It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
"cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
come in handy for you someday.
Bill
On Tue, 03 Mar 2015 16:25:57 -0500, Bill <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Mike Marlow wrote:
>> Mike Marlow wrote:
>>> Bill wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have read about those settings in the last few weeks. Even after
>>>> replacing the main spring, I have never tampered with them (I didn't
>>>> even know they were there--and still haven't got on a ladder to
>>>> check). Thank you for sharing your experience! I've had some
>>>> temporary "reversing" issues before too, and now I will attempt to be
>>>> more proactive.
>>> I would certainly look at those adjustments Bill. I've never had -
>>> nor have I ever seen a problem with a garage door opening in the cold
>>> weather if it is adjusted properly. Mine have operated just fine
>>> even through the entire month of February with record setting cold
>>> weather.
>> BTW - there are four adjustments on your opener. They are UP and DOWN
>> force, and UP and DOWN travel limits. They are clearly marked on the
>> opener - usually under the light cover. Could be that two of them are on on
>> side and two on the other - depends on the make and age of the opener, but
>> it will be obvious to you when you get on your ladder. I'd suggest making
>> the adjustments in reasonably small increments - perhaps 1/8 to 1/4 of a
>> turn at a time, then test the travel.
>>
>Mike. I will investigate. Thank you for your suggestions. The "travel"
>is good.
Up or down force may be light, though. Be sure to check that the door
closes when not blocked and reverses with a 2x4 blocking it.
On Wed, 4 Mar 2015 07:28:36 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Puckdropper wrote:
>
>> Couple that with the page and a half of warnings that are nothing but
>> cover-their-butts garbage (sometimes intertwined with real warnings),
>> and it's easy to see why most people have given up reading the manual.
>>
>
>That's the worst part of manuals!
Life! ...particularly given CA prop 65.
On Tue, 3 Mar 2015 17:54:25 -0800, "jloomis" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>My first thought was grease.
>I had repaired several doors that folks complained about.
>They worked for year, they would report.
>Well, after oiled the wheel bearings, tightening all the loose screws,
>checking the track for alignment
>and tightness, the doors worked perfectly.
>Yes, some had issues with electric eye, and loose wires, etc. but moth were
>easily repaired with a little overdue maintenance.
>john
>
>"Bill" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
>27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
>door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
>problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
>"cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
>scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
>come in handy for you someday.
Friend has had to replace the spring on his door, problem is the being
a wood door.
">Yes, some had issues with electric eye, and loose wires, etc. but
moth were easily repaired with a little overdue maintenance."
Actually I have had moths and other bugs cause me problem with the
opener, I just found john's typo amusing.
Mark
"Mike Marlow" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
>
> Funny, isn't it - how such a simple and obvious thing becomes a thread
> here? Do people even look at owner's manuals anymore - hell - they're
> available for free on line...
>
This is the kind of thing that manual readers are used to seeing:
OPERATION AND CONTROL
Caution: Avoid out of control, in control of four-axis aircraft needs to
always be careful when moving slowly operate the remote control, remote
control aircraft lost a bit of momentum in the process, so you can add a
little extra gas to make micro four-axis flight exercises to maintain a
certain height.
Kinda makes you want to give up and figure it out for yourself, doesn't
it?
Couple that with the page and a half of warnings that are nothing but
cover-their-butts garbage (sometimes intertwined with real warnings), and
it's easy to see why most people have given up reading the manual.
I'm not even going to mention the many different languages... Is that the
international equivalent to using really big text on a 10 page report?
Puckdropper
--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.
On Wed, 04 Mar 2015 14:41:49 +0000, Spalted Walt <[email protected]> wrote:
>If these folks can do it, ANYONE can do it! lol
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw9A7LE-oE4
Some clarification on that last video. Although they were successful,
they did NOT need to remove the whole opener, nor should they have
hammered the roll pin out while it was still mounted in the opener!
On Monday, March 2, 2015 at 8:16:16 PM UTC-5, Bill wrote:
> It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and=20
> 27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the=20
> door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a=
=20
> problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a=
=20
> "cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to=20
> scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will=
=20
> come in handy for you someday.
>=20
> Bill
My problem was the opposite: closing the door in the cold.
