It’s frustrating when your garage door doesn’t open as quickly as you need it to, delaying your ability to park or pull out of your driveway until the door opens completely. A slow garage door might need a minor adjustment or a major repair, depending on the cause of the slowdown. Learning about the causes of this issue can help you keep your garage door running smoothly and save a lot of money on repairs in the future. Keep reading to find out about a few issues that might cause your garage door to open slowly.
Slow Setting
Automatic Garage Door by Ben Baligad is licensed with CC BY 2.0
If you think your garage door is moving more slowly than it should be, it might be on the slow setting rather than on the regular or fast speed. The setting might be a factory standard for safety because slower-moving doors are less likely to damage cars or hurt people. Slower settings are also better for long-term use because it takes less force to open the door slowly than it does to open it quickly.
Check your garage door owner’s manual to see if you can change the setting yourself. While some garage doors allow you to change the setting using the starter or other device, others require a technician to adjust the speed. Don’t try to adjust the speed unless your manual provides directions for you to do so safely.
Automatic Opener Issues
Garage door openers come in a variety of sizes and types and can connect to other devices, such as phones and buttons you can attach to your car. If your opener is broken or getting old, it might have a hard time receiving the signal to open the door, which can make the process take longer. They may also have less horsepower than newer models, which means they can’t lift the door as quickly.
You can usually replace the door’s automatic opener without having to replace the entire garage door. Before you call a repair service, replace the batteries in any remote control or other device you use to connect to the automatic opener. Sometimes, a new set of batteries or a recharge can fix the problem. If that doesn’t work, you might need a technician to diagnose more serious problems with the automatic opener.
Insufficient Lubrication
Because your garage door consists of dozens of mechanical parts, it requires constant lubrication to operate. Using an approved lubricant creates a seal between the different mechanical parts of the garage door, allowing them to move together without touching each other. Without enough lubricant, the metal parts grind against each other, causing the door to open more slowly. If you hear a grinding noise when you operate your garage door, that’s a good sign that the issue is insufficient lubrication.
A slow opening speed and grinding might be the first signs that your garage door needs more lubrication, so don’t ignore them. If you continue to use your garage door without proper lubrication, friction can cause metal shavings to come off the tracks or other metal components. If a shaving gets embedded in the track, it can cause your garage door to stop working completely. Luckily, it’s cheap and easy to add more lubrication to your garage door. Simply use a silicone spray according to the instructions in your owner’s manual.
Mechanical Issues
A mechanical fault in any of the garage door’s components can cause it to open more slowly. For example, if the tracks are bent or the rollers have come out of alignment, the garage door can’t open and close smoothly, causing a slow or jerky motion when you activate the door. Other mechanical parts that can wear out or break include torsion springs and cables. Depending on the part that’s broken, a slow opening motion might be the first sign that there’s a problem.
Some mechanical issues get worse in cold weather because cold air can cause metal to contract, making it harder for the motor to move any parts that aren’t perfectly aligned. While you can identify some mechanical issues by sight, such as a bent track or broken cable, others require an expert diagnosis. Always call a repair service if you think your garage door has a mechanical issue. Leaving these issues unchecked can cause severe damage or force you to replace the entire door system.
Garage Door Age or Wear
If you notice that your garage door is opening more slowly over time, it might just be due to normal wear. While a garage door can last several decades before needing a full replacement, yours might wear out more rapidly if you use it a lot. You might also see more wear on certain parts of the door, such as the tracks. If you use your garage door frequently and live in a climate with extreme temperature changes, the metal of the garage door tracks can warp, making it harder for the door to open.
Wear on one part of your garage door doesn’t necessarily mean you have to replace the entire system. A skilled technician can examine your garage door and identify the parts that might benefit from replacement. Changing a few worn-out parts won’t cost you too much and can add years to your garage door’s lifespan.
What To Do If Your Garage Door Is Opening Slowly
The first thing to do if you think your garage door is opening too slowly is to check your owner’s manual. You can find instructions on adjusting the speed and lubricating the system. If neither changing the batteries on your starter devices nor adding lubricant helps, you should call a licensed expert technician right away.
If you live in the greater Chicago area and need help installing, fixing, or replacing your garage door, Chicagoland Garage Door has the services for you. Our experts can diagnose issues that are making your garage door open slowly and offer you effective, budget-friendly solutions to keep your garage door running smoothly. With 24-hour emergency service, we can replace broken springs, repair off-track doors, and troubleshoot a variety of other issues.