will be almost impossible to open again until the electricity returns.
If your garage is equipped with a cable-operated garage door, things might get even more difficult. A cable-operated garage door won’t have an electric motor that powers it; instead, it relies on one or more cables to operate it. These cables are controlled by an exterior control unit that can only be accessed from outside of the home in question. Fortunately, there are several ways you can repair cable-operated garage door if it breaks down for one reason or another. Let’s take a look at how you can get started repairing your own cable-operated garage doors!
Plan Before You Repair
If you’re going to fix your own cable operated garage door, you’ll want to get a full understanding of what’s happening inside of it. This means planning a few inspections during the time that your garage door is down. You’ll want to look for several things during this inspection.
- First, you’ll want to make sure that your garage door cables are intact and in good condition. If you find that your garage door cables are damaged or broken, you’ll need to replace them before you can use them again.
- Next, you’ll want to make sure that there aren’t any other parts of your garage door that are damaged or broken. If you find that there are any parts of your garage door that are damaged or defective, you’ll want to have them repaired before you can fix your own garage doors.
Check the Garage Door Operating Position
Once you have your inspection of the cables completed, you’ll want to inspect the operating position of your garage door to make sure that it’s open as far as it can go. This is especially important if the problem that’s causing your garage door to break down is something related to the door itself. A broken cable or worn-out components in your garage door might result in your garage door being inoperable at a certain height. In this case, you’ll want to make sure that your garage door is as far open as it can go before you start working on it.
Clear the Garbage Out of the Trackway
One of the first things you should do before you start repairing your own cable-operated garage door is to clear the garbage out of your garage door trackway. If a cable or chain components are broken somewhere inside your garage door, they’ll need to be cleared out before you can continue working on it.
Change the Roller Bearings
Roller bearings are the parts of your garage door that allow it to roll. If they’re damaged, they’ll cause your garage door to slow down and eventually stop completely. Fortunately, changing the roller bearings is a very simple task that can be completed with minimal fuss. If your roller bearings are damaged, you can simply replace them with new bearings. There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind, however, when you’re replacing your roller bearings. First, make sure to use the correct bearings and the correct bearings for your garage door’s track.
Re-Lubricate the Chain and Sprockets
Once your roller bearings have been changed, you’ll want to lubricate your garage door chain and sprockets. If your garage door chain is damaged, it will cause your garage door to slow down and eventually stop completely. Fortunately, lubricating your garage door chain isn’t a complicated or difficult task, and it can be completed quickly and easily. Simply lubricate the entire length of your chain with a garage door lubricant.
Check Other Parts for Damage or Defects
Once your bearings and chain are lubricated and your roller bearings have been replaced, it’s time to check the rest of your garage door for damage or defects. There are a few other parts of your garage door that you should make sure are in good condition. If your garage door’s springs are damaged, they’ll cause your garage door to stop completely. If your garage door’s rollers are damaged, they’ll cause your door to stop completely. If your garage door’s hinges are damaged, they’ll cause your door to stop completely. If any of these parts are damaged or defective, you’ll want to have them repaired before you can continue working on your garage door.
Repair Cable is A Hassle!
It can be a hassle to get the right gear and repair tools together for a project like this on your own. This is especially the case if your garage door is a cable-operated one. Fortunately, repairing any type of garage door is actually a fairly simple process once you know what you’re doing. All you need are the right tools and equipment, a good understanding of how they work, and some patience.