When my kids were young, I always kept the down force on my GDO set at the =
absolute minimum to allow the door to close all the way. I remember that ev=
ery winter I would have to tweak that setting or the door would reverse in =
very cold weather. I attributed it to everything being just a little stiffe=
r, the grease being not quite as fluid, etc. Just a little more down force =
and the door would close all the way instead of reversing at somewhat rando=
m points along the downward travel.
On Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 1:19:33 AM UTC-5, Bill wrote:
> Mike Marlow wrote:
> > Funny, isn't it - how such a simple and obvious thing becomes a thread
> > here?
>
> Matters that are close to being "simple and obvious" encourage thinking.
> Matters that are not, like the price of gas in California, do not.
> To bring this on-topic, given the choice to study a chair or a joint, it
> would be more productive to start with the latter.
>
That's what I suggested:
Start with a latter....err...I mean...a ladder, and adjust the up/down force.
On Wed, 4 Mar 2015 10:41:04 -0500, "Mike Marlow" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Unless you bought your opener from an installation and repair company, it is
>most likely a Chamberlain design - they are the manufacturer for 90% of the
>openers on the market and the internal design has not changed in decades.
+1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBzg685EX_s
On Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 5:33:05 PM UTC-5, Bill wrote:
> G. Ross wrote:
> > If you pull the disconnect lever, how hard is it to raise by hand? If
> > it is really heavy, the spring may need to be tightened (adjusted). If
> > it is a coil spring across and over the door, it can be tightened to
> > counter-balance the door's weight. That is a dangerous procedure, but
> > it can be done. NEVER paint this type of spring. The coils will
> > stick together and negate a lots of the torque. DAMHIKT.
>
> I was in fact thinking of putting oil on the spring--which I did not do
> when I installed it. I think there are several factors possibly
> involved. But the spring is high on the list. I don't need to use the
> garage door bad enough in cold weather to tamper with the spring. Having
> replaced the spring myself, I know exactly what is involved.
Please try the simple stuff first:
Adjust the up-down force. In another post you said:
"...on one cold night a few weeks ago, I could only get it to go up
half-way. And I tested it the other day when it was warmer, and it went
all the way up on the first try ..."
Classic symptom for the up-down force being just a tad too light. Don't over-complicate this.
On Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at 6:46:14 PM UTC-5, Bill wrote:
> You made an interesting post Spalted Walt.
>=20
> FWIW, mine would only go half-way up when it was really cold (0 F.) I=20
> have had a few experiences in the summer when it would reverse on me. I=
=20
> don't use it much in the winter.
>=20
> Depending on how hard it is to get the cover off, I'll check for "snow".=
=20
> "People" have so much "stuff" out there, that it is not easy to get to=20
> (an understatement).
>=20
> Thanks for all of the advise from everyone who volunteered some. I'm=20
> that much smarter and wiser.
>=20
> Bill
BTW...this is not related to your problem, it's just a tip related to hangi=
ng a GDO:
We have a bedroom above our garage. When they boys lived at home that was t=
heir room. The GDO was originally hung from slotted angle iron that was dir=
ectly attached to the joists. Whenever the GDO was used, the noise was tran=
smitted up into the boy's room and often woke them up.
The brake pads for Soap Box Derby cars are 3" x 3" squares made from rubber=
conveyor belt material and are very strong.
http://www.aasbd.net/PDGImages/B07.JPG
I cut a brake pad in half and using the exiting holes, attached one end to =
the angle iron and the other end to the GDO, isolating it from the joists.
The noise reduction was impressive. The same pads has been in place for ove=
r 25 years and show absolutely no sign of wear. I still have the safety cha=
ins attached just in case, but I'm not concerned.
>It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
>27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
>door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
>problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
>"cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
>scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
>come in handy for you someday.
>
>Bill
It's a curious behaviour. What size & type of garage door ?
.. perhaps a wide, jointed door might suffer from stiffening
in all the panel connections < ? > from the cold temps.
John T.
--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: [email protected] ---
On Wed, 4 Mar 2015 12:04:01 -0500, "Mike Marlow" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>The gear replacement is in address
>of an entirely different problem and set of symptoms. From what you've
>posted - not revelant to your issue.
Not sure what "set of symptoms" your GDO exhibited before failure but
mine was misbehaving exactly as Bill has described, including
occasionally reversing directions, mid-cycle, in cold weather only.
