How to Muffle a Noisy Garage-Door Opener In this how-to video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows how to cut the clamor of a noisy garage-door opener In this video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains how to muffle a noisy garage-door opener. 1 Unplug the motor of the garage-door opener. 2 Place stepladder under garage-door opener motor; set wood block on top of ladder. 3 Unbolt and lower motor from mounting straps; set motor on top of wood blocks. 4 Disconnect door-track mounting bracket from wall. 5 Place rubber pad behind mounting bracket and reattach it to the wall. 6 Hang the motor from the mounting straps using rubber pads. 7 Remove the stepladder and wood blocking. 8 Test the operation of the garage-door opener. Tools for Muffling a Noisy Garage-Door Opener Jigsaw with metal-cutting blade used to cut thick rubber pad Ratchet wrench with assorted sockets for removing hex-head fasteners
Combination wrenches in assorted sizes for removing hex-head fasteners 1. Dense rubber pads, used to dampen vibration and noise from garage-door opener are placed on ladder to support motor of garage-door openerThe garage door opener does NOT run from the wall console.– Plug a lamp into outlet used for powerhead. If lamp works, power source is OK. – If not, check fuse or circuit breaker. If power is OK, – Check connections at powerhead terminals and at wall console. Check for reversed, broken or cut wires. Staples can cut insulation and short wires. The garage door opener runs, but door does not move. The garage door opener works from wall console, but NOT from remote. Make sure carriage is engages with chain/belt bullet. Check to make sure chain/belt in not broken or OFF its pulley. Check all garage door opener remotes. Replace garage door opener remote battery with a good one. Program garage door remotes to powerhead.
The garage door opener remote has less than 25 feet operating range or no operation. Relocate the garage door opener remote inside the car and /or point remote at the garage door. Replace the battery in the garage door opener remote. Reposition garage door opener antenna. Eliminate possible competing signals (satellite radio, etc.) The garage door starts down, then STOPS and goes back up. If a your garage door opener is a NEW installation, check the Door Arm position. Check if limits are properly set. Check if the Safe-T- Beam® red LED is flashing. Check the Safe-T-Beam® system for beam obstruction or misalignment of lenses. Check the garage door for binding. If an operational problem exists, and the garage door opener will not close, the garage door opener can be forced to close as follows: Press and hold the wall control button until door is completely closed. Check for interference from adjacent Safe-T-Beam® units.
The garage door starts up, but STOPS before it is completely open. Be sure the garage door, the garage door opener, and the springs are in good condition, properly lubricated and balanced. Check closing, “FORCE” adjustment. WARNING: If you suspect a problem with the garage door hardware or springs, use the locator to hire a local garage door service professional. NEVER try to repair garage door hardware or springs yourself. The garage door will only run closed. Turn the Sure-Lock™ OFF. Check if the limits are properly set. Check the garage door balance, condition, and garage door spring. Check opening “FORCE” adjustment. locator to hire a local door service professional. NEVER try to repair door hardware or springs yourself. The garage door opener starts for no reason. Button stuck on wall control or remote. Was the garage door opener remote lost or stolen? Erase all remotes from powerhead memory and program new remotes The garage door opener has a noisy operation.
Be sure all door fasteners are tight. Be sure garage door is in good repair, properly lubricated and balanced. Be sure opener is in good repair. The garage door opener runs slow. Check operating condition of the garage door. The garage door may need professional repair/adjustment Have you installed this garage door opener on a one-piece garage door? This garage door opener is not designed to operate a one-piece door.In the past week I had one of those experiences that we all try to avoid but sometimes wind up getting caught in. I was helping a friend get their garage door fixed and wound up getting connected with a company that five minutes of online research would have told me to avoid. Here’s how it happened and how you can avoid it… Anyone who owns a house knows that the garage door will eventually fail. A garage door only has a few components. The door itself is on a set of rollers in a track and is assisted in opening and closing by a set of torsion springs, drums, cables, and the garage door opener.
