Our garage door opener was already installed when we bought our house in 1989. The opener does not want to work. At first my husband thought it was the belt, we replaced that. It will go down, but not up. He now thinks it may be the capacitor. I think we need a new opener altogether. My question is, if we do get a new opener, will we need to replace the bar and everything or just the motor box? The door is heavy. It is 18 foot wide and made of pressed board/wood. All is original to the house probably from initial construction in 1979. Any suggestions? Which opener if we buy new? All help is greatly appreciated.
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replace garage door opener
- Thread starter grammy57
- Start date
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
You may be able to buy just the motor unit as a replacement part from the original manufacturer, but considering its age that specific model is probably long obsolete. Typically, you'll just buy a whole new opener with the belt and bar and everything, it all comes in one box from the store.
As mentioned, make sure the door springs and the rest of the hardware with the door itself are in good condition. Even if the door is heavy, the springs should be set up so that the door goes up and down with little effort.
As mentioned, make sure the door springs and the rest of the hardware with the door itself are in good condition. Even if the door is heavy, the springs should be set up so that the door goes up and down with little effort.
cdestuck
Well-known member
When you buy a opener it comes with all the parts. Motor, rail, chain or belt, safety eyes. For sure your old rail will not fit a late day motor. Instructions with the door openers are quite good and taking your time, you can do this. For me, and I have installed a good many openers, I like the Craftsman brand
Hot Rod Grampa
Well-known member
How heavy does the door feel when you manually lift it? With that style door they soak up water like a sponge. If it is torsion spring and the door feels heavy, consider having it adjusted before you replace the opener. You will destroy the new opener if the door is not balanced correctly. If the door is extension spring be sure you have safety cables inside the spring and adjust them if possible. Sometimes the weight of the door exceeds the capacity of the springs and they may need to be replaced. The new openers come with all the safety and convenience features that you may want. It is possible to attach a new head to the existing rail on a handful of models but it is not advised. Best to replace the entire unit. Hope this helps.