The 1st winter I ignored it. The 2nd winter I tweaked the force
adjustment about a 1/16 of a turn which seemed to help. The 3rd winter
it stared doing it again, and I again tweaked the adjustment another
1/16 turn.
However, one cold morning I pushed the button to raise the garage
door, the door opened about knee high and stopped, but I could hear
the motor humming/straining/buzzing until I pushed the wall mounted
button again. I tried pushing the button a few more times, I could
hear the motor straining but the door was not budging in either
direction. I pulled the rope to disengage the trolley, removing any
possibility the door rollers were seized. The motor still would not
move the chain at all.
Thus began my quest! After several hours Googling, forum reading,
youtube watching, I was stumped. I vividly remember reading several
forum posts like "Oh, you'll know when your opener gear strips, you'll
try to open your door and you'll hear your motor spinning freely but
your door won't move." Which was very different from what I was
experiencing. My motor was NOT spining freely, it seemed to be seized.
Fortunately, I also read a couple of posts that said to remove the GDO
cover and peek inside, "if it looks like someone tossed a handful of
snow in there, you know you've got a gear problem." Mine resembled a
small blizzard! Here are couple of examples (not mine):
http://www.dwdav.com/lifter/DSCN2676.jpg
http://goldengaragedoor.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Stripped-Gear-In-Motor.jpg
In closing I would just add that I think the force adjustment should
be used *sparingly* as it exists mainly as a safety device, used for
the initial installation setup. It should not be used to mask symptoms
of ongoing mechanical problems.
On 3/3/2015 11:27 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
> DerbyDad03 wrote:
>> On Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 5:33:05 PM UTC-5, Bill wrote:
>>> G. Ross wrote:
>>>> If you pull the disconnect lever, how hard is it to raise by hand?
>>>> If it is really heavy, the spring may need to be tightened
>>>> (adjusted). If it is a coil spring across and over the door, it can
>>>> be tightened to counter-balance the door's weight. That is a
>>>> dangerous procedure, but it can be done. NEVER paint this type of
>>>> spring. The coils will stick together and negate a lots of the
>>>> torque. DAMHIKT.
>>>
>>> I was in fact thinking of putting oil on the spring--which I did not
>>> do when I installed it. I think there are several factors possibly
>>> involved. But the spring is high on the list. I don't need to use
>>> the garage door bad enough in cold weather to tamper with the
>>> spring. Having replaced the spring myself, I know exactly what is
>>> involved.
>>
>> Please try the simple stuff first:
>>
>> Adjust the up-down force. In another post you said:
>>
>> "...on one cold night a few weeks ago, I could only get it to go up
>> half-way. And I tested it the other day when it was warmer, and it
>> went
>> all the way up on the first try ..."
>>
>> Classic symptom for the up-down force being just a tad too light.
>> Don't over-complicate this.
>
> Wait - we're talking with Bill here - he's the king of over-complicating
> things.
>
+1
--
Jeff
On Mon, 02 Mar 2015 20:15:13 -0500, Bill <[email protected]> wrote:
>It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
>27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
>door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
>problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
>"cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
>scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
>come in handy for you someday.
>
>Bill
Those cold weather symptoms are *exactly* what I experienced on my
chain-driven garage door! The good news is the fix was easy and very
inexpensive. The bad news (for me) was I ignored the symptoms for a
couple of winters because when spring/summer arrived the symptoms
would disappear, my opener finally failed (stripped gear) in winter
2014. I saved all the web links I used to repair and will make them
available to you at no charge... ;-)
If you have a Chamberlain, Liftmaster, or Sears/Craftsman chain
driven door:
Check the balance of the door, over time the torsion spring(s) loose
tension and the door becomes 'heavy' which stresses the crap out of
the opener gear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpNT0zX5NF8
If your door is not balanced (I'm betting it isn't) adjust it as shown here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiZvXfMCmgs
For winding sticks I bought one of these and sawzalled in half:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Crown-Bolt-1-2-in-x-36-in-Plain-Steel-Round-Rod-48130/202183512
If you have a Chamberlain, Liftmaster, Sears/Craftsman chain driven
door, you will eventually HAVE to replace the $5 nylon drive gear. I
got mine here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/41A2817-DRIVE-GEAR-For-Chamberlain-Liftmaster-Sears-Craftsman-Garage-Door-Opener-/171494005080
The whole kit, which I also bought but didn't need, is here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Garage-Door-Opener-Gear-Kit-41A2817-for-LiftMaster-Chamberlain-Sears-Craftsman-/151371286039
I used these videos as guides:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMPFJcdyJk0
Gear only replacement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME0oNFsORCo
If these folks can do it, ANYONE can do it! lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw9A7LE-oE4
Leon wrote:
> On 3/2/2015 7:15 PM, Bill wrote:
>> It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
>> 27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
>> door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
>> problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
>> "cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
>> scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
>> come in handy for you someday.
