Overhead door slows down when going up

[Tracs]

I've had my 9'x8' T16 insulated doors on for 3 years now. I have 1/2 HP Craftsman chain drive openers.

Both doors when going up slow down to almost a stop half way up. Even closing they slow down.

I don't remember them doing this that bad last year.

I checked the spring tension and it seemed OK. In fact half way up the door wants to keep opening on its on.

Also strange that both doors are doing pretty much the same thing at the same spots.

The doors have nylon rollers so I put some silicone spray in the tracks and lubed the metal hinge points with 3-1 oil.

I don't know where to go from here.

 

[rburke65]

No help here....anything in the owners manual?

 

[raspy]

Do your openers have the back-up batteries to work during power failures?

 

[Tracs]

Do your openers have the back-up batteries to work during power failures?

No. Also no speed control.

When I unhook the door from the track and run the opener it seems to run even.

The door seems balanced. Disconnected halfway open the door stays open in that position, it doesn't fall down.

 

[matt_i]

Something is slipping. I can't recall whose opener the Craftsman is. In a Chamberlain there's a sacrificial worm gear whose teeth wear down slowly (and presumably break off in a gross overload). But this will cause the door to slow or stop.

The good news is if this is your problem its a fairly easy fix and the parts are all over the internet.

 

[Tracs]

Something is slipping. I can't recall whose opener the Craftsman is. In a Chamberlain there's a sacrificial worm gear whose teeth wear down slowly (and presumably break off in a gross overload). But this will cause the door to slow or stop.

The good news is if this is your problem its a fairly easy fix and the parts are all over the internet.

I'll take the cover off and have a look at the gearing. I've replaced a worm gear in a chamberlain before.

If it is a problem with something slipping or wearing out it seems strange that both doors would be doing it after the same amount of time.

 

[pattenp]

Have you checked the power for voltage drop under load. You may have a poor connection. Assuming both drives are on same circuit.

 

[Fixin'Stuff]

The doors have nylon rollers so I put some silicone spray in the tracks and lubed the metal hinge points with 3-1 oil.

Lubing the track is a fruitless endeavor. You have nylon rollers , not nylon sliders . The only thing you should lube on the rollers is the ball bearings in the rollers.

 

[Tracs]

Have you checked the power for voltage drop under load. You may have a poor connection. Assuming both drives are on same circuit.

I will check that later. Garage is only 3 years old.

 

[tthornto]

Figure out what part of the chain is going past the sprocket when it slows down and check to see if there is a stiff spot there in the chain. You can check by for this with the door closed, use pliers to grab one link at a time and twist to see that each link pivots like it should and they all pivot with about the same amount of force. any stiff links should be soaked with penetrating oil or wd-40 and worked back and fourth until they rotate freely. When your done lube the entire chain, I like to use a wax type bike chain lube.

 

[Tracs]

I tied another outlet on a separate circuit. No change. I unwound the spring completely and re-did it. No change.

When disconnected from the opener the door can be lifted by one hand and after a 1/4 open it even starts going up by itself. It goes up smooth.

The opener, when ran disconnected from the door, runs smooth and doesn't bind or slow down.

 

[gnpenning]

Try putting some weight, maybe 30_ 40# on the opener arms with the door disconnected. In other words you are trying the openers with a known load. Do both doors.

 

[spudley]

I have a Genie 2042 that did the same thing. It still operated but at 1/4 speed. I replaced the control board and all is well. But to have both openers fail at the same time is weird.