Cold Weather Door Opener Problem..

[Junkman]

One of my overhead garage doors will go up one panel and get stuck, unless I give it some assist. As soon as the temperature is above freezing, it works fine. I have no idea what the problem is at this point. I have lubed the rails and chain to no avail. It is a 1/2 HP Chamberlain chain drive door operator. The door is a 6'8" insulated metal door with a low clearance kit and springs on both sides of the rails.

 

[mhulbrock]

I have the same problem! The lube helped somewhat. Now it works about 80% of the time.

 

[D KRAGER]

Are some of the panels froze together? If so, rub some vegetable oil where the panels contact each other, it will keep them from freezing to each other.

 

[Gary S]

Disconnect the opener and run it up and down by hand. If you feel it sticking somewhere, fix whatever is causing it, and the opener will handle it right again.

 

[Rudyjr]

Disconnect the opener and run it up and down by hand. If you feel it sticking somewhere, fix whatever is causing it, and the opener will handle it right again.

As my good friend and installer says, "The opener is to assist opening the door." Almost always the door is in some need for adjustment and or repair if the opener can not do it.

 

[crankshaftdan II]

Check the side springs when the door is in the open and the closed position. You might have one spring that is busted or going to break. Be cautious as springs can be very dangerous in the extended position, if you don't have a cable going thru the center of the spring and tied off on both ends be "VERY" cautious, if it would break off (Usually at the ring end) it will damage anything that it comes in contact with! You usually have two on each side of door (16') and they fatique with use and they are color coded for certain weights of doors, usually you have to change out in pairs as one new with one old one creates the same problem you just described. I got rid of my old door (masonite=heavy=moisture laden) w/4 springs and went to fully insulated door with two over the header torsion springs(much safer springs on shaft) than to keep replacing sets of side springs at a cost of $25.00ea.. I hope this is not the problem, check all alternatives before you replace door!

 

[andyc]

just curious,what is the temp. inside the garage where the opener is?

 

[D KRAGER]

Cold temp = frozen ground = ground heaves sometimes. Any way that the slab is heaving just a little putting something in a bind? Just thinking out loud....

 

[willbrown82]

Try adjusting the upward and downward pressure on the opener if it has that option. I had problems with my Lift Master opener doing the same thing for the past 4 years and finally adjusted the lifting pressure and haven't had a problem since.
Here is a thread showing how to do it.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52066

 

[Junkman]

The door panels are not sticking, and the door moves up and down freely without the opener attached. The ground hasn't heaved, nor are the springs fatigued. The temperature inside and out are equal since there is no insulation or heat. I can find no physical problem with the door, and once it is opened with assist, it will continue to function properly until the next day when the problem reoccurs. Something is happening overnight, that I can not determine.. thanks Junk..

 

[Gary S]

If something happens overnight, you need to disconnect the opener for the first opening in the morning. I'd still guess you have something binding up on the door. There isn't anything else that would cause this problem.
I have two 1970s openers on my garage. I personally adjusted the doors to get them smooth. Mine work summer and winter. Summers here get to 100-110 degrees. Right now, January weather has set in and my garage is about 25 degrees inside and outside it is somewhere between 0 and -45 each morning. Temperature differential between outside and inside isn't a problem if you have the doors adjusted right.

 

[GzrGlide]

Subscribed.....

I have a similar problem with ours. When it gets to -20, the door stops coming down and goes back up. As soon as the temperature starts to get warmer, the problem dissapears.