>>
>> Bill
>
>
> Maybe not the springs so much as the grease in the wheel bearings
> being some what thick as molasses. Unless you have a Wayne Dalton
> door that has captured springs inside a lubed up tube.
I doubt that the wheels on the left and right hand sides even have
bearings, but I will spray them with silicone on a nicer day. The ones
in the middle most probably do, as they are the ones really taking the
force. The ones on the side are, more or less, there for guidance, I think.
DerbyDad03 wrote:
> On Monday, March 2, 2015 at 8:16:16 PM UTC-5, Bill wrote:
>> It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
>> 27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
>> door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
>> problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
>> "cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
>> scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
>> come in handy for you someday.
>>
>> Bill
> My problem was the opposite: closing the door in the cold.
>
> When my kids were young, I always kept the down force on my GDO set at the absolute minimum to allow the door to close all the way. I remember that every winter I would have to tweak that setting or the door would reverse in very cold weather. I attributed it to everything being just a little stiffer, the grease being not quite as fluid, etc. Just a little more down force and the door would close all the way instead of reversing at somewhat random points along the downward travel.
I have read about those settings in the last few weeks. Even after
replacing the main spring, I have never tampered with them (I didn't
even know they were there--and still haven't got on a ladder to check).
Thank you for sharing your experience! I've had some temporary
"reversing" issues before too, and now I will attempt to be more proactive.
Bill wrote:
>
> I have read about those settings in the last few weeks. Even after
> replacing the main spring, I have never tampered with them (I didn't
> even know they were there--and still haven't got on a ladder to
> check). Thank you for sharing your experience! I've had some
> temporary "reversing" issues before too, and now I will attempt to be
> more proactive.
I would certainly look at those adjustments Bill. I've never had - nor have
I ever seen a problem with a garage door opening in the cold weather if it
is adjusted properly. Mine have operated just fine even through the entire
month of February with record setting cold weather.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Mike Marlow wrote:
> Bill wrote:
>
>>
>> I have read about those settings in the last few weeks. Even after
>> replacing the main spring, I have never tampered with them (I didn't
>> even know they were there--and still haven't got on a ladder to
>> check). Thank you for sharing your experience! I've had some
>> temporary "reversing" issues before too, and now I will attempt to be
>> more proactive.
>
> I would certainly look at those adjustments Bill. I've never had -
> nor have I ever seen a problem with a garage door opening in the cold
> weather if it is adjusted properly. Mine have operated just fine
> even through the entire month of February with record setting cold
> weather.
BTW - there are four adjustments on your opener. They are UP and DOWN
force, and UP and DOWN travel limits. They are clearly marked on the
opener - usually under the light cover. Could be that two of them are on on
side and two on the other - depends on the make and age of the opener, but
it will be obvious to you when you get on your ladder. I'd suggest making
the adjustments in reasonably small increments - perhaps 1/8 to 1/4 of a
turn at a time, then test the travel.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
hubops wrote:
>
>> It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
>> 27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
>> door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
>> problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
>> "cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
>> scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
>> come in handy for you someday.
>>
>> Bill
>
> It's a curious behaviour. What size & type of garage door ?
> .. perhaps a wide, jointed door might suffer from stiffening
> in all the panel connections < ? > from the cold temps.
> John T.
>
You may be right. It is a wide, jointed door (with 1 spring). Either
way, on one cold night a few weeks ago, I could only get it to go up
half-way. And I tested it the other day when it was warmer, and it went
all the way up on the first try (bringing a smile to my face!) ; )
Mike Marlow wrote:
> Mike Marlow wrote:
>> Bill wrote:
>>
>>> I have read about those settings in the last few weeks. Even after
>>> replacing the main spring, I have never tampered with them (I didn't
>>> even know they were there--and still haven't got on a ladder to
>>> check). Thank you for sharing your experience! I've had some
>>> temporary "reversing" issues before too, and now I will attempt to be
>>> more proactive.
