Today is a new day. With the basic installation of the garage door opener done and feeling much more refreshed – and, to be perfectly honest, calmer – I was able to tackle troubleshooting logically.
First, the vibration and shaking of the opener. Installed according to the instructions there were two brackets, both on the same side of the opener. It would be much more secure with mounting brackets on both sides. And there were already screw holes for brackets on both sides.
Dig out some sheet metal, take a set of measurements, and start cutting, drilling and bending. The Baileigh Shear I picked up a couple of years ago makes this easy. The first bracket fits, so make a second one.
With four brackets secured try shaking the unit by hand. Solid! While I’m up on the ladder study the alignment between the two gears. Hmmm, looks like they are a bit off. Loosen the set screws on the jackshaft gear and slide it a bit to the left. Much better! Tighten the set screws and make a test run.
Much better! The door now goes up and down smoothly. But still won’t go all the way down.
The most likely problem is with the safety sensors that detect something in the way of a closing garage door and reverse it to prevent injuries. The standard brackets that come with the sensor don’t fit my garage door track. Shouldn’t be a surprise – this large door has heavy duty track. I had used the option of screwing the sensor to the wall, where it barely cleared the track. OK, make some spacers that move the sensors out an inch so they completely clear the track. Check the alignment of the sensors and make sure they are properly set up. Everything looks good.
Study the door to see if anything on the door itself could be triggering the sensors. Maybe something like the rope that I’ve been using to lower the door? The knot on the end has a huge tuft that would go right in front of the sensor. OK, cut it off flush. Hmm, the rope itself might trigger the sensor… Loop the rope so that it is tight against the door.
OK, everything should be good to go. Check the door and surroundings for anything that might trigger the sensors. Don’t see anything. OK, moment of truth! Hit the button.
The door goes up smoothly. Half way there! But we’ve been here before…
Cross fingers and hit the button again.
The door goes down. All the way down! Try it several times. Continues to work perfectly. And there was much rejoicing!
Clean up and neatly arrange and secure the wiring. Test again. Everything still works. Success!
Now on to the next nightmare…