Problems · Opener runs
Opener runs but the door won't move
Look at the red release cord. If it's been pulled, the door only needs hooking back up.
Watch the rail
Press the wall button and watch the rail. The trolley is the part that rides along it, hooked to the door's arm.
If the trolley travels and the door doesn't, the cord was pulled and the trolley is unhooked. Hooking it back up is free, and your opener's manual shows how.
If nothing on the rail moves while the motor hums, the problem is inside the opener or in the chain or belt. That one's for us.
Before you reconnect anything, look at the spring above the door. If its coil has a gap, leave everything as it is and call.
If it wasn't the cord
- A stripped drive gear inside the opener, so the motor turns and the chain doesn't
- A snapped chain or belt, often hanging off the rail
Opener repair starts at $209 for most chain and belt drives.
What can raise it
- An opener part that isn't on the truck
- A door out of balance that needs spring work too, since that's what wears a gear down
New gear or new opener?
A new gear makes sense on a younger opener. On a chain drive past 10 years, the same money can go toward a new belt-drive opener, from $765 installed. Openers come with us on the truck, and you'll get both prices at the door before we start.
Questions
What does the red cord on my opener do?
It unhooks the door from the opener so you can move the door by hand, in a power cut for example. Until it's hooked back up, the motor runs without moving the door.
Can I move the door by hand while the opener's broken?
Yes, if the spring above the door is whole. Pull the red cord, lift slowly by the handle and keep your fingers off the joints between panels. If the spring has a gap, leave the door shut and call.
Why does the motor hum but the chain won't move?
The nylon drive gear inside has most likely stripped. That's the usual failure on chain drives past about 10 years, and opener repair starts at $209.