>> I would certainly look at those adjustments Bill. I've never had -
>> nor have I ever seen a problem with a garage door opening in the cold
>> weather if it is adjusted properly. Mine have operated just fine
>> even through the entire month of February with record setting cold
>> weather.
> BTW - there are four adjustments on your opener. They are UP and DOWN
> force, and UP and DOWN travel limits. They are clearly marked on the
> opener - usually under the light cover. Could be that two of them are on on
> side and two on the other - depends on the make and age of the opener, but
> it will be obvious to you when you get on your ladder. I'd suggest making
> the adjustments in reasonably small increments - perhaps 1/8 to 1/4 of a
> turn at a time, then test the travel.
>
Mike. I will investigate. Thank you for your suggestions. The "travel"
is good.
G. Ross wrote:
> If you pull the disconnect lever, how hard is it to raise by hand? If
> it is really heavy, the spring may need to be tightened (adjusted). If
> it is a coil spring across and over the door, it can be tightened to
> counter-balance the door's weight. That is a dangerous procedure, but
> it can be done. NEVER paint this type of spring. The coils will
> stick together and negate a lots of the torque. DAMHIKT.
I was in fact thinking of putting oil on the spring--which I did not do
when I installed it. I think there are several factors possibly
involved. But the spring is high on the list. I don't need to use the
garage door bad enough in cold weather to tamper with the spring. Having
replaced the spring myself, I know exactly what is involved.
My first thought was grease.
I had repaired several doors that folks complained about.
They worked for year, they would report.
Well, after oiled the wheel bearings, tightening all the loose screws,
checking the track for alignment
and tightness, the doors worked perfectly.
Yes, some had issues with electric eye, and loose wires, etc. but moth were
easily repaired with a little overdue maintenance.
john
"Bill" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
"cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
come in handy for you someday.
Bill
DerbyDad03 wrote:
> On Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 5:33:05 PM UTC-5, Bill wrote:
>> G. Ross wrote:
>>> If you pull the disconnect lever, how hard is it to raise by hand?
>>> If it is really heavy, the spring may need to be tightened
>>> (adjusted). If it is a coil spring across and over the door, it can
>>> be tightened to counter-balance the door's weight. That is a
>>> dangerous procedure, but it can be done. NEVER paint this type of
>>> spring. The coils will stick together and negate a lots of the
>>> torque. DAMHIKT.
>>
>> I was in fact thinking of putting oil on the spring--which I did not
>> do when I installed it. I think there are several factors possibly
>> involved. But the spring is high on the list. I don't need to use
>> the garage door bad enough in cold weather to tamper with the
>> spring. Having replaced the spring myself, I know exactly what is
>> involved.
>
> Please try the simple stuff first:
>
> Adjust the up-down force. In another post you said:
>
> "...on one cold night a few weeks ago, I could only get it to go up
> half-way. And I tested it the other day when it was warmer, and it
> went
> all the way up on the first try ..."
>
> Classic symptom for the up-down force being just a tad too light.
> Don't over-complicate this.
Wait - we're talking with Bill here - he's the king of over-complicating
things.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
[email protected] wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Mar 2015 16:25:57 -0500, Bill <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> Mike Marlow wrote:
>>> Mike Marlow wrote:
>>>> Bill wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have read about those settings in the last few weeks. Even
>>>>> after replacing the main spring, I have never tampered with them
>>>>> (I didn't even know they were there--and still haven't got on a
>>>>> ladder to check). Thank you for sharing your experience! I've
>>>>> had some temporary "reversing" issues before too, and now I will
>>>>> attempt to be more proactive.
>>>> I would certainly look at those adjustments Bill. I've never had -
>>>> nor have I ever seen a problem with a garage door opening in the
>>>> cold weather if it is adjusted properly. Mine have operated just
>>>> fine even through the entire month of February with record setting
>>>> cold weather.
>>> BTW - there are four adjustments on your opener. They are UP and
>>> DOWN force, and UP and DOWN travel limits. They are clearly marked
>>> on the opener - usually under the light cover. Could be that two
>>> of them are on on side and two on the other - depends on the make
>>> and age of the opener, but it will be obvious to you when you get
>>> on your ladder. I'd suggest making the adjustments in reasonably
>>> small increments - perhaps 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn at a time, then
>>> test the travel.
