Garage Door Won't Open and the Chain Is Loose

Garage Door Problems

• Garage doors should be inspected and maintained periodically to prevent problems with the opener mechanism. Remove dirt, leaves and debris from the track with a dry cloth. A spray lubricant can be used to clean heavy dirt from the track. Check hardware for looseness and tighten it with a screwdriver, as necessary. You should also lubricate moving parts of the garage door opener with WD40 or a similar lubricant. Clean the door with soap and water to reduce corrosion. Avoid the use of corrosive chemical or road salt around garage doors.

Garage Door Won't Open

• To fix a garage door that won’t open, first check to see that power is available for the opener equipment. If the remote will not open the door, try the wall-mounted switch. If neither work, try a new fuse or reset the circuit breaker. You can try disconnecting the opener from the door to see it if works without the door. If it does, the up force adjustment may need to be set, according to HandymanUSA. If the opener is making a humming or buzzing sound when attempting to open the door, the capacitor may need replacement.

Loose Chain Mechanisms

• Chain driven garage doors may develop loosening of the chain over time. First, close the door of the garage and disconnect the opener from the door. Shorten the chain by turning the nut on the adjustment that is near the master link of the opener. Several nuts may be evident, two for locking and one for adjusting. Adjust the excess slack from the chain until the center sags about half inch from the parallel of the track. You can also shorten the chain by moving the trolley guide rail. With either method, be careful not to overtighten the chain which can cause damage to the equipment.

Preventing Loose Hardware

• Garage door opener hardware can often loosen when the door is not operated every day, according to AdvancedDoorWorks. The wooden doors will expand and contract with weather conditions, putting pressure on the hardware. A simple way to prevent this problem is to paint the inside surface of the door. This action prevents moisture intrusion into the wood, making the operation of the door smoother and easier. For metal doors, keep tracks and rollers clean and lubricate periodically.