How to Install a Gargage Door Opener

Check the ceiling where you will be mounting the garage door opener. Make sure there is nothing that will get in the way of any of the hardware. Connect the tracks to the garage door opener. Slide the carriage on the bottom track and slide it back and forth to make sure it moves easily without binding. Connect the bracket to the track. Tighten the bolts with a socket and ratchet.

Install the track bracket to the garage door header. Tighten the lag bolts using a socket and ratchet. Drill pilot holes if necessary for the installation of the lag bolts using a drill and a drill bit smaller than the lag bolt. Open the garage door and allow it to support the weight of the garage door opener. Install the perforated angle iron to the ceiling joists using lag bolts, a socket and ratchet. Drill pilot holes in the joists using the drill and a bit smaller than the lag bolts if necessary.

Find the joists in the ceiling using a stud finder if the ceiling is finished in your garage and mark their locations with a pencil. You must install the garage door opener into the joists. Anything else is dangerous and may cause damage to the building. Once you have the main piece of perforated angle iron secure, attach the short piece to it using the bolts, nuts, socket and ratchet.

Install the garage door opener on the angle iron. Tighten the mounting hardware using a socket and ratchet. Check that the unit is level using a 4-foot level. Make adjustments if necessary by moving the mounting hardware up or down one hole in the angle iron. Drill a hole in the ceiling if it is finished and feed the switch wire through it. Mount the wall switch for the garage door opener in the location of your choice. Feed the switch wire through the ceiling to the switch and connect it.

Measure 6 inches up from the floor at the garage door track using the tape measure and mark the measurements on the door track. Install the infrared sensors on the tracks at the pencil marks. Route the sensor wires along the track and up to the garage door opener but make sure the rollers will not come in contact with the wire. Connect the wire to the garage door opener. This is the safety feature that stops the door if something is in the doorway. Do not skip this step.

Connect the garage door opener to your garage door using the heavy-duty bracket, L-bracket and the security pins that came with your opener. Plug the power cord for the garage door opener into the electrical outlet. Open and close the garage door several times using the remote and the door switch to check for smooth operation. Start the garage door closing and break the infrared beam to be sure it is working properly.