>>>
>> Mike. I will investigate. Thank you for your suggestions. The
>> "travel" is good.
>
> Up or down force may be light, though. Be sure to check that the door
> closes when not blocked and reverses with a 2x4 blocking it.
Funny, isn't it - how such a simple and obvious thing becomes a thread here?
Do people even look at owner's manuals anymore - hell - they're available
for free on line...
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Mike Marlow wrote:
> Funny, isn't it - how such a simple and obvious thing becomes a thread
> here?
Matters that are close to being "simple and obvious" encourage thinking.
Matters that are not, like the price of gas in California, do not.
To bring this on-topic, given the choice to study a chair or a joint, it
would be more productive to start with the latter.
> Do people even look at owner's manuals anymore - hell - they're
> available for free on line...
Bill wrote:
> Mike Marlow wrote:
>> Wait - we're talking with Bill here - he's the king of
>> over-complicating things.
>
> Gee, thanks Mike. "King... "
Tickle, tickle...
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Puckdropper wrote:
> Couple that with the page and a half of warnings that are nothing but
> cover-their-butts garbage (sometimes intertwined with real warnings),
> and it's easy to see why most people have given up reading the manual.
>
That's the worst part of manuals!
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Bill wrote:
> Mike Marlow wrote:
>> Funny, isn't it - how such a simple and obvious thing becomes a
>> thread here?
>
> Matters that are close to being "simple and obvious" encourage
> thinking. Matters that are not, like the price of gas in California,
> do not.
> To bring this on-topic, given the choice to study a chair or a joint,
> it would be more productive to start with the latter.
>
>> Do people even look at owner's manuals anymore - hell - they're
>> available for free on line...
It just surprised me Bill - you're the guy I would most expect to study an
owner's manual on a product that you don't understand or are having a
problem with.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Spalted Walt wrote:
>
> If you have a Chamberlain, Liftmaster, Sears/Craftsman chain driven
> door, you will eventually HAVE to replace the $5 nylon drive gear.
Roger Dat! I had to replace mine at around 15 years or so. Maybe a little
longer - can't really remember. I took mine down to do the job because I
was not sure what I was going to be getting into, but if I have to do it
again (when I have to...), I'll just do it up in the ceiling as was depicted
in the video that Spalted Walt provided.
Unless you bought your opener from an installation and repair company, it is
most likely a Chamberlain design - they are the manufacturer for 90% of the
openers on the market and the internal design has not changed in decades.
My local overhead door company stocks the gears even though they try to sell
a different and more expensive opener on their installs. I think their
price was under $10 for the gear. When I did mine, I had a salvaged unit
that I had removed from my mother's garage and that I had kept for parts. I
just removed the gear from the salvage unit and installed in on the shaft of
my opener. The gears are the same for all of the different horse power
ratings made by Chamberlain, so don't worry about that. Mine are 1/2HP
openers and the salvage opener was 1/3HP - same internal mechanism.
In my opinion, the biggest PITA associated with doing this job is farting
around adjusting the chain slack in the end. It's just kind of a greasy job
and one of those jobs that you have to do in small increments because you
can only get about 1/4 of a turn on the wrench when tightening or loosening
the adjuster. I have little patience for this kind of thing...
Since these Chamberlains are guaranteed to need the gear replaced at some
time during the useful life of the opener, it's good to be aware of this
procedure. The opener itself should be good for around 20 years (or maybe
better said - at least 20 years), notwithstanding the gear replacement
issue. For under $10, you renew a perfectly good opener and get more life
out of it.
One last hint - while you have the cover off the opener - cycle it and
look/listen for sources of rattle. You can quiet these openers down
considerably with a little judicious use of bending some metal, a little
RTV, etc. in the areas that tend to rattle when in use. Just watch your
fingers...
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Spalted Walt wrote:
> On Wed, 4 Mar 2015 10:41:04 -0500, "Mike Marlow" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> Unless you bought your opener from an installation and repair company, it is
>> most likely a Chamberlain design - they are the manufacturer for 90% of the
>> openers on the market and the internal design has not changed in decades.
> +1
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBzg685EX_s
Thank you. I will watch the video! I believe I do have one of a
Chamberlain design.