In most cases if your garage door won’t open, or opens part of the way then shuts, one of the torsion springs has broken. The springs will typically last anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 cycles. Replacing torsion springs can be done by the homeowner but it is not advisable. By the time you get the springs and the correct tools, you would have been better off paying someone to do the job. But the garage door repair industry is riddled with dishonest business operators. In my case I called the number that was on the sticker inside the garage door for “Company A.” The first warning sign I ignored was when my call to a 972 area code (Dallas area) was transferred to a national call center. It was the morning after Thanksgiving and I was wanting to schedule an appointment for later in the afternoon. I ignored another HUGE warning sign in the phone call with “Company A.” I told the operator I had a broken torsion spring on a 16’x7′ metal garage door. I asked what would be a ballpark price just to have the springs replaced.
The operator said they couldn’t provide that information. For anyone reading this post, this should be the time when you politely end the phone call and call another company. A reputable garage door repair company will provide you with a price estimate over the phone for a specific service. Earlier in the morning I had called the repair company I have used at my house, “Company B.” They were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday but the owner called me back later in the day. I informed him I had another company coming out. He spent some time asking questions and told me if they wanted more than $250 for the job they were ripping me off. I thanked him for the information and ignored my instinct to call “Company A” and cancel the scheduled service appointment. The repairman for “Company A” showed up to the house on time and was polite, although he brought his pre-teen son with him for the job. He took a look at the springs and started rattling off repair costs.
Then came the warning sign which let me know it was time for this man to go. He tried to quote me prices for 90-day, 2-year, and lifetime rated springs. This is the oldest scam in the garage door repair industry and is a clear sign you are dealing with a bad business. He rattled off the costs for the repairs so quickly that I asked him to write them down for me. He went out to his truck for a bit and came back with the lowest number at $443 for installing a pair of 90-day springs. I believe the top number was $600 for the lifetime springs (more on that later). I told him I had another quote for a max cost of $250 and that I would need to pay his service fee and send him on his way. His reaction was interesting. He was taken back for a few moments by my refusal of his bid. He then wanted to inspect the rest of the garage elements since he was already there. I had no problems with this because I wanted to hear what he would say. He said that every component on the door was worn out – the drums, the cables, the rollers, and of course the springs.
He then asked, in a polite manner, if I would call “Company B” and ask what it would cost to replace all these items. “Company B” humored his request and said the springs would be $239, drums were $39, rollers were $85 for a set of 10, and the cable was no charge. Their complete repair came in $100 less than his bid for just the springs. I again told the repairman from “Company A” that I would happily pay his service charge and send him on his way. The service charge was $89 but the national operator had told me there was a $40 discount because I got the number from the sticker on the door. I had to talk the repairman into giving me this discount. I ate the $50 fee because it was my mistake not my friend’s mistake. The repairman continued to make his case as we did the paperwork but to his credit he remained polite during the entire process. “Company B” came out the next day and replaced the springs for $239 as quoted. They also replaced the plastic rollers for $85 and said all other components were in good operating condition.
How To Avoid My Mistakes How big is it? Measure how tall and wide it is. What is it made of? Metal, insulated metal, wood. A broken torsion spring will almost always be evident. They are the two dark coils above your door. If it is broken you will see one coil is separated. Give the drums a visual inspection. There is one above each corner of your door with a cable running over it. They should have grooves. If they are smooth they will need to be replaced. Visually inspect the cables. If you see any fraying or damage they need to be replaced. Check out the rollers all along the side of your door. If they are plastic and more than five years old they should probably be replaced. The best rollers have a metal shaft and a neoprene covered roller. The roller looks a bit like an inline skate wheel. If you know your components, you can provide an accurate description of the situation. The repair company should provide a ballpark estimate based on your information.
Ask for them to email you the bid so you have it in writing. If the number you call transfers you to a national call center, hang up! Only deal with local companies that are listed with the BBB. You should also verify membership and current standing with the BBB. A quick search on Google or Yelp will also tell you all you need to know about the company you have contacted. If a company offers you a lifetime spring or a lifetime warranty it is a scam. No spring will last a lifetime. When it comes to garage door torsion springs, a spring is pretty much a spring. The lifetime scam works like this. They charge you an initial price about double the price of a regular spring. What they don’t tell you is that the lifetime warranty is only on the spring. Let’s say in five years your lifetime spring breaks. You call up “Company A” and setup an appointment. The spring is free, but they will charge you an $89 service fee and a $100 installation fee. And here’s the kicker!