My garage door is about 5 years old. Although it closes all the way, I noticed that one side is about 1-2 inches off the ground when it does. There are two springs mounted above the inside of the door and they appear to be intact. The door opens and closes like normal and appears level when it is half-way down. I looked at the cable drums on either side of the spring bar and it looks like one is un-wound about 2 inches more than the other one when the door is all they way down. I see two nuts on this wheel, and it looks like if I loosen it, I can let out about 2” of slack when the door is down to make it even again.

Is this a correct assumption? I’ve heard that adjusting garage doors can be very dangerous, especially when adjusting the actual garage door springs.

Thanks,

Steve in Brandon

Answer:

You are correct in that the problem is with your cable drums. Your torsion spring shaft is most likely not keyed, so over time cable drums to slip on hollow shafts, causing the door to move out of alignment.

You are also correct that this adjustment is potentially very dangerous. You are incorrect in trying to let out the slack on the other cable drum to “match the slack” in the other drum. You must draw up the slack in the affected cable drum to rebalance the door.

Before you can rebalance the door by adjusting the cable drums, you must take out the tension or “backwind” both garage door springs. The torsion springs are under EXTREME TENSION and it is highly recommended that even the most adept “do-it-your-selfer” call a licensed garage door repair company to make this adjustment. The repair should not cost much more than $100, unless you have lived with this problem to long and damage has occurred in other areas of your garage door system.

Warning to all consumers:
If a garage door company inspects your issue and they are claiming it will cost several hundred dollars to repair, it is recommended to get a secondary estimate from a locally owned and operated company. Many garage door repair companies that operate under a franchise have minimum quotas they must reach on every job that far surpass a minimal service charge.

- Certified Garage Door, Inc

Tags: Broken Cable, Broken Garage Door Spring, DIY Garage Door Repair, Garage Door Cable, Garage Door Cable Drum, Garage Door Service, Garage Door Torsion Spring, Garage Doors
Posted in Symptoms and Problems

WARNING! Manual winding of your garage door torsion spring during adjustment or installation is extremely difficult and dangerous.

Please call a trained, experienced professional to make necessary adjustments.

TIP: Help ensure the safety of your family and property, please call us at Certified Garage Door Inc. so we may send one of our professional garage door technicians to inspect and service or replace your garage door torsion springs.

Tags: Broken Cable, Broken Garage Door Spring, Garage Door Cable, Garage Door Cable Drum, Garage Door Service, Garage Door Torsion Spring, Garage Doors
Posted in Safety Tips

TIP: Beware of your old springs! Remember that garage door torsion springs are tightly wound and under high tension. Eventually, even the highest quality springs will wear-out and break. When one of your springs do break, make sure you have both of them replaced by a licensed garage door service professional. This will ensure better balance, longevity and safety for your garage door.

Tags: Broken Cable, Broken Garage Door Spring, Garage Door Cable, Garage Door Cable Drum, Garage Door Service, Garage Door Torsion Spring, Garage Doors
Posted in Safety Tips

TIP: If the cables that attach from the spring system to the bottom bracket on either side of your garage door have frayed or worn strips hanging loose, your cables are in danger of breaking, which could cause serious injury or property damage. Have the cables inspected immediately by a trained professional who is aware of the potential dangers.

Tags: Broken Cable, Broken Garage Door Spring, Garage Door Cable, Garage Door Cable Drum, Garage Door Service, Garage Door Torsion Spring, Garage Doors
Posted in Safety Tips

TIP: A faulty garage door reversing mechanism on your garage door opener could harm your family or your property if they are underneath a closing garage door. Newer garage door openers have a photo eye reversing mechanism. Reversing mechanisms can either be activated by breaking the beam between the two photo eyes located at the base of the garage door tracks, or by applying enough resistance on the moving door to engage the reversing mechanism. Certified Garage Door Inc recommends that you have your garage door opener professionally installed and perform monthly maintenance and safety inspections to ensure safe operation of your garage door and garage door opener.

Tags: Garage Door Cable Drum, Garage Door Opener Safety Beam, Garage Door Opener Service, Garage Door Openers, Garage Door Safety Beam, Garage Door Service, Infrared Safety Beam, New Garage Door
Posted in Safety Tips