And Mike M., remember when I first started this thread, I did not post
with a problem.
But, maybe I have one after all. I will watch the video later today.
Bill
>
Bill wrote:
> Spalted Walt wrote:
>> On Wed, 4 Mar 2015 10:41:04 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Unless you bought your opener from an installation and repair
>>> company, it is most likely a Chamberlain design - they are the
>>> manufacturer for 90% of the openers on the market and the internal
>>> design has not changed in decades.
>> +1
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBzg685EX_s
>
> Thank you. I will watch the video! I believe I do have one of a
> Chamberlain design.
>
> And Mike M., remember when I first started this thread, I did not post
> with a problem.
> But, maybe I have one after all. I will watch the video later today.
>
From your earlier post Bill - I suspect you just need to adjust your up/down
force - but I can't see the unit, so that is really just a guess based on
what I read.
If you were to have asked my advice - which you did not, so it I will not
offer it to you... but IF you had, I would have suggested you get up on your
ladder before you even bother to watch the video. Make the adjustments and
I bet those will fix you up plenty well.. The gear replacement is in address
of an entirely different problem and set of symptoms. From what you've
posted - not revelant to your issue.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
You made an interesting post Spalted Walt.
FWIW, mine would only go half-way up when it was really cold (0 F.) I
have had a few experiences in the summer when it would reverse on me. I
don't use it much in the winter.
Depending on how hard it is to get the cover off, I'll check for "snow".
"People" have so much "stuff" out there, that it is not easy to get to
(an understatement).
Thanks for all of the advise from everyone who volunteered some. I'm
that much smarter and wiser.
Bill
Spalted Walt wrote:
>
> Not sure what "set of symptoms" your GDO exhibited before failure but
> mine was misbehaving exactly as Bill has described, including
> occasionally reversing directions, mid-cycle, in cold weather only.
> The 1st winter I ignored it. The 2nd winter I tweaked the force
> adjustment about a 1/16 of a turn which seemed to help. The 3rd winter
> it stared doing it again, and I again tweaked the adjustment another
> 1/16 turn.
>
Interesting. Mine exhibited completely different symptoms. Mine did not
show any reluctance to open or close prior to the failure, rather it was a
sudden event. Went to open or close it one day and the motor just hummed as
the unit was jammed up. It was full of disintegrated nylon inside, just as
yours was, so it had been failing for a while, but I never had to make any
adjustments in order for it to open or close properly. If I recall, mine
failed in the summertime which may have made a difference since you saw your
symptoms predominantly in the colder weather.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
Bill wrote:
> You made an interesting post Spalted Walt.
>
> FWIW, mine would only go half-way up when it was really cold (0 F.) I
> have had a few experiences in the summer when it would reverse on me.
> I don't use it much in the winter.
>
> Depending on how hard it is to get the cover off, I'll check for
> "snow". "People" have so much "stuff" out there, that it is not easy
> to get to (an understatement).
>
You'll be fine Bill - the cover is easy to get off on the Chamberlain
design. Just unplug it from the outlet first.
--
-Mike-
[email protected]
On 3/4/2015 7:38 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> On Tue, 3 Mar 2015 23:35:52 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> [email protected] wrote:
>>> On Tue, 03 Mar 2015 16:25:57 -0500, Bill <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Mike Marlow wrote:
>>>>> Mike Marlow wrote:
>>>>>> Bill wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have read about those settings in the last few weeks. Even
>>>>>>> after replacing the main spring, I have never tampered with them
>>>>>>> (I didn't even know they were there--and still haven't got on a
>>>>>>> ladder to check). Thank you for sharing your experience! I've
>>>>>>> had some temporary "reversing" issues before too, and now I will
>>>>>>> attempt to be more proactive.
>>>>>> I would certainly look at those adjustments Bill. I've never had -
>>>>>> nor have I ever seen a problem with a garage door opening in the
>>>>>> cold weather if it is adjusted properly. Mine have operated just
>>>>>> fine even through the entire month of February with record setting
>>>>>> cold weather.
>>>>> BTW - there are four adjustments on your opener. They are UP and
>>>>> DOWN force, and UP and DOWN travel limits. They are clearly marked
>>>>> on the opener - usually under the light cover. Could be that two
>>>>> of them are on on side and two on the other - depends on the make
>>>>> and age of the opener, but it will be obvious to you when you get
>>>>> on your ladder. I'd suggest making the adjustments in reasonably
>>>>> small increments - perhaps 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn at a time, then
>>>>> test the travel.
>>>>>
>>>> Mike. I will investigate. Thank you for your suggestions. The
>>>> "travel" is good.
>>>
>>> Up or down force may be light, though. Be sure to check that the door
>>> closes when not blocked and reverses with a 2x4 blocking it.
>>
>> Funny, isn't it - how such a simple and obvious thing becomes a thread here?
>> Do people even look at owner's manuals anymore - hell - they're available
>> for free on line...
>
> Sometimes ya' just gotta state the obvious. ;-)
>
Instructions and owners manuals are for sissy's. ;~)
On 3/2/2015 7:15 PM, Bill wrote:
> It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
> 27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
> door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
> problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
> "cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
> scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
> come in handy for you someday.
>
> Bill
Maybe not the springs so much as the grease in the wheel bearings being
some what thick as molasses. Unless you have a Wayne Dalton door that
has captured springs inside a lubed up tube.
On Tue, 3 Mar 2015 23:35:52 -0500, "Mike Marlow"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>[email protected] wrote:
>> On Tue, 03 Mar 2015 16:25:57 -0500, Bill <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Mike Marlow wrote:
>>>> Mike Marlow wrote:
>>>>> Bill wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I have read about those settings in the last few weeks. Even
>>>>>> after replacing the main spring, I have never tampered with them
>>>>>> (I didn't even know they were there--and still haven't got on a
>>>>>> ladder to check). Thank you for sharing your experience! I've
>>>>>> had some temporary "reversing" issues before too, and now I will
>>>>>> attempt to be more proactive.
>>>>> I would certainly look at those adjustments Bill. I've never had -
>>>>> nor have I ever seen a problem with a garage door opening in the
>>>>> cold weather if it is adjusted properly. Mine have operated just
>>>>> fine even through the entire month of February with record setting
>>>>> cold weather.
>>>> BTW - there are four adjustments on your opener. They are UP and
>>>> DOWN force, and UP and DOWN travel limits. They are clearly marked
>>>> on the opener - usually under the light cover. Could be that two
>>>> of them are on on side and two on the other - depends on the make
>>>> and age of the opener, but it will be obvious to you when you get
>>>> on your ladder. I'd suggest making the adjustments in reasonably
>>>> small increments - perhaps 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn at a time, then
>>>> test the travel.
>>>>
>>> Mike. I will investigate. Thank you for your suggestions. The
>>> "travel" is good.
>>
>> Up or down force may be light, though. Be sure to check that the door
>> closes when not blocked and reverses with a 2x4 blocking it.
>
>Funny, isn't it - how such a simple and obvious thing becomes a thread here?
>Do people even look at owner's manuals anymore - hell - they're available
>for free on line...
Sometimes ya' just gotta state the obvious. ;-)
Bill wrote:
> hubops wrote:
>>
>>> It has been observed that the difference between 2-degrees and
>>> 27-degrees is enough to assist an electric garage door in getting the
>>> door from half-way up to all of the way up. Closing the door was never a
>>> problem. I'm sure the engineers can probably help me understand that a
>>> "cold spring" doesn't have as much energy in it. Anyhow, I get to
>>> scratch that "problem report" from the list! Maybe this information will
>>> come in handy for you someday.
>>>
>>> Bill
>>
>> It's a curious behaviour. What size & type of garage door ?
>> .. perhaps a wide, jointed door might suffer from stiffening
>> in all the panel connections < ? > from the cold temps.
>> John T.
>>
> You may be right. It is a wide, jointed door (with 1 spring). Either
> way, on one cold night a few weeks ago, I could only get it to go up
> half-way. And I tested it the other day when it was warmer, and it went
> all the way up on the first try (bringing a smile to my face!) ; )
>
>
If you pull the disconnect lever, how hard is it to raise by hand? If
it is really heavy, the spring may need to be tightened (adjusted).
If it is a coil spring across and over the door, it can be tightened
to counter-balance the door's weight. That is a dangerous procedure,
but it can be done. NEVER paint this type of spring. The coils will
stick together and negate a lots of the torque. DAMHIKT.
--
GW Ross
Frisbeetarianism is the belief that
when you die, your soul goes up on
the roof and gets stuck.